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U.  S.  DEPARTMENT   OF  AGRICULTURE 

BUREAU  Of  BIOLOGICAL  SURVEY 


NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA 


INo.   38 

[Actual  date  of  publication,  April  17,  1909] 


* 


-  SO 


REVISION  OF  THE  MICE  OF  THE  AMERICAN 
GENUS  PEROMYSCUS 


WILFRED    H.   OSGOOD 

ASSISTANT,    BIOLOGICAL    SURVEY 


Prepared  under  the  direction  of 

C.   HART    MERRIAM 
CHIEF    OF    BIOLOGICAL    SURVEY 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT     l'RIKTING     OFFICE 

19-6-9 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT   OF   AGRICULTURE 

BUREAU  OF  BIOLOGICAL  SURVEY 


NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA 

No.    28 

[Actual  date  of  publication,  April  17,  1900] 


REVISION  OF  THE  MICE  OF  THE  AMERICAN 
GENUS  PEROMYSCUS* 


WILFRED    H.    OSGOOD 

ASSISTANT,     BIOLOGICAL    SURVEY 


Prepared  under  the  direction  of 

C.   HART    MERRIAM 
CHIEF    OF    BIOLOGICAL    SURVEY 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT     PRINTING     OFFICE 
19  0  9 


U.  5.  SUPT        DOCUMENTS. 


aur<    ur  uutu*itNiJ>. 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL. 


U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture, 

P  ological  Survey, 
Washington,  D.  C,  -Inly  16,  1908. 
Sir  :  I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  for  publication  as  North  Ameri- 
can  Fauna  Xo.  28  a  revision  of  the  mice  of  the  American  genus 
Peromyscus,  by  Wilfred  H.  Osgood.     Tl     work  consists  of  a  system- 
atic study  of  all  the  members  of  the  gem  s,  and  includes  keys  for  the 
identification  of  the  various  forms,  together  with  the  necessary  illus- 
ations,  and  maps  showing  the  geographic  distribution  of  the  species. 
The  mice  of  this  group  occur  in  great  abundance  throughout  the 
r  nited  States,  particularly  in  the  Western  States,  but  up  to  the  present 
ume  the  interrelations  and  ranges  of  the  various  forms  have  not  been 
worked  out.     Lack  of  this  knowledge  has  been  a  source  of  embarrass- 
ment to  workers  in  many  parts  of  the  country,  particularly  to  the 
Biological   Survey   in   its   investigations   of   the   geographic   distri- 
bution and  economic  relations  of  American  mammals.     It  is  impor- 
nt,  therefore,  that  a  revision  of  the  group  be  made  available  for 
general  use. 

Respectfully,  C.  Hart  Merriam, 

,  Chief,  Biological  Survey. 

Hon.  James  Wilson, 

Secretary  of  Agriculture. 


CONTENTS 


Page. 

Introduction 9 

Material 10 

History  and  nomenclature 11 

Variation 14 

Intergradation 17 

Pelages 19 

Color  descriptions 21 

Measurements 22 

Keys 23 

Records  of  specimens 23 

Subgenera 24 

Habits  and  economic  status 26 

List  of  species  and  subspecies  with  type  localities 28 

New  subspecies 32 

Genus  Peromyscus 32 

Subgenus  Peromyscus 33 

Subgenus  Megadontomys 218 

Subgenus  Oehrotomys 222 

Subgenus  Podomys 226 

Subgenus  Haplomylomys 228 

Subgenus  Baiomys _ 252 

Tables  of  measurements 260 

Index 281 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PLATES. 

Page. 
Plate  I.  Distribution  of  the  species  and  subspecies  of  the  Peromyscus  manicu- 

latus  group Frontispiece. 

II.  Skulls  (dorsal  views)  of  Peromyscus  maniculatus,  P.  m.  arclicus,  P.  m. 
austerus,  P.  ///.  hylseus,  P.  m.  gracilis,  J',  m.  hollisteri,  P.  sithensis, 
P.  in.  keeni,  P.  m.  pallescens,  P.  m.  bairdi,  P.  polionotus,  and  P.  m. 
gambeli 2»><s 

III.  Skulls  (dorsal  views)  of  Peromyscus  leucopus  tornillo,  P.  gossypinus, 

P.  I.  cozumelse,  P.  I.  mesomelas,  P.  oaxacensis,  P.  lophurus,  P.  simu- 
latus,  P.  hylocetes,  P.  crinitus,  P.  c.  stephensi,  P.  eremicus,  and  P.  I. 
texanus --       270 

IV.  Skulls  (dorsal  views)  of  Peromyscus  boylei,  P.  I>.  levipes,  P.  b.  spid- 

legus,  P.  b.  simulus,  P.  l>.  aztecus,  P.  truer,  P.  per/oral is  eremicoides, 

P.  nasutus,  P.t.  gratus,  P.taylori,  P.  museums,  and  P.  lepturus 272 

V.  Skulls  (dorsal  views)  of  Peromyscus  banderanus,  P.  guatemalensis, 
/'.  melanophrys,  P.  yucatanicus,  P.  megalops,  P.  difficilis,  P.  furvus, 
P.  mexicanus,  and  (lateral  views)  /'.  /.  noveboracensis,  P.  musculus, 

P.  nuttalli,  P.  eremicus,  P.  thomasi,  and  P.  floridanus 274 

VI.  Skulls  (dorsal  views )  of  Peromyscus  zarhynchus,  P.  flu  villus,  P.  thomasi, 
P.  leucopus,  P.  californicus,  P.  floridanus,  and  P.  nuttalli.  Jaws  of 
Peromyscus  nuttalli,  I',  floridanus,  P.  californicus,  P.  I.  noveboracensis, 
P.  flavidus,    P.  I.  noveboracensis,   P.  eremicus,   J',  thomasi,  and  J'. 

in  usculus 276 

VII.  Skulls    (ventral   views)   of  Peromyscus   floridanus,   P.  nuttalli,  P.  I. 
imreboracensis,  P.  eremicus,  P.  thomasi,   P.   mexicanus,   P.  bullatus, 

P.  flavidus,  P.  boylei,  P.  truei,  P.  musculus,  and  P.  m.  gracilis 278 

VIII.  Upper  molars  (in  profile)  of  Peromyscus  thomasi,  P.  I.  noveboracensis, 
and  P.  /.  eremicus.  Upper  molars  (worn  crowns)  of  P.  thomasi, 
P.  californicus,  P.  nuttalli,  and  P.  /.  noveboracensis.  Lower  molars 
(worn  crowns)  of  P.  thomasi,  P.  I.  noveboracensis,  P.  m.  gracilis, 
P.  m usculus,  and  P.  floridanus 280 

TEXT  FIGURES. 

Fig.  1 .  Distribution  of  Peromyscus  melanotis 110 

2.  Distribution  of  Peromyscus  leucopus  and  subspecies 11-1 

3.  Distribution  of  Peromyscus  gossypinus  and  subspecies 136 

4.  Distribution  of  Peromyscus  boylei  and  subspecies 143 

5.  Distribution  of  Peromyscus  pectoralis,  P.  megalops,  P.  furvus,  and  P.  gua- 

ternalensis 161 

6.  Distribution  of  Peromyscus  truei  and  subspecies 166 

7.  Distribution  of  Peroinyscus  difficilis  and  subspecies 179 

8.  Distribution  of  Peromyscus  melanoplirys  and  subspecies 184 

9.  Distribution  of  Peromyscus  nuttalli  and  P.  n.  aureolus 224 

10.  Distribution  of  Peromyscus  crinitus  and  subspecies 230 

•  11.  Distribution  of  Peromyscus  eremicus  and  subspecies 240 

12.   Distribution  of  the  subgenus  Baiomys 253 


No.  28.  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.         April,  1909. 


A  REVISION  OF  THE  MICE  OF  THE  AMERICAN  GENUS 

PEROMYSCUS. 


By  Wilfred  H.  Osgood. 


INTRODUCTION. 

The  American  rodent  genus  Peromyscus,  including  the  so-called 
wood  mice,  deer  mice,  vesper  mice,  or  .white-footed  mice,  has  needed 
revision  for  many  years.  One  or  more  of  its  numerous  species  and 
subspecies  inhabit  almost  every  part  of  North  America ;  moreover, 
these  mice,  wherever  found,  are  among  the  most  abundant  of  small 
mammals.  The  group,  therefore,  is  of  such  importance  that  it  must 
be  dealt  with  in  every  work  on  North  American  mammals,  whether 
pertaining  to  classification,  geographic  distribution,  or  economic 
relations. 

Although  the  amount  of  material  examined  for  the  present  work 
is  very  large  and  the  opportunities  for  study  have  been  exceptional, 
not  all  the  conclusions  can  be  claimed  to  be  final.  However,  the 
material  in  most  cases  has  amply  sufficed  to  demonstrate  purely 
zoological  problems;  the  chief  difficulty  has  been  to  bring  within  the 
sharply  defined  limits  of  nomenclature  and  classification  natural  ob- 
jects which  are  not  sharply  limited.  In  the  study  of  such  a  large  and 
widely  ranging  genus  nearly  all  the  moot  points  of  modern  systematic 
zoology  are  encountered.  Most  of  these  have  been  treated  conserva- 
tively. Misidentifications,  even  of  decidedly  distinct  species,  hitherto 
have  been  the  rule  rather  than  the  exception.  Therefore,  very  fine 
discrimination  at  this  time  would  not  conduce  to  a  general  under- 
standing of  the  group,  but  would  tend  rather  to  confusion.  The  re- 
viser's own  idea  of  the  term  '"conservative"  is  of  course  subject  to 
the  interpretation  of  other  workers.  Describers  of  slight  local  or 
intermediate  forms,  who  find  many  of  their  names  in  synonymy,  will 
doubtless  consider  the  treatment  too  conservative,  while  others,  noting 
the  long  array  of  subspecies  admitted,  may  think  it  too  radical. 

y 


10  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Important  but  not  strictly  taxonomic  problems  have  appeared  in 
almost  every  group;  but  most  of  these,  however  interesting,  have  been 
regarded  as  beyond  the  scope  of  the  work.  They  relate  especially  to 
details  of  distribution,  variation,  evolution,  and  various  questions 
which  can  best  be  treated  by  special  workers  with  ample  time,  special 
data,  and  limited  general  obligations.  Students  of  local  faunas  will 
find  in  these  problems  opportunities  for  extremely  interesting  and 
valuable  work 

MATERIAL,. 

In  1891,  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen,  after  discussing  certain  species  of  Pero- 
myscus,  made  the  following  statement:" 

Bui  the  time  has  not  yet  come  for  ;i  satisfactory  revision  of  the  group,  to 
attempt  which  at  least  20,000  specimens  are  requisite,  collected  so  as  to 
fully  represent  the  seasonal  phases  of  pelage  obtaining  at  hundreds  of  more 
or  less  widely  separated   localities. 

These  conditions  are  now  realized  to  the  fullest  decree,  for  the 
number  of  specimens  examined  in  the  present  revision  exceeds  27,000. 
The  majority  of  these  are  contained  in  the  extensive  collection  of 
the  Biological  Survey,  which",  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  C.  Hart 
Merriam,  has  been  built  up  with  special  reference  to  the  various  life 
areas  of  North  America,  and  without  which  no  satisfactory  study 
of  this  group  would  now  be  possible.''  In  addition,  all  the  material 
in  the  more  important  public  and  private  collections  of  America 
has  been  examined,  and  also  important  specimens  belonging  to  Euro- 
pean institutions,  especially  the  British  Museum.  This .  material 
includes  all  the  types,  both  of  valid  forms  and  of  synonyms,  known 
to  be  in  existence.  In  almost  all  cases  in  which  no  types  exist,  good 
series  of  topotypes,  or  specimens  from  near  the  type  localities,  have 
been  available.  The  American  collections  which  have  been  thoroughly 
examined  are  distributed  as  follows:  Biological  Survey  (including 
the  collection  of  C.  Hart  Merriam,  on  deposit);  U.  S.  National 
Museum;  American  Museum  of  Natural  History.  New  York:  Field 
Museum  of  Natural  History.  Chicago;  Museum  of  Comparative 
Zoology.  Cambridge  (now  including  the  collection  of  E.  A.  and  O. 
Bangs)  :  and  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences.  Philadelphia  (now 
including  the  collection  of  S.  N.  Rhoads).  The  individuals  having 
charge  of  these  collections  have  generously  allowed  the  unrestricted 
use  of  their  material.  Special  acknowledgments  are  due  Dr.  J.  A. 
Allen,  of  New  York:  Mr.  Outram  Bangs,  of  Boston:  Dr.  F.  W.  True. 
Mr.  Gerrit  S.  Miller,  jr..  and  Dr.  M.  W.  Lyon,  jr.,  of  Washington; 
Mr.  Witmer  Stone,  of  Philadelphia ;  and  Drs.  D.  G.  Elliot  and  S.  E. 

"Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.  Ill,  p.  307,  1891. 

6  Unless   otherwise   stated,   specimens   mentioned  by   number   in   the  body   of 

this  report  are  in  the  Biological  Survey  Collection. 


1909.]  HISTORY    AND    NOMENCLATURE.  11 

Meek,  of  Chicago.  It  is  also  proper  to  acknowledge  the  assistance  of 
various  members  of  the  staff  of  the  Biological  Survey  who  have  aided 
greatly  by  their  knowledge  of  local  conditions,  especially  Vernon 
Bailey.  E.  W.  Nelson,  E.  A.  Goldman,  and  E.  A.  Preble.  Occasional 
specimens  from  small  institutions  or  private  collectors  in  various 
parts  of  the  country  have  been  examined,  and  mention  of  these  has 
been  made  in  the  systematic  part  of  the  work. 

HISTORY  AND   NOMENCLATURE. 

Early  authors,  noticing  only  its  superficial  resemblance  to  the 
European  wood  mouse  (Mus  sylvaticus),  placed  the  deer  mouse  of 
Eastern  North  America  in  the  genus  Mus,  and  for  some  years  nearly 
all  American  murines  were  included  in  that  genus.  In  1839,  Water- 
house"  drew  attention  to  the  dental  characters  that  distinguish  Amer- 
ican cricetines  from  the  genus  Mus,  and.  chiefly  on  the  basis  of  studies 
of  South  American  forms,  proposed  the  name  Hesperomys  to  include 
all  American  rodents  having  a  biserial  arrangement  of  the  molar 
tubercles.  This  name,  although  proposed  in  an  irregular  way  (being 
antedated  by  its  own  subgenera),  immediately  became  current  and 
besides  being  used  for  various  South  American  rodents,  was  pressed 
into  service  for  the  North  American  cricetines.  It  then  comprised  a 
large  number  of  subgenera,  most  of  which  are  now  recognized  as 
genera,  as  Oryzomys,  Onychomys,  Eligmodontia,  Oxmycterus,  I'hyl- 
lotis,  and  others,  and  was  used  as  late  as  1891.  when  Allen  ''  argued 
that,  since  it  could  not  be  restricted  to  any  particular  type,  its  use 
should  be  discontinued.  Meanwhile  some  authors  (as  Audubon  and 
Bachman  1851-1851)  failed  to  recognize  the  distinctions  of  Water- 
house,  and  continued  to  use  the  generic  name  Mus.  Previous  to 
Allen,  however.  Jordan0  had  displaced  Hesperomys  and  adopted 
Calomys,  apparently  assuming  (not  unreasonably)  that  Mus  bimae- 
ulatus,  which  formed  the  chief  basis  of  Waterhouse's  characteriza- 
tion of  Hes])eromys,  was  its  type,  and  that  this  species  being  also  the 
type  of  the  earlier  Calomys,  would  make  the  two  names  absolutely 
identical  in  application,  thus  forcing  the  use  of  Calomys  because 
of  its  priority.  This  action  of  Jordan  was  quite  in  conformity 
with  a  statement  of  the  case  made  by  Coues  in  1877/7  But  Cones. 
although  his  own  statement  showed  Hesperomys  invalid,  still  re- 
tained it,  apparently  on  the  ground  that  it  was  "  firmly  established, 
and  as  the  prior  name  Calomys  is  by  the  same  author."  However, 
he  confined  its  use  "  in  its  strictest  subgeneric  sense  "  to  South  Ameri- 


"  Zooi.  Voy.  Beagle,  p.  7."..  is.39. 

"Bull  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist..  III.  pp.  291    l".)4.  .Tune.  1891. 
''Manual. of  Vertebrates,  nth  ed.,  p.  321.  1888. 
*Monojgr.  N.  Am.  Rodent.,  pp.  43-14.  1877. 


12  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

can  forms,  and  for  the  reception  of  the  North  American  forms 
adopted  the  subgeneric  name  Vesperimus  previously  proposed  by 
him  with  the  Mus  leucopus  of-  authors  as  type.  When,  therefore,  in 
1801,  Allen  discarded  Hesperomys  entirely,  he  adopted  Coues's  Ves- 
perimus for  the  northern  group  of  cricetines.  The  currency  of  Ves- 
perimus  was  brief,  for  in  1892,  Merriam  a  showed  it  to  be  antedated 
by  Sitomys  Fitzinger,  18G7.  This  was  thereupon  adopted  and  used 
until  L894,  when  Thomas6  discovered  a  still  earlier  claimant,  Pero- 
myscus  Grloger,  1841.  This  name  has  remained  unchallenged  for 
nearly  fifteen  years,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  wrill  never  be  supplanted. 

In  the  first  pretentious  work  on  the  mammals  of  North  America, 
that  of  Audubon  and  Bachman  (1851-1854),  only  3  species  of  those 
nowT  recognized  as  belonging  to  Peromyscus  were  included,  namely, 
aureolus,  leucopus,  and  michiganensis  (=bairdi) .  Previous  to  1S54, 
however,  several  forms  unrecognized  by  Audubon  and  Bachman  had 
been  described.  These  were  noveboracensis  (1829),  nuttdlli  (1832), 
maniculatus  (1S45),  californicus  (1848),  gossypinus  (1853),  sonori- 
ensis  (1853),  and  texanus  (1853).  In  1857  Baird's  Mammals  of 
North  America  appeared  c  and  added  greatly  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
group.  With  an  acuteness  wThich  is  the  more  noteworthy  when 
the  scanty  and  imperfect  nature  of  his  material  is  considered,  Baird 
sensed  the  distinctness  of  a  number  of  forms  not  previously 
thought  worthy,  and  also  gave  names  to  several  new  ones.  More- 
over, he  reviewed  the  related  South  American  forms  and  presented 
the  relationships  of  the  species  and  minor  groups  then  known  much 
more  satisfactorily  than  any  previous  writer.  Thirteen  forms  were 
recognized  by  Baird  under  the  following  names:  leucopus,  texanus, 
gossypinus,  gambelii,  austerus,  nuttalli,  cognatus,  boylii,  myoides, 
sonoriensis,  michiganensis,  californicus,  and  eremicus.  Twelve  of 
these  are  still  recognized,  cognatus  being  the  only  one  that  did  not 
represent  at  least  a  valid  subspecific  form.  Under  Hesperomys, 
Baird  also  placed  Onychomys  leucogaster  and  Oryzomys  palustris 
with  the  rank  of  separate  subgenera.  After  Baird,  followed  a  period 
of  comparative  inactivity  in  which  very  few  new  forms  were  de- 
scribed, and  the  concept  of  the  group  remained  nearly  unchanged. 
Then  came  the  mistaken  ultraconservatism  of  Cones,  who,  in  1877,'z 
'  lumped  '  several  of  Baird's  forms  and  also  synonymized  the  major- 
ity of  all  names  previously  proposed  for  species  of  Peromysms.  Thus 
under  Hesperomys  leucopus  were  placed  no  fewer  than  13  names, 
none  of  which  are  now  referred  to  the  synonymy  of  that  species.  In 
addition  to  Hesperomys  leucopus,  however,   Coues  recognized  the 

0  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  VII,  p.  27,  footnote,  April.  1892. 

6  Ann.  &  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  Lond.,  ser.  6,  XIV,  p.  364,  footnote.  November,  1894. 

r  Pac.  R.  R.  Reports,  VII,  pp.  1-757,  1857. 

d  Monogr.  N.  Am.  Rodentia,  pp.  43-105,  1S77. 


1909.]  HISTORY    AND    NOMENCLATURE.  13 

following:  Hesperomys  leu co pus  gossypinus,  H.  1.  sonoriensis,  H.  I. 
eremieus,  II.  aureolus,  II.  michiganensis  {=  bairdi),  II.  califomicus, 
II.  a-zteeus,  and  //.  melanophrys.  Like  Baird,  he  included  Ony- 
c/tomys  and  Oryzomys  under  Hesperomys  as  subgenera.  The  con- 
clusions of  Cones  were  not  seriously  challenged  for  several  years,  but 
after  1885  collections  began  to  increase,  and  from  that  time  until  the 
present  many  descriptions  of  new  or  supposed  new  forms  have  been 
published,  and  conceptions  of  the  number  and  relationships  of  the 
species  within  the  genus  have  rapidly  changed.  Various  groups 
which  had  long  been  included  as  subgenera  were  eliminated  and 
given  independent  rank,  as  Onychomys,  Oryzomys,  Tylomys, 
Rhipidomys,  and  various  South  American  groups,  until  with  the 
removal  of  Thomasomys  in  1898  the  genus  Peromyscus  became 
restricted  to  forms  confined  to  North  and  Central  America.  How- 
ever, scarcely  any  of  this  recent  work  on  the  genus  was  of  a  revi- 
sionary  nature,  or  if  so  it  was  confined  to  the  limits  of  some  small 
section.  Certain  papers  of  special  importance,  however,  are  worthy 
of  mention.  In  1890  Mearns  published  a  brief  but  important 
synopsis  of  a  number  of  the  short-tailed  western  forms  now  included 
in  the  maniculatus  group."  Another  valuable  contribution  was  made 
in  1893,  when  Allen,6  in  reporting  upon  some  large  collections  from 
Lower  California,  gave  an  extended  discussion  of  the  species  of 
Peromyscus  concerned.  The  species  inhabiting  Florida  and  all  the 
forms  of  P.  gossypinus  have  been  quite  thoroughly  treated  by  Bangs.0 
Two  extensive  papers  were  also  published  describing  new  forms 
from  Mexico  and  Central  America,  one  by  Merriam  d  containing  20 
descriptions,  the  other  by  Osgood  e  containing  30.  Short  papers  and 
mere  descriptions  have  been  numerous.  In  fact,  no  fewer  than 
167  names  for  new  or  supposed  new  forms  of  Peromyscus  have  been 
proposed  since  1885.  Add  to  this  the  14  contained  in  the  present 
paper,  and  the  total  of  181  is  reached/ 

The  characters  of  the  species  and  subspecies  of  Peromyscus  are  so 
subtle  that  even  from  the  same  material  different  persons  may  form 
different  conclusions.  For  this  reason,  and  also  on  account  of  the 
lack  of  even  tentative  revisionary  work,  the  production  of  synonyms 
in  this  genus  has  been  unusually  large.     Of  the  167  names  for  sup- 

°Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.  II,  pp.  284-287,  Feb.  21,  1890. 

6  Supra  cit.,  V.  pp.  185-197,  Aug.  18,  1893. 

c  Proc.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XXVIII,  pp.  193-203,  March,  1.898,  and  Proc.  Biol. 
Soc.  Wash.,  X.  pp.  119-125,  Nov.  5,  1896. 

dProc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XII,  pp.  115-125,  Apr.  30.  1898. 

e  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XVII,  pp.  55-77,  Mar.  21,  1904. 

I  The  authorship  of  these  is  divided  as  follows:  Allen,  26;  Alien  and  Chap- 
man, 4;  Bailey,  3;  Bangs,  16;  Chapman,  3;  Copeland  and  Church,  1;  Elliot. 
15;  Mearns,  13;  Merriam,  28;  Miller,  4;  Osgood,  47;  Rhoads,  11;  Shufeldt,  1; 
Thomas,  8. 


14  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [NO.   28. 

posed  new  forms  of  Peromyscus  proposed  since  1885,  58,  practically 
one-third,  arc  of  more  than  doubtful  status  and  are  here  treated  as 
synonyms.  The  descriptions  of  these  supposed  new  species  are  often 
misleading,  since  it  has  been  usual  to  compare  them  with  remote  and 
entirely  irrelevant  forms,  while  their  near  relatives  were  ignored. 
Much  time  has  been  wasted  in  elaborate  descriptions  of  shades  of 
color  common  to  nearly  every  species  in  the  genus,  while  mention  of 
relationships  and  differential  characters  has  often  been  omitted.  As 
a  result,  original  descriptions  have  proved  of  little  value  to  the  re- 
viser, and  for  determining  the  applicability  of  names  he  has  been 
compelled  to  depend  largely  upon  type  specimens. 

VARIATION. 

Variation  in  Peromyscus  might  well  form  the  subject  of  extended 
discussion,  but  here  it  can  be  treated  only  in  a  general  way,  space 
forbidding  the  numerous  tabulations  which  detailed  study  would 
require.  Fortuitous  individual  variation  is  perhaps  no  greater  than 
in  most  other  genera  of  small  rodents,  but  the  range  of  seasonal,  poly- 
chromatic, and  local  or  geographic  variation,  is  rather  wide,  so  the 
genus  may  fairly  be  said  to  be  more  than  usually  variable.  In- 
dividual variation  is  greatest  in  specimens  from  localities  lying  just 
between  the  ranges  of  two  well-established  forms.  In  fact,  the  com- 
plete range  of  difference  between  two  extremes  often  may  be  found 
in  series  from  such  localities.  In  other  cases,  though  obviously  in- 
termediate, certain  series  show  variations  approaching  either  or  both 
extremes.  Also,  variable  intermediates  may  sometimes  showT  ten- 
dencies not  apparent  in  either  extreme  but  too  unstable  to  be  of 
subspecific  importance.  On  the  other  hand,  some  intermediate  series 
are  quite  uniform,  but  this  is  exceptional.  Series  typical  of  w^ell- 
established  forms  show  comparatively  little  variation  except  in  size, 
and  this  is  not  often  great.  In  order  to  ascertain  the  normal  varia- 
tion in  size  it  is  necessary  to  select  carefully  for  illustration  specimens 
that  are  unquestionably  adult  and  that  have  been  measured  by  one 
person,  thus  eliminating  the  personal  equation.  Below  are  given 
measurements  of  an  entire  series  of  P.  s.  prevostensis.  These  speci- 
mens were  taken  in  two  nights'  t~  -  jing  at  one  place  and  carefully 
measured  in  the  flesh  by  myself.  Every  one  is  fully  adult.  From 
the  table  it  appears  that  the  mean  total  length  is  almost  exactly  half- 
way between  the  extremes,  and  that  the  passage  from  one  extreme  to 
the  other  is  very  gradual,  indicating  that  the  mean  is  not  misleading, 
as  it  often  is  when  a  preponderance  of  specimens  is  toward  either  of 
the  extremes.  In  total  length  the  greatest  variation  from  the  mean 
is  the  extreme  of  230  mm.,  which  is  14  mm.,  or  about  6|  per  cent,  in 
excess  of  the  mean.  Without  detailing  further  evidence,  it  may  be 
stated  that  this  is  about  the  normal  percentage  of  variation  in  size 


1009.] 


VARIATION. 


15 


throughout  the  genus.  The  same  range  of  variation  appears  in  both 
sexes — additional  evidence  that  the  average  is  reliable.  Sexual  varia- 
tion, as  appears  below,  is  so  slight  as  to  be  practically  wanting.  This 
seems  to  hold  throughout  the  genus,  for  though  in  a  given  series  the 
maximum  size  is  usually  found  among  the  females,  the  separate 
averages  of  adult  males  and  females  are  always  approximately  the 
same. 

Measurement*  of  '/•>  topotypes  of  Peromyscus  s.  prevostensis. 


Males. 

Females. 

Museum  number. 

Length. 

Tail. 

Hind  foot. 

Museum  number. 

Length. 

Tail. 

Hind  foot. 

100822 

230 
229 
226 

226 
222 
222 
221 
221 
219 
218 
217 
217 
217 
214 
214 
214 
214 
213 
211 
•Jin 
209 
208 
208 
207 
205 

116 
112 
108 
110 
111 
108 
106 
'  108 
107 
102 
106 
107 
107 
103 
103 
105 
104 
106 
101 
101 
102 
98 
102 
99 
97 

27 
27 
27 
26 
26 
25 
27 
25 
27 
26 
26 
■j7 

s 

26 
26 
25 
26 

s 

26 
26 
26 
27 
25 

100842 

228 
•J27 
222 
222 
221 
221 
220 
218 
216 
215 
213 
213 
212 
212 
211 
•JO!) 
208 
206 
206 
200 

108 
116 
115 
108 
111 
110 
106 
107 
109 
106 
107 
103 
104 
104 
103 
99 
103 
98 
98 
100 

28 

100814 

100825 

26 

100819 

100837  . 

100847 

100849 

27 
27 

100846 

100823 

27 

100828... 

100812 

'J.'. 

100839 

L00848 

27 

100809 

100830 

100840 

100816 

25 
26 

100821 

100827 

100850 

100824 

27 
26 

100836 

100S33 

100811 

100817 

100813 

100844 

100843 

100841 

100832 

27 

100820 

26 

100835 

100806 

100808 

26 
26 

25 

100829 

100826 

25 
26 

100845 

27 

100838 

100834 

Average  of— 

26 

100807 

10083] 

•J  15.  3 
216.5 

216.0 

in:..  7 
105. 'J 

105.4 

26.2 

100815.. 

JO. 'J 

100810 

Entire  series  (25 

males  and  20 
females) 

Average  of  25 
males 

216.5 

105.  2 

26.2 

26.  2 

There  is  much  variation  in  cranial  characters  that  must  be  con- 
sidered individual.  Most  of  the  distinct  species  are  fairly  well  char- 
acterized cranially,  but  the  cranial  characters  of  subspecies,  when  any 
are  apparent,  are  exceedingly  variable  and  seldom  constant  through- 
out a  series.  Often,  however,  they  constitute  average  characters  of 
considerable  value.  More  or  less  tendency  to  dolichocephaly  is  some- 
times found  in  series  representing  species  that  are  normally  brachy- 
cephalic,  and  vice  versa,  and  in  si  . 1  teases,  of  course,  nearly  all  parts 
of  the  skull  are  affected.  The  teeth  vary  chiefly  in  size  and  seldom 
greatly.  The  pattern  of  the  grinding  surfaces  of  teeth  at  different- 
stages  of  wear,  however,  varies  much,  and  in  all  comparisons  of  teeth 
is  to  be  carefully  considered. 

Variability  of  color,  while  often  great,  is  usually  not  strictly  in- 
dividual, but  in  most  cases  may  be  explained  otherwise.  It  may 
be  due  to  season,  age,  or  color  phase,  and  in  some  cases  slight  color 
differences,  not  considered  specific  or  subspecific,  seem  obviously  due 
to  environmental  causes  and  may  be  very  local.     Although  there  is 


16  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

only  one  complete  annual  molt,  the  constant  change  due  to  wear  and 
its  lack  of  uniformity  in  different  individuals  produce  great  varia- 
tion, so  that  comparatively  large  series  seldom  contain  two  individuals 
absolutely  identical  in  color.  Differences  due  solely  to  age  are  quite 
constant  and  of  much  the  same  character  throughout  the  genus,  but 
they  too  are  complicated  with  the  wear  of  pelage.  (See  Pelages, 
p.  19.) 

A  sort  of  dichromatism  is  found  in  P.  m.  blandus,  one  phase  being 
vinaceous  gray  and  the  other  ochraceous  buff.  A  few  other  forms,  as 
sonoriensis  and  coolidgei,  are  slightly  and  less  commonly  dichromatic. 
Among  western  forms,  variations  of  such  an  extremely  local  and 
sporadic  nature  often  occur  that  one  may  almost  believe  them  to  have 
been  produced  in  one  or  at  most  a  very  few  generations.  Such  varia- 
tions, of  course,  are  slight,  and  doubtless  produced  immediately  upon 
contact  with  certain  conditions.  Thus  if  the  range  of  a  given  form 
includes  a  few  square  miles  of  lava  beds,  specimens  from  that  area 
show  an  appreciably  darker  color  than  the  normal  form  occupying 
the  surrounding  region.  And  whenever  similar  conditions  are  re- 
peated elsewhere,  even  on  a  small  scale,  the  same  result  seems  to  fol- 
low. Again,  specimens  from  the  bottom  of  a  dark  wooded  canyon 
may  be  noticeably  darker  than  those  from  an  open  hillside  only  a 
few  hundred  yards  away.  In  the  absence  of  absolute  proof,  one  can 
scarcely  avoid  the  suspicion  that  if  the  progeny  of  paler  individuals 
were  transferred  at  an  early  age  to  the  habitat  of  darker  ones,  they 
would,  quite  regardless  of  t  inherent  tendencies,  develop  a  darker 
color,  or,  similarly,  a  lighter  color  if  the  process  were  reversed. 

Local  and  geographic  variations  are  great,  so  great,  indeed,  that, 
excepting  a  few  species  of  very  limited  range,  all  the  species  have 
developed  geographic  peculiarities  by  means  of  which  they  have  been 
subdivided  into  more  or  less  numerous  (geographic)  races  or  sub- 
species. One  species,  P.  maniculatus,  which  in  its  various  forms 
ranges  from  sea  to  sea  and  from  the  Arctic  Circle  to  the  Isthmus  of 
Tehuantepec,  remains  constant  only  where  conditions  are  practically 
identical;  hence  it  is  represented  by  a  definable  subspecies  in  almost 
every  fannal  area  which  it  enters.  The  readiness  with  which  local 
variation  is  induced  and  established  appears  also  from  the  large  num- 
ber of  distinguishable  insular  forms.  Much  of  the  local  variation, 
however,  can  not  be  considered  subspecific.  Certain  forms,  although 
preserving  the  same  general  characters  throughout  a  definite  range, 
nevertheless  show  slight  and  sometimes  unique  variations  in  nearly 
every  local  series  from  within  the  range.  In  these  cases,  where  no 
two  series  of  specimens  from  respective  localities  are  exactly  alike, 
and  where  no  two  can  be  associated  except  upon  the  basis  of  char- 
acters common  to  all,  it  is  necessary  to  disregard  slight  variations  and 
treat  the  entire  association  under  one  name. 


1909.]  INTERGRADATION.  17 

INTERGRADATION. 

Until  recent  years  continuous  and  perfect  intergradation  was 
demonstrable  only  in  relatively  few  cases.  And  even  now,  although 
proved  beyond  doubt  in  group  after  group,  in  many  cases  it  is  merely 
taken  for  granted.  That  intergradation  exists  even  more  widely 
than  is  generally  supposed  appears  from  the  study  of  groups  in 
which  material  is  abundant.  Of  Peromyscus  we  have  more  com- 
plete series  than  of  any  other  genus  of  American  mammals — that  is, 
not  only  are  there  more  specimens,  but  many  more  localities  are  rep- 
resented and  the  gaps  in  known  distribution  are  usually  few.  Bar- 
riers impassable  to  many  other  mammals  have  little  effect  on  these 
mice,  for  they  range  continuously,  although  not  always  without  un- 
dergoing change,  from  sea  level  to  great  altitudes,  and  f^om  the 
very  humid  to  the  very  arid  regions.  Moreover,  since  usually  they 
are  so  abundant  and  easily  obtained,  representatives  are  available 
from  nearly  every  locality  in  North  America  ever  visited  by  a  mam- 
mal collector.0  Within  the  range  of  one  species  (maniculatus)  it  is 
probable  that  a  line,  or  several  lines,  could  be  drawn  from  Labrador 
to  Alaska  and  thence  to  southern  Mexico  throughout  which  not  a 
single  square  mile  is  not  inhabited  by  some  form  of  this  species. 
They  are  wanting  in  the  extreme  north,  but  there  is  scarcely  a  corner 
south  of  the  Arctic  Circle  in  which  they  do  not  occur.  With  such  wide 
and  continuous  distribution  perfect  intergradation  must  take  place 
between  related  forms  of  different  faunal  areas,  and  with  such 
complete  collections  this  intergradation  must  be  plainly  evident  in 
nearly  all  cases. 

Classification  becomes,  then,  as  has  been  said,&  like  dividing  the 
spectrum  and  depends  largely  upon  the  standards  set,  for,  theoretic- 
ally at  least,  the  possibilities  of  subdivision  are  unlimited.  It  is  not 
strange,  therefore,  that  hundreds  and  even  thousands  of  specimens 
are  intergrades  almost  equally  resembling  two  or  more  adjacent 
forms.  Many  of  these  intergrades  for  convenience  may  be  referred 
with  some  degree  of  assurance  to  the  form  they  most  closely  resem- 
ble, but  many  specimens  fall  so  near  the  imaginary  line  between  two 
or  more  subspecies  that  it  is  practically  impossible  to  classify  them 
other  than  as  intergrades.  A  particularly  troublesome  class  is  one 
which  approximates  the  color  of  one  form  and  the  cranial  characters 
of  another,  thus  reducing  the  question  to  one  of  relative  importance 
of  characters. 

"American  col lecturs  of  wide  experience,  in  comparing  notes,  regard  as 
worthy  <>f  remark  the  few  occasions  on  which  they  have  found  themselves  in 
localities  where  they  "couldn't  catch  Peromyscus,"  and  in  such  places,  as  a 
rule,  they  were  also  unable  to  catch  anything  else. 

6Ridgway,  Birds  North  and  Middle  America,  pt.  I,  p.  x,  1901. 

66268— No.  28—09 2 


18  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

The  description  of  new  forms  without  a  complete  canvass  of  con- 
generic forms  often  has  the  unfortunate  result  of  fixing  names  to 
intermediate  and  unrepresentative  types.  The  same  result  is  effected 
also  by  the  describer  who,  though  fully  cognizant  of  relationships, 
does  not  hesitate  to  name  a  slight  variation,  the  characters  of  which, 
as  exhibited  by  specimens  from  a  given  locality,  may  prove  later  to 
be  more  fully  developed  in  specimens  from  elsewhere.  The  reviser 
is  often  confronted  with  three  names  representing  steps  in  develop- 
ment from  one  extreme  to  another,  one  of  the  designated  forms  thus 
being  intermediate  between  the  other  two.  If,  as  often  occurs,  the 
recognition  of  only  two  forms  seems  necessary,  and  the  intermediate 
has  been  named  before  either  of  the  extremes,  its  name,  having 
priority,  must  stand,  and  it  becomes  necessary  to  decide  which  of 
the  names  representing  the  extremes  shall  be  considered  a  synonym. 
It  is  well  known  that  certain  intermediate  specimens  so  combine  the 
characters  of  two  subspecies  that  different  authors  may  relegate  them 
to  different  forms.  It  is  readily  seen  that  when  such  specimens  are 
chosen  as  types  the  names  of  several  forms  may  thus  become  as 
subject  to  change  as  are  those  on  the  labels  of  intermediate  speci- 
mens. A  reviser  in  dealing  with  such  names  is  compelled  first  to 
determine  the  number  of  recognizable  forms  without  regard  to  names. 
Then  the  various  type  specimens  are  referred  according  to  their  de- 
gree of  resemblance  to  one  or  another  of  the  recognizable  forms — 
just  as  would  be  done  in  determining  ordinary  specimens.  The  names 
are  then  adopted  or  rejected  according  to  priority  and  these  deter- 
minations. 

In  several  instances,  particularly  in  the  maniculatus  group,  two 
bona  fide  subspecies  inhabit  the  same  area  and  apparently  maintain 
themselves  distinct.  Each  may  be  traced  by  a  different  geographic 
route  through  every  degree  of  intergradation  to  one  parent  ( ?)  form. 
Thus,  arcticus  and  algidus  occur  together  in  the  upper  Yukon  Valley 
as  if  distinct  species;  arcticus  ranges  southward  and  eastward  and 
intergrades  with  areas;  algidus  follows  the  coast  route  and  through 
hylceus  and  macrorhinus  also  intergrades  with  oreas  (see  map, 
frontispiece).  Therefore,  if  natural  causes,  sudden  or  gradual,  were 
to  eliminate  the  intergrades  with  oreas  the  formation  of  two  dis- 
tinct species  (arcticus  and  algidus),  living  side  by  side,  would  be 
complete. 

Intergradation  has  been  found  quite  frequently  in  unexpected 
quarters  and  many  forms  long  supposed  to  be  distinct  species  are 
now  proved  to  be  subspecies.  This  is  significant  of  the  result  to  be 
expected  in  other  genera,  specimens  of  which  are  less  easily  obtained, 
but  which  may  have  nearly  or  quite  as  continuous  range  as  Peromys- 
cus.  Everything  seems  to  indicate,  however,  that  few,  if  any,  genera 
of  American  mammals  show  such  widely  separated  differentiations 


1909.]  PELAGES.  19 

and  at  the  same  time  such  unbroken  series  of  intergrading  forms  as 
Peromyscus.  Even  the  species  most  widely  different  are  connected 
by  forms  more  or  less  combining  their  characters,  and  the  same  is 
true  in  a  large  degree  of  the  subgenera. 

PELAGES. 

Like  many  other  mammals,  the  mice  of  the  genus  PeromyscMs  appear 
to  undergo  only  one  complete  annual  change  of  pelage.  The  normal 
time  for  this  molt,  at  least  in  temperate  regions,  is  late  summer  or 
early  fall,  but  from  various  causes  the  exact  time  is  extremely  varia- 
ble, so  that  season  is  usually  of  little  value  for  determining  the  pelage 
of  a  given  individual.  The  new  pelage  may  be  acquired  in  regular 
and  obvious  manner  with  the  fresh  coat  well  distinguished  from  the 
old  worn  one,  the  growth  proceeding  from  before  backward  and  the 
middle  of  the  rump  being  the  last  part  to  be  invested,  or  the  change 
may  be  quite  insidious  and  apparent  only  upon  careful  examination. 
The  regular  method  is  followed  in  the  adults  of  most  species,  while 
the  other  is  more  often  evident  in  immature  individuals. 

The  new  pelage,  when  first  acquired,  is  apparently  unmixed  with 
any  of  the  preceding  worn  pelage,  which  soon  entirely  disappears, 
but  new  hairs  continue  to  come  in  for  some  time,  making  the  pelage 
fuller  and  thicker  until  it  reaches  its  prime,  usually  in  late  fall  and 
early  winter.  Besides  the  normal  molt,  in  some  cases,  a  distinct  sec- 
ondary growth  or  perhaps  a  partial  molt  is  shown  by  specimens 
which,  though  apparently  in  fresh  pelage,  are,  as  may  be  seen  by 
lifting  the  hairs  of  the  back  and  sides,  largely  covered  with  patches 
of  short  incoming  hairs  of  uniform  character.  The  complete  new 
pelage  remains  much  the  same  for  some  time  (usually  during  winter), 
and  then  begins  to  show  signs  of  wear.  This  is  usually  first  evi- 
denced by  a  general  brightening  of  color,  the  overlying  black  or 
dusky  tips  of  certain  hairs  fading  or  being  worn  off,  thus  exposing 
more  fully  the  various  underlying  shades  of  buff.  The  process  of 
fading  and  abrading  continues  until  the  molt,  producing  various 
effects  in  different  species.  Commonly  the  dusky  soon  becomes  al- 
most eliminated  or  altered  to  brown  or  pale  cinnamon,  so  that  it  blends 
more  perfectly  with  the  main  color.  In  species  in  which  dusky  pre- 
dominates on  the  back  this  becomes  more  contrasted  with  the  sides, 
the  dusky  having  been  eliminated  on  one  part  sooner  than  on  the 
other. 

In  species  having  comparatively  little  dusky,  the  pelage,  while  still 
full,  long,  and  apparently  little  worn,  may  become  almost  entirely 
a  bright  uniform  shade  of  buff  or  tawny.  This  condition  has  some- 
times mistakenly  been  supposed  to  represent  the  very  old  individual 
in  distinction  from  the  supposed  normal  adult.     It  is  true  that  the 


20  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

very  bright  rich  colors  are  never  assumed  by  the  young  and  adoles- 
cents. Bui  such  colors  appear  to  be  only  features  of  a  stage  through 
which  any  adult  may  pass  annually,  though  since  largely  the  result 
of  external  influences  (abrasion  and  fading),  they  necessarily  vary 
greatly  in  different  individuals.  Thus  it  often  happens  that  the 
pelages  of  two  individuals  living  side  by  side  are  at  the  end  of  a 
season  in  quite  different  stages  of  wear. 

Besides  the  differences  due  to  wear  and  renewal  of  the  coat,  there 
are  three  fairly  distinct  phases  due  to  age — the  juvenile  (young  in 
first  coat),  the  adolescent,  and  the  adult.  The  young  in  first  coat  is 
usually  a  uniform  slaty  gray  or  some  similar  shade."  The  hair  is 
slightly  paler  terminally  than  basally  and  is  more  or  less  woolly  in 
appearance — at  least  not  smooth  and  compact.  This  stage  is  suc- 
ceeded by  the  adolescent  pelage,  which  first  appears  on  the  middle  of 
the  sides.  Its  growth  proceeds  rapidly  upward  on  each  side  until  union 
is  effected  in  the  middle  of  the  back,  and  then  incloses  the  rest  of  the 
bocty,  the  rump  and  nape  usually  being  the  last  parts  to  be  covered. 
In  its  early  stages  this  adolescent  pelage  is  plainly  distinguishable 
from  the  adult  pelage.  The  hair  is  shorter  than  in  the  adult,  the 
main  color  is  duller  and  paler,  and  the  dusky  is  more  uniformly 
distributed.  It  varies  but  little  through  many  species,  and  the  gen- 
eral effect  is  usually  close  to  broccoli  brown.  It  is  difficult  to  deter- 
mine how  long  this  pelage  is  worn,  but  it  is  doubtless  renewed  at 
latest  within  a  year.  The  succeeding  coat  may  be  somewhat  paler 
and  grayer  than  the  fully  adult,  but  as  a  rule  is  so  similar  to  it  that 
further  distinction  is  scarcely  possible.  Except  in  northern  forms, 
breeding  is  continued  during  the  greater  part  or  all  of  the  year  (see 
Remarks  under  P.  californiciis,  p.  236),  so  that  specimens  of  various 
ages  may  be  taken  at  almost  all  seasons. 

Consideration  of  pelages  is  of  the  highest  importance  in  making 
comparisons  of  closely  related  forms.  Except  in  large  collections, 
it  is  very  difficult  to  find  specimens  of  different  forms  absolutely 
comparable  as  to  condition  of  pelage.  Indeed,  it  is  sometimes  hard 
to  find  two  absolutely  comparable  specimens  of  one  form  even  in  a 
large  series  collected  at  one  time  and  place.  The  fact  that  a  specimen 
was  collected  at  a  certain  season  does  not  always  warrant  assumption 
that  its  pelage  is  the  one  that  is  (or  ought  to  be)  representative  of 
that  season.  This  is  particularly  true  of  southern  forms,  many  of 
which  seem  to  change  pelage  regardless  of  season.  The  process  of 
change  is  constant ;  that  is,  a  new  pelage  begins  to  be  altered  slightly 
as  soon  as  it  is  acquired,  and  before  renewal  it  may  pass  through  vari- 
ous stages  of  fading  and  abrading,  each  more  or  less  different  from 
the  others.    Add  to  this  the  different  shades  of  color  distinguishing 

°An  exception  is  found  in  the  subgenus  Ochrotomys,  in  which  the  young  are 
colored  like  the  adults. 


1909.]  COLOR   DESCRIPTIONS.  21 

juveniles,  adolescents,  adults,  and  senescents,  and  the  result  is  an 
amount  of  variation  that  can  be  demonstrated  only  by  large  scries 
taken  at  different  seasons.  Insufficient  material,  and  consequent 
failure  to  appreciate  these  variations,  have  of  course  been  the  chief 
causes  leading  to  the  bestowal  of  different  names  upon  identical 
forms.0 

The  pelages  here  described  are  placed  chiefly  under  two  heads — 
the  '  unworn  pelage,'  which  indicates  the  fresh  coat  in  its  prime,  and 
the  '  worn  pelage,'  which  usually  is  that  of  the  rather  decided  degree 
of  wear  shown  just  before  the  molt.  The  various  intermediate  stages 
between  the  two  can  be  indicated  only  in  a  general  way.  The 
'  adolescent  pelage '  and  that  of  the  '  young  in  first  coat '  are  so 
similar  in  most  forms  that  descriptions  of  them  have  not  been  given 
in  all  cases. 

COLOR    DESCRIPTIONS. 

The  description  of  the  intergrading  forms  of  a  genus  like  Pero- 
myscus  presents  unusual  difficulties.  Differences  apparent  enough 
to  any  tyro  are  beyond  the  powers  of  description  of  the  practiced 
professional.  Available  words  constantly  signify  either  too  much 
or  too  little  and  in  many  cases  may  mislead.  Besides  differences 
that  can  be  perceived  but  not  described,  others  doubtless  exist  in  the 
living  animals  that  in  prepared  specimens  are  rarely  even  perceptible. 

As  Bangs  says : & 

Most  of  the  closely  related  forms  of  white-footed  mice  look  very  different 
from  each  other  when  one  is  trapping  and  handling  them  in  the  flesh.  This 
'  aspect  difference  '  as  Professor  Shaler  aptly  calls  it,  is  subtle  and  hard  to 
define,  and  may  disappear  almost  entirely  when  the  animals  are  made  into  the 
conventional  museum  skins  or  preserved  in  spirits,  thus  leaving  the  characters 
on  which  species  and  subspecies  are  based  very  slight  in  comparison  with  what 
they  were  in  life. 

Since  the  general  color  and  color  pattern  are  so  much  the  same 
throughout  the  genus,  comparative  descriptions  are  employed  in 
almost  all  cases.  In  addition,  although  it  causes  some  repetition, 
complete  color  descriptions  are  given  for  nearly  all  the  forms.  In 
every  case,  typical  specimens  have  been  compared  carefully  with  the 
plates  of  Ridgway's  Nomenclature  of  Colors  for  Naturalists,c  which. 

"However,  after  examining  several  comparatively  small  collections,  one  can 
only  wonder  that  so  many  really  correct  diagnoses  have  been  made.  Forms 
which  appear  quite  distinct  in  view  of  large  series  of  perfect  specimens  are 
most  difficult  to  distinguish  with  only  poor  material.  On  the  other  hand. 
differences  of  pelage  are  often  magnified  in  small  collections  where  two  very 
different  pelages  may  be  represented  only  by  series  from  two  widely  separated 
localities,  and  thus  the  belief  that  they  represent  different  forrns  is  easily 
derived. 

6  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  X,  pp.  120-121,  Nov.,  1896. 

c  Boston,  Mass.,  1886.     Now  out  of  print. 


22  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.   28. 

though  of  smaller  scope  than  is  desirable  and  unfortunately  not 
widely  accessible,  is  yet  the  only  available  standard.  Since  general 
color  terms  are  so  indefinite,  they  have  been  supplemented  by  the 
terms  used  by  Ridgway,  or,  if  possible,  they  are  used  in  the  sense 
of  the  unqualified  term  as  given  by  Ridgway.  Thus  the  term  rufous 
is  employed  in  none  of  the  variable  popular  senses,  but  to  describe 
the  shade  so-called  by  Ridgway  (No.  7,  PI.  IV).  Nearly  every 
species  of  Peromyscus  has  two  colors  independently  combined,  and 
the  relative  amount  of  each  can  not  be  stated  in  exact  terms.  An 
attempt  to  obviate  this  difficulty  has  been  made  by  defining  the  two 
colors  and  also  the  '  general  effect,'  that  is,  the  color  produced  by  the 
blending  of  the  two  as  seen  when  the  specimen  is  held  in  a  good 
light  at  a  short  distance  from  the  eyes. 

MEASUREMENTS. 

All  measurements  are  in  millimeters.  Unless  otherwise  stated,  the 
external  measurements  are  those  taken  in  the  flesh  by  the  collector, 
as  follows:  Total  length  (tip  of  nose  to  tip  of  tail)  ;  tail  vertebrae 
(never  measured  to  end  of  hairs)  ;  and  hind  foot  (to  end  of  longest 
claw).  The  measurement  of  the  ear  has  been  taken  in  most  cases 
from  the  dry  skins  of  specimens  in  which  the  ear  has  not  been  dis- 
torted in  drying.  The  means  and  extremes  of  ten  normal  adult  speci- 
mens are  given  so  far  as  possible.  Since  there  is  so  little  sexual  dif- 
ference in  size  (see  p.  15),  the  averages,  except  in  special  cases,  are 
based  upon  series  containing  specimens  of  both  sexes.  Cranial 
measurements  have  been  taken  with  great  care  with  finely  adjusted 
calipers  reading  tenths  of  millimeters  by  vernier.  Although  not 
equally  valuable  for  all  forms,  the  following  cranial  measurements 
have  been  uniformly  taken  : 

Greatest  length,  the  length  over  all  from  the  tip  of  the  nasals  to 
the  posterior  bulge  of  the  braincase. 

Basilar  length,  the  basilar  length  of  Hensel  from  the  inferior  lip 
of  the  foramen  magnum  to  the  incisor. 

Zygomatic  width,  the  greatest  distance  between  the  outer  sides  of 
the  zygomata. 

I nterorbital  constriction,  the  width  of  the  most  constricted  part  of 
the  interorbital  space. 

Interparietal,  the  greatest  length  and  width. 

Nasals,  the  greatest  length  along  the  suture  between  the  nasals. 

Shelf  of  bony  palate,  the  distance  from  the  posterior  ends  of  the 
anterior  palatine  foramina  to  the  anterior  border  of  the  interptery- 
goid  fossa. 

Palatine  slits,  the  greatest  length  of  the  anterior  palatine  foramina. 

Diastema,)  anterior  base  of  upper  molars  to  posterior  base  of  incisor. 


1909.]  KEYS RECORDS   OF    SPECIMENS.  23 

Postpalatal  length,  the  distance  from  the  anterior  border  of  the 
interpterygoid  fossa  to  the  inferior  lip  of  the  foramen  magnum. 

Maxillary  toothrow,  the  alveolar  length  of  the  three  upper  molari- 
form  teeth. 

KEYS. 

Although  at  the  outset  it  appeared  that  a  thoroughly  satisfactory 
key  to  the  species  of  Peromyscus  was  out  of  the  question,  still  a  key 
of  some  sort  seemed  imperative.  Effort  has  been  made,  therefore,  to 
devise  one  by  means  of  which  normal  adults  may  be  identified.  In 
its  construction  all  semblance  of  natural  order  is  disregarded  and  in 
many  cases  solely  geographic  divisons  are  made.  This  course  is  ob- 
jectionable, if  for  no  other  reason  than  that  further  collecting  and 
study  may  extend  the  limits  of  the  ranges  of  many  species.  How- 
ever, the  ranges  of  the  species  of  Peromyscus  are  better  known  than 
those  of  most  other  mammals,  and  it  is  therefore  probable  that  a  key 
based  on  geographic  ranges  will  be  found  no  more  subject  to  change 
than  one  based  on  natural  characters.  Owing  to  the  wide  variation 
among  the  subspecies  of  many  of  the  species,  it  has  been  necessary  to 
introduce  the  same  species  in  various  parts  of  the  key.  Keys  have 
been  attempted  also  for  the  intergrading  subspecies  of  each  species, 
although  obviously  they  must  prove  more  or  less  unsatisfactory. 
They  are  largely  geographic  and  are  intended  only  as  slight  aids 
rather  than  invariable  guides  to  identification. 

In  revising  groups  of  animals  and  plants,  it  is  desirable  that  the 
results  be  made  useful  to  as  large  a  class  as  possible,  in  addition  to 
professional  students.  The  present  group,  however,  is  a  subtle  one, 
and  the  best  that  can  be  done  will  not  fully  meet  the  needs  of  pro- 
fessionals, much  less  of  amateurs.  The  identification  of  the  species 
of  Peromyscus  is  sufficiently  difficult,  and  that  of  the  subspecies  is  a 
subject  for  experts,  or  at  least  for  those  having  access  to  large  col- 
lections. In  most  cases,  the  best  the  amateur  can  hope  to  do  is  to 
identify  his  specimens  as  to  species;  for  his  subspecific  determinations 
he  must  depend  largely  upon  the  accompanying  maps. 

RECORDS  OF  SPECIMENS. 

More  than  27,000  specimens  are  recorded  in  the  following  pages,  be- 
ing practically  all  those  contained  in  the  principal  American  col- 
lections. 

An  attempt  has  been  made  to  refer  every  specimen  examined 
to  a  described  species  or  subspecies,  but  it  must  be  admitted  that 
in  the  case  of  many  intermediate  specimens  it  makes  little  differ- 
ence whether  they  are  called  by  one  or  another  name.  The  fact  that. 
two  forms  intergrade  may  be  shown  conclusively  by  specimens,  but 


24  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

on  which  side  of  the  imaginary  dividing  line  the  intergrading  speci- 
mens belong  linisl  often  remain  largely  a  matter  of  individual 
opinion.  Many  specimens,  therefore,  have  been  referred  arbitrarily 
to  <»ne  or  another  of  closely  related  forms.  Such  arbitrary  reference 
is  often  necessary,  not  only  in  cases  of  intergrades,  but  of  immature 
specimens  or  small  series  in  noncommittal  condition  of  pelage,  and 
may  be  influenced  by  geography  or  by  various  considerations  apart 
from  the  specimens  themselves.  Intermediate  specimens  are  fre- 
quently noted  as  such  in  the  record-,  but  since  there  is  every  degree 
of  intergradation,  it  is  impossible  to  carry  this  plan  out  consistently, 
and  therefore  it  can  not  safely  be  assumed  that  specimens  are  typical 
because  they  are  not  noted  as  intermediate. 

SUBGENERA. 

Although  several  superspecific  groups  may  be  characterized  as 
subgenera  within  the  genus  Peromysats,  it  does  not  appear  necessary 
to  remove  any  of  them  as  independent  genera.  Thus  the  natural  and 
well-known  general  concept  of  the  genus  is  retained,  while  associa- 
tions of  species  not  formerly  segregated  are  fully  recognized  by  the 
employment  of  subgeneric  names.  Certain  authors  already  have 
chosen  to  elevate  the  subgenera  Megadontomys  and  Baiomys  to 
generic  rank  a  and  other  similar  mammalian  groups  are  frequently 
treated  as  genera.  Some  make  no  attempt  to  justify  their  recognition 
of  such  groups  other  than  the  claim  that  the  characters,  however 
slight,  are  unmistakable,  while  others  urge  it  merely  as  a  matter  of 
convenience,  because  the  groups  are  of  "  unwieldly  proportions,"  b  or 
"  as  consistent  with  the  finer  ultimate  divisions/' c  So  far  as  Pero- 
mysens  is  concerned,  the  finer  ultimate  divisions  are  mostly  inter- 
grading subspecies  and  the  unwieldy  proportions  are  caused  by  the 
masquerading  of  many  of  these  subspecies  as  full  species.  The  num- 
ber of  bona  fide  species  scarcely  exceeds  forty,  and  of  these  some  half 
dozen  eventually  may  be  reduced  in  rank. 

The  unwieldiness  of  a  genus  is  properly  to  be  judged  by  the  number 
of  species  it  contains,  without  regard  to  the  subspecies.  The  constant 
tendency  in  taxonomic  work  seems  toward  analytic  methods  at  the 
expense  of  synthetic.  This  is  shown  especially  in  the  multiplication 
of  genera  which  have  the  function  merely  of  emphasizing  some  slight 
distinction,  while  the  groups  which  formerly  served  to  indicate  re- 
semblances of  associated  species  are  unrecognized. 

Unanimity  in  regard  to  the  limits  of  genera  and  subgenera  is 
scarcely  to  be  hoped  for.  but  some  effort  may  be  made  to  preserve 

°Cf.  Bangs,  Bull.  Mus.  Comp.  Zool.,  XXXIX,  p.  27,  1902:  Mearns,  Mamms. 
Mexican  Boundary,  Bull.  No.  56,  l".  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  p.  381,  1907. 
6  Cf.  Bangs.  Bull.  Mas.  Comp.  Zool..  XXXIX,  p.  27,  1902. 
c  Allen.  Princeton  Exped.  Patagonia,  III,  Zool.  I,  p.  165,  1905. 


1909.]  SUBGENERA.  25 

both  the  genus  and  subgenus  as  classificatory  categories.  Those  who 
assume  that  subgenera  as  such  are  useless  must  necessarily  recognize 
more  and  more  groups  as  genera  until  the  distinct  ion  between  the 
genus  and  the  species  becomes  so  slight,  as  to  be  of  little  taxonomic 
value,  while,  at  the  same  time  the  gap  between  the  genus  and  the 
group  of  next  higher  rank  is  correspondingly  increased.  It  is  diffi- 
cult to  understand  the  reason  for  this  attitude,  for,  while  it  is  held 
by  those  who  draw  very  fine  distinctions  and  are  only  too  willing  to 
see  generic  significance  in  slight  characters,  it  actually  operates  to 
reduce  the  number  of  categories  of  classification  between  the  sub- 
family and  the  species,  and  thus  results,  not  in  an  improved  and  more 
discriminating  system  of  classification,  but  one  with  fewer  groups  and 
fewer  possibilities  for  the  indication  of  relationships. 

The  use  of  subgenera  provides  a  means  of  adjusting  the  differences 
usually  existing  between  the  general  zoologist  and  the  specialist.  The 
generic  name  answers  all  the  purposes  of  the  general  zoologist  while 
the  specialist  may  use  as  many  subgenera  as  he  desires  and  meet  all 
the  requirements  of  discriminating  classification.  This  also  operates 
to  conciliate  the  amateur,  whose  outcries  against  the  continual  chan- 
ging of  names  by  specialists  will  thereby  be  lessened.  Although  these 
protests  are  often  unreasonable,  the  specialist  should  remember  that 
his  scheme  of  nomenclature  to  be  truly  successful  must  answer  the 
purposes  of  others  as  well  as  himself.  If  the  specialist  conserva- 
tively retains  well-known  and  natural  generic  groups  he  may  segre- 
gate subgenera  indefinitely  without  retarding  the  progress  of  exact 
taxonomy,  and,  at  the  same  time,  without  interfering  with  the  less 
exacting  needs  of  the  general  zoologist  and  the  amateur.  Moreover, 
further  advantage  is  found  in  the  fact  that  the  percentage  of  legiti- 
mate changes  of  names  that  would  confront  the  much-abused  ama- 
teur would  be  greatly  reduced;  for  changes  of  subgeneric  names  on 
account  of  preoccupation  and  other  causes  would  in  most  cases  con- 
cern only  the  specialist.  One  author  a  advocates  the  abolition  of  sub- 
genera in  order  to  remove  the  temptation  to  give  them  the  rank 
of  genera — little  more  than  a  confession  of  weakness.  It  appears  to 
be  true,  however,  that  with  some  systematists  the  establishment  of 
a  subgenus  fosters  attempts  to  elevate  it  to  generic  rank. 

Most  of  the  subgenera  of  Peromyscus  are  well  characterized,  usually 
by  a  combination  of  characters;  but  if  a  single  character  becomes 
pronounced  it  is  merely  an  extreme  development  which  may  be  traced 
back  by  stages  to  a  widely  different  condition.  Thus  the  subgenera 
Haplomylomys  and  Megadontomys,  although  fairly  circumscribed 
and  definable,  seem  to  be  at  opposite  ends  of  an  almost  continuous 
series  in  which  the  subgenus  Peromyscus  combines  most  of  their 
characters.     The  subgenus  Podomys   (including  P.  floridanus  only) 

"Hartert,  Auk,  XXIII,  pp.  120-122,  Jan.  1906. 


26  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [NO.  28. 

seems  to  have  an  absolute  character  in  the  number  of  its  plantar 
tubercles,  but  within  the  subgenus  Peromyscus  there  is  much  varia- 
tion in  this  respect,  and  specimens  of  the  maniculatus  group  occa- 
sionally have  the  sixth  tubercle  very  small  and  nearly  obsolete.  The 
subgenus  Baiomys  is  usually  recognizable  by  small  size  {P.  m. 
pallescens,  of  the  subgenus  Peromyscus,  is  scarcely  larger) ,  but  most 
of  its  characters  are  to  be  found  elsewhere  in  the  genus.  Ochro- 
tomys  is  a  subgenus  based  upon  a  single  aberrant  form  (P.  nuttalli), 
which  seems  to  have  no  very  close  relatives,  although  its  general 
characters  are  obviously  those  of  Peromyscus. 

HABITS   AND  ECONOMIC    STATUS. 

The  various  species  of  this  genus  have  widely  different  local  habi- 
tats. Some  inhabit  woodland,  others  swamps  and  watercourses,  some 
open  upland  prairies,  and  others  rocks,  cliffs,  and  arid  desert  regions. 
Even  single  species  live  under  a  surprising  diversity  of  conditions. 
All  are  habitually  nocturnal,  though  occasionally  individuals  under 
unusual  circumstances  may  be  seen  abroad  by  day.  They  wander 
widely  at  night,  and  unlike  the  meadow  mice  (Jlicrotus)  do  not  form 
beaten  runways.  They  do  not  hesitate,  however,  to  freely  utilize 
such  runways  made  by  other  rodents.  Collectors  soon  learn  to  recog- 
nize the  places  most  frequented  by  them,  but  in  a  region  where  they 
abound  they  may  be  caught  in  traps  set  in  almost  every  conceivable 
situation.  Although  sometimes  welcomed  by  the  inexperienced  col- 
lector, to  whom  they  insure  a  catch  of  some  sort,  they  are  a  source  of 
annoyance  to  the  more  ambitious  trapper,  who  finds  them  continually 
springing  traps  set  for  more  desirable  species. 

Many  of  them  doubtless  burrow  to  some  extent,  but  in  most  cases 
those  that  live  underground  occupy  natural  openings  or  retreats 
formed  by  other  animals.  Crevices  in  rocks  and  cliffs  are  the  favorite 
haunts  of  many  species.  The  prairie  forms,  as  P.  m.  bairdi  and 
others,  are  said  to  make  short,  simple  burrows  in  the  ground  in  which 
their  nests  of  soft  grass  are  placed.  The  woodland  forms,  as  P.  leu- 
copus,  though  living  largely  on  the  ground,  are  to  some  extent  arbo- 
real, and  P.  nuttalli  is  largely  so.  They  build  their  nests  among 
roots  and  in  old  stumps  and  hollow  trees,  often  occupying  the  deserted 
nesting  cavities  of  birds,  as  woodpeckers,  bluebirds,  and  chickadees. 
Sometimes  also  a  bird's  nest  in  a  small  bush  is  appropriated  and 
temporarily  used,  or  perhaps  remodeled  and  permanently  occupied. 
That  they  also  climb  about  to  some  extent  in  trees  not  occupied  as 
nesting  sites  is  often  evidenced  by  the  presence  of  their  dried  drop- 
pings in  crevices  and  crotches  at  some  distance  from  the  ground. 
They  do  not  hibernate,  but  remain  active  throughout  the  winter,  even 
in  northern  latitudes. 


1909.]  HABITS   AND   ECONOMIC    STATUS.  27 

Although  the  food  habits  of  various  species  arc  not  quite  the  same, 
in  general  it  may  safely  be  said  that  very  few  feed  extensively  upon 
green  and  succulent  food  such  as  is  taken  by  the  meadow  mice,  but 
nearly  all  prefer  dry  food,  especially  seeds  and  small  nuts.  In  cap- 
tivity they  are  omnivorous,  and,  like  the  house  mouse,  find  everything 
in  man's  larder  palatable.  Sometimes,  when  confined,  they  turn  can- 
nibals, and  even  in  their  natural  habitat  will  often  devour  the  dead 
bodies  of  their  own  kind  or  of  other  mice  that  have  been  caught  in 
traps.  The  common  form  of  the  northeastern  United  States  (P.  I. 
noveboracensis)  is  especially  fond  of  basswood  seeds,  pits  of  wild 
cherries,  beechnuts,  and  acorns,  and  often  stores  them  in  burrows  or 
in  cavities  in  old  stumps.  It  eats  also  seeds  of  many  wild  shrubs, 
weeds,  and  grasses.  In  wooded  regions  or  on  waste  land,  where  it 
commonly  lives,  it  is  not  very  injurious  to  agriculture,  but  when 
living  about  the  edges  of  cultivated  ground  it  sometimes  devours  or 
carries  away  grain  in  considerable  quantities.  Kennicott  records0 
that  in  western  New  York  there  was  found  "  within  a  stump  in  a 
clover  field,  several  quarts  of  clean  seed  of  red  clover  collected  by  a 
family  of  these  mice."  It  occasionally  gnaws  the  bark  of  young 
fruit  trees  or  nursery  stock,  but  such  harm  is  more  often  due  to 
meadow  mice  {Microtus). 

Doubtless  more  damage  is  done  by  western  forms  than  eastern, 
as  many  of  the  former  are  less  confined  to  woodland.  Thus 
P.  in.  bairdi  and  other  forms  of  the  maniculatus  group,  being 
naturally  inhabitants  of  open  ground,  readily  betake  themselves 
to  cultivated  fields  under  the  conditions  of  advancing  civilization. 
In  such  cases,  although  grain  and  other  products  form  only  a 
small  part  of  their  food,  they  do  considerable  injury  on  account  of 
their  great  numbers.  Throughout  practically  all  of  the  western 
United  States  they  exist  in  countless  numbers,  perhaps  exceeding 
those  of  the  other  combined  mammalian  inhabitants  of  the  region. 
They  are  extremely  prolific,  bearing  from  4  to  6  young  in  a  litter  and 
breeding  throughout  the  entire  year,  at  least  in  temperate  regions. 
Evidently  whatever  their  food  habits,  these  mice  must  play  an  impor- 
tant part  in  maintaining  the  balance  of  nature,  and  no  doubt  they 
partially  offset  some  of  their  damage  by  consuming  the  seeds  of 
noxious  weeds. 

Nearly  all  the  species  readily  enter  buildings  in  search  of  food  and. 
finding  an  easy  living,  make  themselves  permanently  at  home.  They 
do  not  often  live  in  large  cities  nor  where  the  house  mouse  (Mus 
musculus)  is  established,  as  that  species,  though  smaller  than  most 
species  of  Peromyscus,  seems  able  to  drive  them  away.  The  domest  i<- 
depredations  are  therefore  confined  to  rural  districts  and  small  towns 

0  Agricultural  Report  for  1856,  r.  S.  Patent  Office,  p.  91,  1857. 


28  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

not  yet  infested  by  house  mice.  In  such  places,  particularly  in  the 
north,  they  are  quite  as  pestiferous  as  house  mice,  cutting  up  fabrics 
for  nest  materials,  destroying  ail  kinds  of  foodstuffs,  and  doing  much 
damage  about  granaries,  straw  or  hay  stacks,  and  outbuildings.  In 
the  interior  of  Canada  they  infest  trappers'1  lonely  cabins  and  levy 
tribute  on  the  provisions,  and  at  trading  posts  they  enter  warehouses 
and  damage  the  merchandise.  Under  such  circumstances  they  are 
similar  in  habits  to  house  mice,  and  can  be  destroyed  by  the  same 
methods — trapping  or  poisoning — but  they  can  be  kept  out  of  prem- 
ises only  by  constant  vigilance,  for  those  killed  are  soon  replaced 
from  the  limitless  supply  of  the  neighboring  woods  and  fields. 

On  the  whole  they  are  less  injurious  to  agricultural  interests  than 
meadow  mice,  but  nevertheless  they  are  vermin  and  their  undue 
increase  should  be  checked.  This  can  be  accomplished  best  by  trap- 
ping and  poisoning,  as  in  the  case  of  meadow  mice."  On  account  of 
their  more  decidedly  nocturnal  habits,  they  are  preyed  upon  by 
hawks  less  than  meadow  mice,  but  they  are  eaten  in  large  numbers 
by  nearly  all  species  of  owls.  The  smaller  carnivorous  mammals  also, 
(specially  weasels,  are  among  their  enemies,  and  the  larger  snakes 
destroy  them  to  some  extent.  The  continued  decrease  of  these  pre- 
daceous  animals  through  a  mistaken  persecution  by  man  must  result 
in  a  great  increase  of  these  and  other  mice.  Owls  at  least  should  be 
protected  by  law,  and  a  knowledge  of  the  important  part  played  by 
harmless  snakes  in  destroying  these  and  other  noxious  rodents  should 
be  disseminated  as  widely  as  possible,  especially  among  children. 

List  of  species  and  subspecies  of  Peromyscus,  with  type  localities. 

Subgenus  Peromyscus. 
Name.  Type  locality. 

Maniculatus  group: 

P.  maniculatus Labrador. 

P.  m.  gracilis Michigan. 

P.  in.  aMetorum ^  James  River,  Nova  Scotia. 

P.  m.  argentatus Grand  Manan  Island,  New  Brunswick. 

P.  in.  crctiuix Magdalen  Islands,  Quebec. 

P.  tii.  nuMterrw Roan  Mountain,  North  Carolina. 

P.  m.  arcticus Fort  Simpson,  Mackenzie. 

P.  in.  orcas Mount  Baker  Range,  British  Columbia. 

P.  in.  hylaeus Prince  of  Wales  Island,  Alaska. 

P.  m.  algidus Lake  Bennett,  British  Columbia. 

P.  vi.  Jceeni Queen  Charlotte  Islands,  British  Columbia. 

P.  in.  macrorhinus Mouth  Skeena  River,  British  Columbia. 

P.  m.  artemisice Ashcroft,  British  Columbia. 

P.  in.  satitratus Saturna  Island,  British  Columbia. 

P.  m.  hollisteri San  Juan  Island,  Washington. 

"See  Bailey,  N.  Am.  Fauna  No.  17,  p.  S,  1898;  Lantz,  Yearbook  U.  S.  Dept. 
Agric.  for  1905,  pp.  363-376,  1906. 


1909.]  LIST   OF    SPECIES   AND   SUBSPECIES.  29 

Name.  Type  locality. 

Manic  ul  at  us  group — Continued. 

P.  to.  austerus Fort  Steilacoom,  Washington. 

P.  m.  rubidus Mendocino,  California. 

P.  to.  gambeli Monterey,  California. 

P.  m.  rufinus San  Francisco  Mountain,  Arizona. 

P.  m.  nebrascensis Calf  Creek,  Montana. 

P.  m.  luteus Kennedy,  Nebraska. 

P.  to.  bairdi Bloomington,  Illinois. 

P.  to.  pallescens San  Antonio,  Texas. 

P.  m.  blandus Escalon,   Chihuahua. 

P.m.fulvus Oaxaca,  Oaxaca. 

P.  in.  labccula Ocotlan,  Jalisco. 

P.m.  sonoricnsis Santa    Cruz,    Sonora. 

P.  to.  coolidgei Santa  Anita,   Lower   California. 

P.m.  margin  ita Margarita   Island,   Lower  California. 

P.m.  dementis San  Cleniente  Island,  California. 

P.m.eataUnw Catalina   Island,  California. 

P.m.  dubius Todos  Santos  Island,  Lower  California. 

P.  to.  geronimensis San  Geronimo  Island,  Lower  California. 

P.m.cineritius San  Roque  Island,  Lower  California. 

P.m.  magdalenw Magdalena  Island,  Lower  California. 

P.  sitkensis Sitka,    Alaska. 

P.  s.  prevostensis Queen  Charlotte  Islands,  British  Columbia. 

P.  polionotus Georgia. 

P.  p.  albifrons Whitfield,   Florida. 

P.p.niveircntris Opposite  Micco,  Florida. 

P.  p.  phasma Anastasia    Island,    Florida. 

P.  p.  rhoadsi Anclote  River,  Florida. 

P.melanotis Las  Vigas,  Veracruz. 

Leucopus  group : 

P.leucopus Near  mouth  of  Ohio  River. 

P.l.noveboraeensis New  York. 

P.l.ammodytes Monomoy  Island,  Massachusetts. 

P.l.fusus Marthas  Vineyard,  Massachusetts. 

P.  1.  aridulus Fort  Custer,  Montana. 

P.  1.  ochraceus Winslow.  Arizona. 

P.  1.  tornillo El  Paso,  Texas. 

P.  1.  arizoncB Fairbank,  Arizona. 

P.  1.  texanus West  central  Texas. 

P.  1.  mesomelas Orizaba,  Veracruz. 

P.  I.  castaneus Yohaltun,  Campeche. 

P.  1.  afflnis Barrio,  Oaxaca. 

P.  I.  cozumelw Cozumel  Island,  Yucatan. 

P.  gossypinus Riceboro,  Georgia. 

P.  g.  megacephalus Woodville,  Alabama. 

P.  g.  palmarius Opposite  Micco,  Florida. 

P.  g.  anastasw Anastasia  Island,  Florida. 

Boylei  group : 

P.  boylei Middle  Fork  American  River,  California. 

P.   b.  rowleyi— Noland  Ranch,  Utah. 

'  P.  b.  attivateri Kerr  County,  Texas. 

P.  b.  spicilegus San  Sebastian,  Jalisco. 


30  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Name.  Type  locality. 

Boylei  group — Continued. 

P.  b.  simulus San  Bias,  Tepic. 

/'.  b.  madrensis Tres  Marias  Islands.  Mexico. 

P.  b.  evides Juquila,  Oaxaca. 

P.  b.  levipes Mount  Malinche,  Tlaxcala. 

P.  b.  aztccus Mirador.   Veracruz. 

/'.  oaxacensis Cerr<>  San  Felipe,  Oaxaca. 

P.  hylocetes Patzcuaro,  Michoacan. 

P.  pectoralis Jalpan,  Queretaro. 

P.  p.  eremicoides Mapimi,  Durango. 

P.  /*.  laceianus Kerrville,  Texas. 

Truei  group : 

P.  truei Fort  Wingate,  New  Mexico. 

P.  /.  gilberti Bear  Valley,  California. 

P.  t.  martirensis San  Pedro  Martir  Mountains,  Lower  California. 

P.  t.  lagunw Laguna  Mountains,  Lower  California. 

P.  /.  gratvs Tlalpam,  Mexico. 

P.  t.  gentilis Lagos,  Jalisco. 

P.  nasutus Bstes  Park,  Colorado. 

P.  polius Colonia  Garcia,  Chihuahua. 

P.  difficiUs Valparaiso  Mountains,  Zacatecas. 

P.  d.  amplus Coixtlahuaca,  Oaxaca. 

P.  (1.  felipensis Cerro  San  Felipe,  Oaxaca. 

P.  bullatus Perote,  Veracruz. 

Melanophrys  group : 

P.  melanophrys Santa  Efigenia,  Oaxaca. 

P.  )».  samorce Zamora,  Michoacan. 

/'.  m.  consobrinus Berriozabal,  Zacatecas. 

P.  xenurus Durango,  Durango. 

P.  mekisturus Chalchicomula,  Puebla. 

Lepturus  group : 

P.  Upturns Mount  Zempoaltepec,  Oaxaca. 

/'.  lophurus Todos  Santos,  Guatemala. 

P.  Simula t us Jico,  Veracruz. 

/'.  nudipes La  Carpintera,  Costa  Rica. 

/'.  furvus Jalapa,  Veracruz. 

P.  guatemalensis Todos  Santos,  Guatemala. 

P.  dltilaneus Todos  Santos,  Guatemala. 

Mexican  its  group : 

P.  mexicanus Mirador,  Veracruz. 

P.  ;/*.  totontepecus Totontepec,  Oaxaca. 

P.  m.  teapensis Teapa,  Tabasco. 

P.  ?».  saxatilis Jacaltenango,  Guatemala. 

P.  m.  gymnotis Guatemala. 

P.  allophylus Huebuetan,  Chiapas. 

P.  banderanus Valle  de  Banderas,  Tepic. 

P.  b.  vicinior La  Salada,  Michoacan. 

P.  h.  angelemis Puerto  Angel.  Oaxaca. 

P.  yucatanicus Chichenitza,  Yucatan. 

P.  y.  baditis Apazote,  Carupeche. 


1909.]  LIST   OF   SPECIES   AND   SUBSPECIES.  31 

Name.  Type  locality. 

Megalops  group : 

/'.  megalops Near  Ozolotepec,  Oaxaca. 

P.  m.  auritus Near  Oaxaca,  Oaxaca. 

P.  in.  melanurus Pluma,  Oaxaca. 

P.  melanocarpus Mount  Zempoaltepec,  Oaxaca. 

P.  zarhynchus Todos  Santos,  Guatemala. 

Subgenus  Megadontomys. 

/'.  thomasi Near  Chilpancingo,  Guerrero. 

P.  nelsoni Jico,  Veracruz. 

P.  flavidus Boquete,  Chiriqui. 

Subgenus  Ochbotomys. 

/'.  nuttalli Norfolk,  Virginia. 

P.  it.  aureolus Soutb  Carolina. 

Subgenus  Podomys. 

P.  floridanus Gainesville,  Florida. 

Subgenus  Haplomylomys. 

P.  crinitus Sboshone  Falls,  Idaho. 

P.  c.  auripectus Bluff  City,  Utah. 

P.  c.  Stephens* San  Diego  County,  California. 

P.  californicus Monterey,  California. 

P.  c.  insignis Dulzura,  California. 

P.  crcmicus Fort  Yuma,  California. 

P.  e.  anthonyi Grant  County,  New  Mexico. 

P.  r.  phaeurus Hda.  La  Parada,  San  Luis  Potosi. 

P.  c.  tiburonensis Tiburon  Island,  Sonora. 

P.  e.  fraterculus Dulzura,  California. 

P.  e.  cedrosensis Cedros  Island,  Lower  California. 

P.  e.  eva San  Jose  del  Cabo,  Lower  California. 

P.  e.  arius Ceralbo  Island,  Lower  California. 

P.  e.  insulicola Espiritu  Santo  Island,  Lower  California. 

P.  e.  polypolius Margarita  Island,  Lower  California. 

P.  goldmani Alamos,  Sonora. 

Subgenus  Baiomys. 

P.  taylori San  Diego,  Texas. 

P.  t.  subatcr Near  Columbia,  Texas. 

P.  t.  paulus Rio  Sestin,  Durango. 

P.  t.  analogies Zamora,  Michoacan. 

P.  museulus ' Colima,  Colima. 

P.  m.  brunncus Jalapa,  Veracruz. 

P.  m.  nigrcscens Valley  of  Comitan,  Chiapas. 


32  NORTH    AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [NO.  28. 

New  subspecies. 
Name.  Type  locality. 

P.  maniculatus  eremus Magdalen  Islands,  Quebec. 

P.  maniculatus  algidus Lake  Bennett,  British  Columbia. 

P.  maniculatus  hollisteri—    San  Juan  island.  Washington. 

/'.  maniculatus  margaritce—  Margarita  Island,  Lower  California. 

P.  maniculatus  magdalenw-.  Magdalena   Island,  Lower  California. 

/'.  polionotUS  ul hi f ions    Whitfield,  Florida. 

/'.  Inn-opus  aridulus Fort  Custer,  Montana. 

P.   Ian-opus   oohraceus Winslow,  Arizona. 

/'.  truei  lagunw La  Laguna,  Lower  California. 

/'.  megalops  melanurus Pluma,  Oaxaca. 

P.  eremicus  insulicola Espiritu  Santo  Island,  Lower  California. 

P.  eremicus  avius Ceralbo  Island,  Lower  California. 

P.  eremicus  polypolius Margarita  Island,  Lower  California. 

P.  taylori  analogus Zamora,  Michoacan. 

Key  to  subgenera. 
a.  Plantar  tubercles  6. 

b.  Coronoid   process  of   mandible  small   and  but   slightly  elevated,   or,    if   not,    then 
hind  foot  more  than  16. 
c.   Two  principal  outer  angles  of  m  1  and  m  2  with  more  or  less  well-developed 
accessory  tubercles  or  enamel  loops    (see  PI.   VIII,  figs.   2,   2a)  ;   mammse    | 
(i.  |,  a.  g,  p.}). 

d.  Ears  dusky   or  dusky  edged  with  whitish,  in  slight  contrast   to  color  of 

body  :    posterior   palatine   foramina    about   midway   between    interptery- 

goid   fossa   and   anterior   palatine  foramina  ;   dentine  spaces   of   molars 

mostly  confluent. 

e.   Size  small  to  large;   hind  foot  less  than  32   (except  in  guatemalen- 

sis   and  zarhynchus)  ;   outer  accessory  tubercles  or  loops  of  m  1 

and  m  2  only  slightly  developed Pcromijscus    (p.   32) 

< T.   Size  very  large  ;  hind  foot  always  more  than  30  ;  outer  accessory 
tubercles  or  loops  of  m  1  and  m  2  well  developed. 

Megadontotnys   (p.  218) 

dd.  Ears  bright  ochraceous,  same  color  as  body  :  posterior  palatine  foramina 

nearer    to    interpterygoid    fossa    than    to    anterior    palatine    foramina ; 

dentine  spaces  of  molars  mostly  closed Ochrotomys   (p.  222) 

cc.  Two  principal  outer  angles  of  m  1  and  m  2  simple,  without  accessory  cusp:; 
or  enamel  loops  or  with  rudimentary  ones  (see  PI.  VIII,  figs.  3—4)  ;   mamm  r    § 

(i.  3,  a.  ;;,  p.  g) Haplomylomya   (p.  228) 

bh.  Coronoid    process    of   mandible    well    developed ;    size    very    small,    hind    foot    not 

more   than    17 -Baiomys    (p.    252) 

no.  Plantar  tubercles  5 Podomya    (p.   226) 

Genus  PEROMYSCUS  Gloger. 

Hesperomys  Waterhouse,  Zool.  Voy.  H.  M.  S.  Beagle,  Pt.  II,  Mamm.,  pp.  74-77, 
1839— in  part  only. 

Perom-yscus  Gloger,  Hand  und  Hilfsbuch  Naturgesch.,  I,  pp.  xxx,  95,  1S41 ; 
Thomas.  Ann.  and  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  ser.  6,  XIV.  p.  364.  Nov.,  1894:  XV, 
pp.  190,  192,  i'cW..  1895.     Type,  Peromyscus  arboreus  <  =P.  1.  noveboracensis). 

Sitomys  Fitzinger,  Sitzungsber.  Math. -Nat.  CI.  K.  Akad.  Wiss.,  Wien,  LVI,  p. 
97,  1867;  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soe.  Wash..  VII,  p.  27,  1892.  Type,  C'ricetiis 
myoides  (=/'.  /.  noveboracensis). 

Vesperimus  Coues,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  I'hila.,  p.  178,  1874;  Allen,  Bull.  Am. 
Mus.  Nat.  Hist..  Ill,  p.  224.  May  7.  1891.  Type,  Hesperomys  leucopus 
(=Peromyscas  Inn-opus  >. 

Baiomys  True.  Proc.  I".  8.  Nat.  Mus..  XVI,  p.  758,  Feb.  7.  1894.  Type,  Hes- 
peromys {Vesperimus)   taylori  {—Peromyscus  taylori). 


1909.]  SUBGENUS   PEEOMYSCUS.  33 

Triwodontomys  Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  pp.  256-257,  Oct.,  1894. 
Type.  Sitomys  insolatus  (=P.  1.  sonoriensis) . 

Megadontomys  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XII,  pp.  115-116,  125,  fig.  20, 
Apr.  30,  1898.     Type.  Peromyscus  thomasi. 

Haplomylomys  Osgood,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XVII,  pp.  53-54,  Mar.  21,  1904. 
Type,  Hesperomys  cranial*  (=Peromyscus  eremicus). 

Podomys  Osgood,  posted,  p.  226.  Type,  Hesperomys  floridanus  (=Peromyscus 
floridanus). 

Ochrotomys  Osgood,  posted,  p.  222.  Type,  Arvicola  nuttalli  (—Peromyscus  nut- 
tall  /). 

Type. — "(Peromyscus  arboreus  [Cricetus  myodesW  Gapper])" 
Gloger,  1841  =Peromyscu8  leucopus  noveboracensis  (Fischer). 

Generic  characters. — Form  murine;  tail  long,  at  least  more  than 
one-third  of  total  length,  often  decidedly  more  than  half;  tail  with 
scaly  annulations  more  or  less  concealed  by  hair ;  ears  relatively  large, 
membranous,  and  thinly  clothed  with  hair;  soles  of  hind  feet 
5-6-tuberculate,  hairy  proximally  or  naked  medially  to  calcaneum; 
internal  cheek  pouches  more  or  less  developed;  mamma?  |  or  f . 

Skull  with  braincase  rather  thin-walled,  smooth,  and  but  little 
ridged ;  supraorbital  border  smoothly  rounded,  sharp-angled,  or 
beaded ;  interparietal  well  developed ;  zygomata  slender,  depressed  to 
level  of  palate ;  infraorbital  foramen  compressed-triangular,  bounded 
on  the  outside  by  a  broad  thin  plate ;  anterior  palatine  foramina  long, 
slitlike,  and  separated  by  a  thin  bony  septum;  posterior  border  of 
palate  squared  or  rounded,  without  lateral  pits,  and  situated  about 
even  with  plane  of  posterior  roots  of  last  molars;  audital  bullae  more 
or  less  inflated  and  obliquely  situated.  Ramus  of  mandible  relatively 
long,  slender,  and  straightened;  coronoid  process  (except  in  Baiomys) 
short  and  slightly  developed ;  mandible  but  slightly  expanded  by  base 
of  root  of  lower  incisor.  Molars  rather  weak,  brachyodont  and  tuber- 
culate,  the  tubercles  in  two  longitudinal  series  or  in  four  incomplete 
longitudinal  series  consisting  of  two  principal  median  series  and  two 
much  subordinated  lateral  series;  upper  molars  3-rooted,  lower  2- 
rooted;  molar  series  decreasing  in  size  from  before  backward,  the 
third  upper  molar  subcircular  and  usually  less  than  half  as  large  as 
the  second ;  first  upper  molar  with  5  principal  tubercles,  an  anterior 
median  one  and  two  pairs  of  lateral  ones  (the  anterior  one  partially 
divided  in  Megadontomys) ,  with  or  without  subsidiary  tubercles  in 
the  salient  angles ;  upper  incisors  without  grooves. 

Subgenus   PEROMYSCUS   Gloger. 

Subgeneric  characters. — Pattern  of  color  usually  bicolor,  the  under- 
pays usually  white  and  sharply  distinguished  from  the  upperparts;0 
young  in  first  coat  differently  colored  from  adults;  6  ears  more  or  less 

a  Distinguishing  from  Baiomys  and  Ochrotomys. 
h  Distinguishing  from  Ochrotomys. 
66268— No.  2S— 09 3 


34  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

dusky,  somewhat  contrasted  with  rest  of  upperparts;0  plantar  tuber- 
cles 6 ; h  mammae  f  (i.  |,  a.  #,|  p.  \).c  Posterior  palatine  foramina  about 
midway  between  interpterygoid  fossa  and  anterior  palatine  foramina  ;f 
coronoid  process  of  mandible  usually  small  and  only  slightly  ele- 
vated ;  accessory  tubercles  present  in  salient  angles  of  first  and  second 
upper  molars;  d  outer  accessory  tubercles  of  ml  and  m2  only  slightly 
developed ; e  dentine  spaces  of  worn  molars  mostly  confluent/ 

Key  to  species  of  the  subgenus  Peromyscus.0 

Adults. 
a.   Hind  foot  25  or  less. 
b.   Tail  less  than   150. 

c.  Tail  shorter  than  head  and  body. 

d.  Ears  very  large,  longer  than  hind  foot.      Mexico P.  bulhitus  (p.  183) 

dd.   Ears  moderate,  shorter  than  hind  foot.     Mexico  and  northward. 
c.   Size  very  small  ;  hind  foot  15-19;  tail  usually  less  than  60. 

1.  Habitat  Florida  and  Georgia P.  polionotus  (p.  10.°.) 

2.  Habitat    Texas    to   Canada. 

P.  maniculatus   (pallesccns,  bairdi,  etc.)    (p.  37) 
ee.  Size  larger;  hind  foot  10-25;  tail  usually  more  than  60. 
/.   Total  length  less  than  210  ;  hind  foot  less  than  25. 

g.  Tail   usually   very  sharply   bicolor  and  pe'nicillate  ;   white   spot   at 
anterior   base  of  ear   present    or   absent ;   palatine   slits   usually 
long  and  nearly  parallel-sided. 
/.  Rostrum    longer    (nasals   about   11);   no  white   spot   at   anterior 

base  of  ear.    Mountains  of  Mexico P.  melanotic  (p.  109) 

2.   Rostrum   shorter    (nasals   usually   less   than    11)  :    white    spot  at 

base  of  ear  present  or  absent-- P.  maniculatus  (p.  37  i 

gg.  Tail  less  distinctly  bicolor.  slightly  or  not  at  all   penicillate  ;  no 
white  spot  at  anterior  base  of  ear. 

1.  Size  averaging  larger.     Southern  United  States. 

P.  gossypinus  (p.  135) 

2.  Size  averaging  smaller.     United  States,  southeastern  Canada,  and 

Mexico P.  leucopus   (p.   112) 

ff.  Total  length  more  than  210  ;  hind  foot  about  25 P.  hylocetea  (p.  159) 

cc.   Tail  equal  to  or  longer  than  head  and  body. 
(/.  Tail  uniform  black  or  brownish  all  around. 

e.  Tail  scaly  and  nearly  naked P.  allophylus  (p.  L'06» 

ee.  Tail  soft-haired  and  penicillate. 

1.   Size  larger;  hind  foot  23-25 P.  lophurus  (p.  192) 

8.   Size  smaller;  hind  foot  21 P.  simulatus  (p.  193) 

(/(/.  Tail   more  or  less  bicolor. 

e.   Skull  with  supraorbital  border  more  or  less  beaded  or  at  least  elevated  ; 
tail  usually  irregularly  blotched  below.     Tropical  Mexfco  and  Guatemala. 

f.   Habitat  Peninsula  of  Yucatan P.   i/ucatanicus   (p.  211) 

ff.   Habitat  south  and  east  of  Yucatan. 

/.   Supraorbital  bead  well  developed  with  a  distinct   sulcus  on  inner 

side.     Western  Mexico P.  banderanus   (p.  207) 

2.   Supraorbital  border  slightly  beaded.     Southern  Mexico  and  Guate- 
mala  P.  mexicanus   (p.  198) 

ee.   Skull   with    supraorbital    border   sometimes    sharp-angled    but    never    de- 
cidedly beaded  nor  elevated.     Alaska  to  Guatemala. 
/.   Habitat  highlands  of  Chiapas  and  Guatemala. 

/.  Tail   clothed  with  soft   hairs  and  decidedly  pencilled  ;   pelage  soft 
and  dull P.  lophurus  (p.  192) 

"Distinguishing  from  Baiomys  and  Ochrotomys. 

6  Distinguishing  from  Podomys. 

''Distinguishing  from  Baiomys  and  Haplomylomys. 

d  Distinguishing  from  Haplomylomys. 

'  Distinguishing  from  Megadontomys. 

f  Distinguishing  from  Ochrotomys. 

9  For  explanation  of  keys  see  p.  23. 


1909.]  KEY   TO   SUBGENUS  PEROMYSCUS.  35 

ft.  Habitat  north  of  Chiapas. 

g.  Ears  relatively  large  ;  ear  from  notch  in  dry  skin  18-25. 
h.  Tarsal  joints  white  like  upper  side  of  hind  foot. 

P.  polius    (p.   177) 
hh.  Dusky  of  hind   leg  reaching  tarsal   joint  and   more  or   less  ex- 
tended on  it,  or,  if  not,  then  hind  foot  less  than  25. 

1.  Ears    larger;    rostrum    shorter    (nasals    about    10 1  :    zygomata 

more  squarely  elbowed  ;  audital  bullae  larger.     Western  United 
States  and  Mexico P.  truei  (p.  105) 

2.  Ears    smaller;    rostrum    longer    (nasals    about    11);    zygomata 

more    compressed    anteriorly ;    audital    bullae    smaller.     West- 
ern United  States P.  nasutus   (p.  176) 

gg.  Ears  smaller;  ear  from  notch  in  dry  skin  18  or  less. 
h.  Hind  foot  23  or  more. 

i.  Habitat  United  States?-'  Alaska,  and  Canada. 

j.  Tail  about  equal  to  or  only  slightly  longer  than  head  and 
body,    usually    less    than    90.     Habitat    east    of    110th 
meridian. 
/.   Size    averaging    larger ;    color    darker.     Habitat    chiefly 

east  of  the  97th  meridian P   t/ossi/pinus  (p    135) 

2.   Size    averaging    smaller ;    color    paler.     Habitat    chiefly 

west  of  the  97th  meridian P.  Icucopus  (p.  112) 

;';'•  Tail    always    longer    than    head    and    body,    usually    more 
than   90.      Habitat   chiefly   west   of   the   95th    meridian. 
k.  Habitat  north  of  the  State  of  Oregon. 

1.  Size  larger  ;   hind   foot  at   least  25.     Habitat   islands 

off  coast  of  Alaska  and  British   Columbia. 

P.  sitkensis    (p.   101) 

2.  Size    smaller;     hind    foot    23-25.      Habitat    Alaska, 

Canada,  and  Washington. 
P.  maniculatus   (oreas,  macrorhinus,  etc.)    i  p.  37) 
kk.  Habitat  south  of  the  State  of  Oregon. 

P.   ooylci   (p.   141) 
ii.  Habitat  Mexico. 

;'.   Tarsal  joint  white  like  upper  side  of  hind  foot. 

P.  polius    (p.   177) 

//.   Dusky   of   hind   leg   reaching   to   and   often   more   or   less 

over  tarsal  joint. 

k.  Tail    usually    less    than    90,    rather   finely    haired    and 

slightly    or    not    at    all    penicillate ;    principal    color 

ranging  from  pale  fawn   to  dusky  brownish,  seldom 

bright  buff  or  tawny P.  Icucopus  (p.  112i 

kk.  Tail  not  less  than  90,  usually  more  than  100,  a  little 
more  coarsely  haired  and  usually  more  decidedly 
penicillate ;  principal  color  often  brighter  buff  or 
tawny. 

1.  Tail  relatively  longer  ;  hind  foot  23-25. 

P.  boylci   (p    141) 

2.  Tail    relatively   shorter ;    hind    foot    rarely    less    than 

25 P.   hylocetes    (p.   159  i 

hh.   Hind  foot  not  more  than  23. 

i.   Tail    about    equal    to    or    only    slightly    longer    than    head    and 
body,  usually  less  than  90. 
/.  Tail  very  sharply  bicolor  and  slightly   penicillate  ;   with  or 
without  a  white  spot  at  anterior  base  of  ear. 

/'.  maniculatus   (p.  37) 
//.  Tail    less   sharply   bicolor  and   slightly   or  scarcely   penicil- 
late ;   without  a   white  spot   at   anterior  base  of  ear. 

1.  Size  averaging  larger  :  color  usually  darker.     Habitat 

Austroriparian    zone   of    southern    United    States. 
P.  gossypinus   (p.   135) 

2.  Size  averaging  smaller ;    color  usually   paler.      South- 

eastern   Canada    to    southeastern    Mexico. 

P.  Icucopus   i  p.  112) 
ii.  Tail  always  longer  than  head  and  body,  usually  more  than  90. 
;.  Habitat    United    States,   Canada,    Alaska,    and    Lower   Cali- 
fornia. 


36  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

fc.   Tarsal    joints    white    like    upper    side    of    hind    foot. 

p.  pectoralia  (p.  160) 
fcfc.   Dusky  of  hind   leg  extending  to  and  more  or  less  over 
tarsal  joint. 

I.  Proximal  half  of  sole  of  hind  foot  hairy;  tail  closely 

haired,  sharply  bicolor,  and  slightly  penicillate ; 
with  or  without  white  spot  at  anterior  base  of  ear. 
Chiefly  northern  or  coastwise 

P.  maniculatus  (p.  37) 

II.  Proximal    fourth    or    less    of    hind    foot    hairy ;    tail 

loosely   hairy  and   penicillate  ;   without   white   spot 
at  anterior  base  of  ear.     Chiefly  southern  and  in- 
terior. 
/.   Size  larger;  skull  heavier;  greatest  length  of  skull 

*    27  or  more P.  boylei  (p.  141) 

,?.   Size  smaller  ;  skull  lighter  :  greatest  length  of  skull 

26  or  less P.  crinitus  "  (p.  229; 

jj.   Habitat  Mexico  (except  Lower  California). 

/.-.   Dusky   of  hind   leg  extending  to  and   more  or  less  over 
tarsal  joint. 
/.   Size  larger ;    tail   relatively   shorter  ;   maxillary   tooth- 
row  usually  4  or  more P.  boylei  (p.  141) 

2.  Size  smaller ;  tail  relatively  longer ;  maxillary  tooth- 

row  usually  less  than  4 P.  pectoralia  (p.  160) 

kk.  Tarsal  joint  white  like  upper  side  of  hind  foot. 
/.  Size  large  ;  hind  foot  more  than  23. 

P.  polius    (p.  177) 
2.   Size  smaller ;  hind  foot  less  than  23. 

P.  pectoralia   (p.   160) 

lib.  Tail  more  than  150 P.  mekisturus  (p.  189) 

an.   Hind    foot    2."i   or   more. 

b.   Habitat  entirely  south  of  Canada. 

c.  Tail  rather  short,  not  more  than  90 P.  yossypinus   (p.  135) 

cc.  Tail  always  more  than  90. 

<l.   Forearm  and  forefoot  blackish  or  partly  so  to  base  of  digits. 

P.    melanocarpus    (p.   216) 
dd.  Dusky  of  forearm  not  extending  beyond  carpal   joint. 
e.  Size  very  large ;  hind  foot  30  or  more. 

/.   Total  length  more  than  300 /'.  zarhynchus  (p.  217) 

ff.  Total  length  less  than  300. 

;/.   Supraorbital    border   more   or   less  beaded.      Habitat   Oaxaca   and 

Guerrero P.  megalops  (p.  213 1 

yg.   Supraorbital  border  not  beaded. 
/.   Larger.      Habitat  Chiapas  and  Guatemala. 

P.  guatemaleneia   (p.   193) 

„'.   Smaller.     Habitat  Costa  Rica  and  Panama P.  nudipes  (p.  195) 

cc.   Size  smaller;   hind  foot  less  than  30. 

f.   Tarsal  joint  white  like  upper  side  of  hind  foot P.  polius  (p.  177) 

ff.   Dusky  of  hind  leg  extending  at  least  to  tarsal  joint. 

;i.   Habitat  Costa  Rica  and  Panama /'.  nudipes  (p.  195) 

.'/'/.   Habitat  north  of  Costa  Rica. 

h.  Ear  from  notch  in  dry  skin   not  more  than   19. 

i.  Dusky  of  hind   leg  extending   over  upper   side  of   hind  foot 
at  least  halfway  to  base  of  toes. 
j.  Skull   with   a   slight  supraorbital   bead. 

1.  Size  smaller ;   maxillary  toothrow   less   than  5. 

P.  mexicanus   (p.   198) 

2.  Size  larger  ;   maxillary  toothrow  5   or  more. 

P.  meyalops    (p.   213) 
jj.   Skull  without  bead. 

fc.  Color  chiefly  dusky ;  tail  blackish  all  around  or 
at  least  with  basal  part  of  underside  some- 
what dusky. 

1.  Smaller;  tail  less  than  120 P.  lepturua  (p.  190) 

2.  Larger:  tail  more  than  120 P.  furvus  (p.  196) 


"  This  species  belongs  with  the  subgenus  Haplomylomys,  but  as  it  is  somewhat  con- 
nectant  and  easily  misplaced,  it  is  included  in  this  key  as  well  as  in  that  to  Haplomy- 
lomys. 


1909.] 


KEY    TO    SUBSPECIES    OF    MANICULATUS.  37 


kk.  Color    chiefly    tawny    or    ochraceous ;    tail    sharply 

ami  evenly  bicolor P.  boylei  (p.  141) 

ii.   Dusky  of  hind  leg  not  extending  halfway  to  base  of  toes. 
;.  Supraorbital    border   slightly   to    strongly   beaded,   or,    if 
not,  then   tail  not  evenly  bicolor. 

k.   Size  smaller  ;  hind  foot  not  more  than  20.     Penin- 
sula of  Yucatan P.  yucatanicus  (p.  211  » 

kk.  Size  larger  ;  hind  foot  20-30. 

/.  Tail  blackish  all  around P.  megalopa  (p.  213) 

U.  Tail     blotched    with     whitish     on     underside     or 
sometimes  evenly  bicolor. 
m.   Size  larger;  maxillary  toothrow  5  or  more. 
P.  furvus  (p.  196) 
mm.   Size     smaller;     maxillary     toothrow     less 
than  5. 
/.   Supraorbital  border  strongly  beaded  (ex- 
cept in  subspecies  angelensis) .     West- 
ern Mexico  north  of  the  Isthmus  of 
Tehuantepec_P.  banderanus   (p.  207) 
2.  Supraorbital     border     slightly     beaded. 
Southern    and    eastern    Mexico    and 

Guatemala P.  mexicanus   (p.   198) 

}j.  Supraorbital  border  often  sharp-angled  but  not  beaded  ; 
tail  evenly  and  usually  sharply  bicolor. 

7;.  Total  length  240  or  more P.  oaxacensis  (p.  158) 

kk.  Total  length   less  than   240. 

1.  Tail  relatively  longer  ;  hind  foot  23-25. 

P.   bui/lei    (p.   1411 

2.  Tail   relatively  shorter;  hind  foot  rarely  less  than 

25 P.  hylocetes   (p.   159) 

hh.  Ear  from  notch  in  dry  skin  more  than  19. 

i.  Supraorbital    border    slightly    beaded    or    at   least   somewhat 
elevated. 

j.  Tail  less  than  120.     Guatemala P.  ultilaneus  (p.  197) 

jj.  Tail   more  than   120,   or,    if  not,   then   habitat   north    of 

Guatemala. 

k.   Sides  of  face  chiefly  grayish  ;  tail  not  less  than  130, 

usually  more  than  140  ;  tail  evenly  bicolor   (except 

in  P.  xenurus,  confined  to  the  State  of  Durango). 

1.  Tail  evenly    (not  always  sharply)    bicolor. 

P.  melanophrys   (p    184) 

2.  Tail    dusky   brownish    all    around   except   a    \ rly 

defined   whitish   line  on  under  side. 

P.  xenurus   (p.  188) 

kk.   Sides   of  face  chiefly   tawny,    ochraceous,   or  dusky  ; 

,  tail  entirely  dusky,  irregularly  blotched  below,  or 

evenly   bicolor. 

1.  Size  larger  ;    maxillary  toothrow  5  or  more  ;    brain- 

case    broad ;    pelage   usually    long. 

/'.  megalops   (p.  213) 

2.  Size    smaller ;    maxillary    toothrow    less    than    5 ; 

braincase     usually      narrower ;      pelage      usually 

short -/'.  mexicanus  (p.  198) 

ii.  Supraorbital  border  not  beaded  nor  elevated. 

1.  Tail  blackish  or  blotched  with  whitish  below  ;  nasals  ex- 

panded anteriorly —P.  furvus   (p.   196) 

2.  Tail  evenly   bicolor ;   audital   bullae   rather  large. 

/'.  ilifficilis    (p.   178) 
fob.   Habitat  islands  off  the  coast  of  Alaska  and  British  Columbia__P.  sitkensis  (p.  101) 

Key  to  subspecies  of  Peromyscus  maniculatus. 

a.   Habitat  Alaska  and  Canada. 

b.  Habitat  east  of  the  100th  meridian. 

c.  Habitat  islands  off  coast  of  Nova  Scotia  and  New  Brunswick. 

1.  Color  grayer;  tail  longer.     Grand  Manan   Id P.    m.  argentatus 

2.  Color  browner;  tail  shorter.     Magdalen  Ids P.  m.  eremus 


38  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [NO.  28. 

(■<■.  Habitat  mainland. 

</.  Tail   shorter,   averaging  loss   than   00 ;   hind   foot   rather   large.     Hudsonian 

zone,  Labrador  to  Hudson  Bay,  etc /'.  marUculatua 

dil.  Tail  longer,  averaging  more  than  90. 

/.  Color  grayer.     Nova  Scotia,   New   Brunswick,  etc P.  m.  abietorum 

2.  Color  more  tawny  or  huffy.      Southern  Ontario  and  Quebec--/',   in.  gracilis 
bb.   Habitat   west    of  the    100th   meridian. 

C.   Tail  about   equal  to  or  shorter  than  head  and  body,  usually  less  than  90. 
il.   Color  darker.      Chiefly  forested   regions  north  and  west  of  Great  Plains. 
c.   Color  very  dark.      Islands  and  coast  of  British  Columbia. 
/.   Size  smaller  ;  hind  foot  19-21  ;  lateral  line  less  prominent. 

P.  m.  itustmis 
.;.    Si/.e    larger;   hind   foot   21-22;    lateral   line   more   prominent.      Saturna 

Island P.    »i.   saturatus 

ec.  Color  somewhat  paler.     Chiefly  east  of  the  coast  ranges. 

f.    Skull  longer  ;  braincase  wider.      Chiefly  southern  British  Columbia. 

P.  m.  ar'temisiae 
ff.   Skull  smaller;  braincase  smaller.     Northwest  Canada — P.m.  arcticus 
dil.   Color  paler,   usually  chiefly   bright  ochraceous   buffi.     Greal    Plains  of   Sas- 
katchewan, etc P.   in.  nebriiffcensis- 

cc.  Tail  longer  than  head  and  body,  usually  more  than  90.  often  more  than  100. 
il.   Size    larger ;    hind    foot    24—25.      Coast    of    northern    British    Columbia    and 

Alaska P.   m.  macrorhinus 

dil.   Size  smaller;   hind  foot  21-24. 

e.  Tail  and  ears  averaging  longer.     Southern  British  Columbia_-P.  m.  orcas 
ee.  Tail  and  ears  averaging  shorter.     Northern  British  Columbia  and  Alaska. 

f.  Color  more  grayish.     Headwaters  of  Yukon  River P.  m.  algidus 

ff.  Color  more  brownish.     Coastal. 

/.   Skull  lighter;  rostrum  longer.     Alaska P.  m.  hylaeus 

2.   Skull  heavier;  rostrum  shorter.      Queen  Charlotte  Islands. 

P.  m.  kicni 
aa.   Habitat  United  States  and  Mexico. 
b.  Habitat  United  States. 

c.  Habitat  east  of  the  Mississippi  River. 

d.  Tail  long,  always  more  than  80,  usually  more  than  90. 

e.  Color  more  grayish.     Eastern  Maine P.  m.  abietorum 

ee.   Color    more    brownish    or    dusky.      Northern     States    and    Appalachian 
Mountains. 

1.  Size  larger  ;  dark  dorsal  area  less  distinct.     Minnesota  to  New  Hampshire. 

P.  in.  gracilis 

2.  Size  smaller  ;  dark  dorsal  area  more  distinct.     Western   Pennsylvania 

to  northern  Georgia P.  vi.  nubiterrae 

dil.  Tail  70  or  less.     Mississippi  Valley P.  m.  bairdi 

cc.   Habitat  west  of  the  Mississippi  River. 

(7.   Size  smaller ;   hind   foot   rarely   more  than    19 ;   tail   rarely   more  than    60 ; 
greatest  length  of  skull  22-25. 

e.  Size  very  small;  hind  foot  15-17.     Texas P.  m.  pallescens 

ee.  Size  larger;   hind  foot  18—20.     Chiefly  north  of  Texas. 

/.  Color  chiefly  dark  brown  or  blackish P.  m.  bairdi 

ff.  Color  chiefly  ochraceous  buff. 

1.  Size  smallerl P.  m.  luteus 

2.  Size  larger ' P.  m.  nebrascensis 

dd.  Size  larger;  hind  foot  rarely  less  than  20;  tail  55-12(1 ;  greatest  length  of 

skull  rarely  less  than  25. 
e.  Tail  longer,  averaging  more  than  90,  frequently  more  than  100. 

1.  Size  larger;   hind  foot  22-24.      Cascade  Mountains  and   coast   of  Wash- 

ington  P.   m.  orean 

2.  Size    smaller;    hind   foot    21-22.     Coast   of   Oregon   and    northern    Cali- 

fornia  P.    in.    rubidus 

ee.   Tail  shorter;   averaging  less  than  90,  usually  less  than  80. 
f.  Color  paler,  ochraceous  buff  or  vinaceous  predominating. 

y.  Tail  averaging  shorter.     Chiefly  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
1.  Color  more  buffy.     Northern  Texas  to  central  Montana. 

P.  in.  nebrascensis 


1009.1  KEY   TO   SUBSPECIES    OF    MANICULATUS.  39 

2.  Color  more  vinaceous.      Western  Texas  and  southern  Mexico. 

P.  lit.  blandus 
gg.  Tail    averaging    longer.      Great    Basin    region    and    southeastern 

California P.  m.  sonoriensis 

ff.  Color  darker  ;  dusky,  dark  brown,  or  tawny  ochraceous  predominating. 
g.  Color  very  dark.     Chiefly  coast  of  Puget  Sound. 

/.   Size    larger ;    tail    relatively    shorter ;    skull    larger   and    heavier. 

San  Juan  Island P.  m.  hollisteri 

2.  Size  smaller  ;  tail  relatively  longer  ;  skull  small  and  light. 

P.  in.  austerus 
gg.  Color  somewhat  paler.     Chiefly  Rocky  Mountain  region  and  Cali- 
fornia  (except  northwest  coast  and  eastern  desert  regions). 
ft.   Size  larger;   skull   broader  and   heavier;   nasals   usually    11   or 
more.     Eastern  Washington,  Idaho,  Montana,  and  Wyoming. 

P.  m.  artemisice 
ftft.   Size  smaller;  skull  lighter;   nasals  usually  less  than  11. 

i.  Color   more   tawny  ochraceous,   especially   in   winter   pelage. 
Southern  Rocky  Mountains,  Colorado,  Utah,  Arizona,  and 

New  Mexico P.  m.  rufinus 

it.  Color  more  dusky,  except  in  worn  pelage.     California. 
/.   Averaging  smaller  and  paler.     Mainland  of  California. 

P.  m.  gambeli 
jj.  Averaging  larger  and  darker.     Santa  Barbara  Islands. 

J.   Smaller;  tail  and  ears  shorter P.  m.  dementis 

2.  Larger  ;  tail  and  ears  longer P.  m.  catalinm 

bh.   Habitat  Mexico. 

c.   Habitat  mainland  and  islands  of  Lower  California. 

d.  Size  larger  ;  hind  foot  20-23  ;  greatest  length  of  skull  usually  more  than  20. 
Chiefly  insular. 
e.  Color  decidedly  grayish,  chiefly  pale  ecru  drab.     San  Roque  Island. 

P.  m.  cineritius 
ee.  Color  less  grayish,  chiefly  buffy  or  ochraceous,  more  or  less  mixed  with 
dusky. 

f.  Color  darker.     Coronados  and  Todos  Santos   Islands P.  m.  dubius 

ff.  Color    paler. 

/.   Size   smaller.      San    Geronimo,    Natividad,   and    San   Martin    Islands. 

P.  in.  geronimensis 
2.  Size  larger.     Magdalena  Island  and  adjacent  mainland. 

P.  m.  magdalenae 
dd.   Size   smaller  ;   hind  foot   19-20 ;  greatest   length  of  skull  usually  less   than 
26.     Chiefly  mainland  of  Lower  California   (except  margaritae. ) 
e.  Color   darker,    usually   with   considerable   dusky   mixture.      Northwestern. 

P.  m.  gambeli 
ee.   Color  paler,  chiefly  pinkish  buff  or  ochraceous  buff. 

/.   Very  pale,  chiefly  pale  pinkish  buff.      Margarita   Island. 

P.  m.   margaritae 
ff.   Not  so  pale,  chiefly  ochraceous  buff.     Mainland  of  Lower  California. 

1.  Paler,  usually  with  buffy  shades  toned  down  by  whitish.      Southern 

and    central    Lower    California P.    in.    coolidgei 

2.  Not    so    pale,    usually    with    buffy    shades    entirely    predominating. 

Northeastern P.  m.  sonoriensis 

<c.   Habitat  continental  Mexico  (i.  e.,  all  except  Lower  California). 

d.  Color  paler,  chiefly  buffy  ochraceous  or  pale  vinaceous ;  size  slightly  smaller  ; 
hind  foot  averaging  less  than  22.     Chiefly  northern. 

1.  Size    slightly    smaller;    tail    shorter,    averaging   less   than    70;    color    more 

vinaceous.      Chiefly  east   of  the  Sierra  Madre P.    in.    blandus 

2.  Size    slightly    larger;    tail    longer,    averaging    more    than    70;    color    more 

buffy.     Chiefly  west  of  the  Sierra  Madre P.  m.   sonoriensis 

dd.  Color  darker,  chiefly  russet  or  dusky  :  size  slightly  larger  :  hind  foot  usually 
22  or  more.     Chiefly  southern. 

1.  Color  more  dusky P.  hi.   labevula 

2.  Color    more    rufescent '. P     m.    faints 


40  NORTH    AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

PEROMYSCUS  MANICULATUS  (Wagneb). 

(PI.  II,  fig.  1.) 

Hesperomys  maniculatus  Wagner,  Wieg.  Archiv.  f.  Naturgesch.,  XI  (1),  p.  148, 

1845. 
[Hesperomys]  arctictts  Sauss.,  Cones,  Monogr.  N.  Am.  Rod.,  p.  67,  1877 — nomen 

nudum. 
Peromyscus  canadensis  umbrinus  Miller.  Proc.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XXVIII, 

p.  23,  April,  1897 — Peninsula  Harbor,  Ontario. 
Peromyscus  maniculatus  lianas.  Am.  Nat..  XXXII,  p.  400,  1898. 

Type  locality. — Labrador;  doubtless  one  of  the  old  Moravian 
settlements  on  the  northeast  coast :  specimens  from  Nain  used  for 
present  diagnosis. 

Geographic  distribution. — ITudsonian  zone  of  northeastern  Canada, 
from  the  northeastern  coast  of  Labrador  to  the  west  side  of  Hudson 
Bay  and  smith  to  the  border  of  the  Canadian  zone  to  meet  the  range 
of  P.  in.  gracilis. 

Characters. — Size  medium;  tail  moderately  long,  about  half  the 
total  length  or  slightly  more:  coloration  regular, median  dorsal  region 
somewhat  contrasted;  under  side  of  hind  feet  hairy  except  on  pads 
and  spaces  between  them;  tail  well  haired,  sharply  bicolor  and  dis- 
tinctly penciled. 

Color. — Adult  in  August :  Sides  and  lateral  upperparts  dark  brown 
(Mars  brown),  tinged  with  fawn;  median  dorsal  region  darker 
(mummy  brown),  beginning  behind  shoulders  and  extending  with 
decreasing  width  to  base  of  tail;  orbital  region  and  base  of  whiskers 
blackish;  ears  dusky  with  pale  edges;  preauricular  lanuginous  tuft 
with  a  few  white  hairs;  underparts  white,  not  entirely  concealing 
plumbeous  undercolor;  feet  Avhite;  tail  sharply  bicolor,  brownish 
black  above,  white  below.  Adolescent  pelage:  Head,  sides,  and 
lateral  upperparts  sepia  produced  by  mixture  of  black  and  shades  of 
buff;  median  dorsal  region  and  thence  to  base  of  tail  black  with  only 
slight  admixture  of  lighter:  tail  intense  black  above;  ears  black  or 
blackish  outside,  whitish  inside,  edges  sharply  white;  otherwise  as  in 
adult.  Young  in  first  coat :  General  color  slate  gray,  overlaid  with 
white  on  underparts.'7 

Skull. — Size  larger  than  in  P.  m.  gracilis/  braincase  rather  broad 
and  flattened,  shallower  than  in  gracilis  or  arcticus;  nasals  longer  and 
narrower  than  in  arcticus;  rostrum  light;  palatine  slits  rather  long 
and  nearly  parallel-sided. 

"Description  based  on  series  of  well-made  skins  collected  by  W.  E.  Clyde 
Todd  in  summer  of  1901  for  the  Carnegie  Museum  of  Pittsburg,  supplemented 
by  a  number  of  flat  and  otherwise  poorly  made  skins  (now  in  the  Museum  of 
Comparative  Zoology)  collected  by  the  Moravians  for  J.  D.  Sornborger,  who 
kindly  loaned  them  for  study. 


1009.]  MANICULATUS   GROUP — MANICULATUS.  41 

Measurements. — Average  of  0  adults  from  Xain  and  Windsor  Har- 
bor, Labrador:  Total  length  179  (174-198);  tail  vertebra'  84  (75- 
95);  hind  foot  21  (19-23).  Of  5  adults  from  Oxford  House,  Kee- 
watin:    188.8  (185-193)  ;  93  (88-95)  ;  20. 

Type  specimen. — A  specimen  having  every  claim  to  acknowledg- 
ment as  the  type  of  this  species  is  in  the  Zoologischer  Staats-Samm- 
lung  of  Munich,  Bavaria,  where  I  was  permitted  to  examine  it 
through  the  courtesy  of  Professor  Hertwig  and  his  assistant,  Doctor 
Leisewitz.  An  early  label  attached  to  it  has  the  following  data : 
"  Hesperomys  maniculatus  Wagn.  Dr.  Barth  dst  1844.  Labrador." 
The  pelage  is  considerably  faded  and  the  specimen,  although  now 
removed  from  its  stand,  is  still  in  mounted  posture  and  has  the  wires 
and  glass  eyes  of  an  exhibition  specimen.  Otherwise  it  is  in  good 
condition  and  all  its  general  characters  are  obvious,  as  sharply  bicolor 
and  slightly  penicillate  tail,  white  margined  ears,  soft  pelage,  and  so 
on.  No  skull  accompanies  the  skin.  The  hind  foot  measures  20.5  mm., 
and  the  tail,  which  is  intact  but  shrunken  over  the  vertebra?,  measures 
G4  mm. 

Remarks. — This  was  the  first  to  be  named  and  almost  the  last  to  be 
recognized  of  a  large  group  of  inosculating  forms — the  largest  and 
most  remarkable  of  the  genus,  and  perhaps  of  American  mammals. 
Its  distribution  is  wider  and  the  number  of  intergrading  forms  and 
of  individuals  is  greater  than  in  any  similar  group  of  mammals 
known.  From  typical  maniculatus,  development  may  be  traced  step 
by  step  absolutely  without  break  through  all  the  numerous  subspecies. 
Throughout  the  group  many  interesting  problems  of  distribution  and 
development,  are  presented;  these  are  discussed  so  far  as  space  will 
permit  in  connection  with  the  descriptions  of  the  forms  concerned. 
Typical  maniculatus  is  most  similar  to  subspecies  arcticus,  merely 
having  a  slightly  longer  tail  and  slight  cranial  differences.  Speci- 
mens from  the  Hudson  Bay  region,  though  referable  to  maniculatus, 
approach  arcticus  and  gracilis.  Typical  maniculatus  differs  from 
gracilis  in  shorter  tail,  darker  color,  greater  extent  of  dusky  on  dor- 
sum, and  in  cranial  characters,  notably  broader,  natter  braincase. 
From  arcticus,  it  is  distinguished  by  longer  tail  and  by  average  cra- 
nial characters,  as  wider  braincase,  and  longer,  narrower  nasals. 
Specimens  of  gracilis  from  Godbout  and  Lake  Edward.  Province  of 
Quebec,  are  almost  typical,  showing  only  slight  tendency  toward 
maniculatus. 

Specimens  from  the  north  shore  of  Lake  Superior  described  under 
the  name  umbrinus  seem  best  referred  to  maniculatus.  A  large  series 
from  Isle  Royale,  Michigan,  is  almost  like  series  from  the  Hudson 
Bay  region  and  can  scarcely  be  referred  to  gracilis.  Others  from 
immediately  south  of  Lake  Superior,  however,  are  longer  tailed 
and  lighter  colored  and  are  indistinguishable  from  specimens  from 


42  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.   28. 

northern  New  York.  These  are  taken  as  representing  typical 
gracilis.  The  type  of  gracilis,  supposed  to  have  come  from  Michi- 
gan, has  such  a  long  tail  that  presumably  it  came  from  the  southern 
or  central  part. of  the  State. 

/Specimens  examined. — Total  number  239,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows: 

Keewatin:'1  Echimamish  River,  17;  Hayes  River,  25  miles  above  York 
Factory,  1 ;  Hill  River,  9 ;  Norway  House,  9 ;  Oxford  House,  13 ; 
Oxford  Lake,  8;  Pine  Lake,  8;  Robinson  Portage,  15;  Sea  River 
Falls,  4;  Shamatawa  River,  4;  Steele  River,  2;  Trout  Falls,  1;  York 
Factory,  3G. 

Labrador:  Great  Whale  River,  1 ;  Hopedale,  3 ;  Labrador,  2 ;  Makkovik,  5 : 
Nain,  18;  Rama,  2;  Windsor  Harbor,  18. 

Michigan:  °  Isle  Royale,  55. 

Ontario:  a  Moose  Factory,  1;  Peninsula  Harbor,  7. 

PEROMYSCUS  MANICULATUS  GRACILIS   (Le  Conte). 

(PI.  II,  fig.  5;  PI.  VII,  fig.  12:  PI.  VIII,  fi«.  6.) 

Hcspcromys  gracilis  Le  Conte,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Pbila.,  VII,  p.  442,  1855. 
Bitomya  americanus  canadensis  Miller,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  VIII,  pp.  55-09, 

June  20,  1893— Peterboro,  N.  Y.     • 
Peromyscus  gracilis  Lyon  and  Osgood,  Bull.  No.  62,  TJ.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  p.  131, 

Jan.  27,  1909. 

Type  locality. — Michigan.6 

Geographic  distribution. — Northeastern  United  States  and  south- 
ern Canada  from  northern  Minnesota  east  through  northern  Wiscon- 
sin, Michigan,  Ontario,  Quebec,  New  York,  and  western  New  Eng- 
land.   Canadian  zone. 

Characters. — Similar  to  manicidatus,  but  color  slightly  less  clouded 
with  dusky;  hind  foot  smaller;  tail  longer,  actually  and  relatively; 
skull  smaller  and  narrower.  Superficially  similar  to  noveboracensis, 
but  tail  longer,  more  distinctly  penciled,  and  more  sharply  bicolor; 
pelage  softer;  skull  more  slender;  molar  teeth  smaller. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage  (fall  and  winter)  :  Ground  color  varying 
from  russet  through  cinnamon  to  isabella  color,  more  nearly  russet  on 
flanks  and  posterior  part  of  back,  becoming  grayer  and  more  nearly 
isabella  color  across  shoulders  and  on  top  of  head ;  dusky  mixture 
moderate  throughout,  somewhat  concentrated  in  middle  of  back ;  gen- 
eral effect  on  sides  nearly  raw  umber,  on  dorsum  same  but  strongly 
blackish,  on  shoulders  rusty  hair. brown;  ears  blackish,  narrowly 
edged  with  whitish,  often  with  a  few  white  hairs  at  anterior  bases; 
narrow  orbital  ring  and  spot  at  base  of  whiskers  blackish ;  underparts 

"All  approaching  gracilis  and  arcticus. 

6  In  the  absence  of  proof  to  the  contrary,  Michigan  may  be  taken  as  the  type 
locality  of  gracilis,  in  accordance  with  the  statement  of  the  original  descrip- 
tion and  notwithstanding  the  queries  on  the  labels  of  the  type  specimeu. 


1909.1  MANICULATUS    GROUP GRACILIS.  43 

white;  feet  white,  forearm  usually  slightly  dusky,  '  ankles  '  dusky ; 
tail  blackish  above,  wThite  below.  Worn  pelage  (spring  and  early 
summer)  :  Similar  to  unworn  pelage,  but  dusky  mixture  more  or  less 
eliminated  or  changed  to  shades  of  cinnamon  which  are  scarcely  con- 
trasted with  the  ground  color;  general  effect  dull  cinnamon  on  sides, 
shading  to  russet  or  Mars  brown  on  dorsum;  markings  about  face, 
ankles,  and  upper  side  of  tail  brownish  instead  of  blackish.  Ado- 
lescent pelage:  General  effect  of  upperparts  broccoli  brown,  hair 
brown  or  nearly  Isabella  color.  Young  in  first  coat:  General  effect 
of  upperparts  hair  brown  to  sepia,  usually  somewhat  blackish  or 
slaty  in  middle  of  back. 

/Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  maniculatus,  but  smaller  and  narrower ; 
braincase  not  so  broad  nor  so  flattened.  •  Also  similar  to  that  of 
arcticus,  but  narrower,  with  zygomata  less  widely  '  elbow7 ed  '  ante- 
riorly and  nasals  longer  and  narrower.  Slightly  similar  to  that  of 
noveboracensis,  but  braincase  narrower,  nasals  longer,  maxillaries 
less  bulging  in  front  of  infraorbital  foramen,  anterior  part  of  zygo- 
mata lighter,  palatine  slits  longer  and  more  nearly  parallel-sided; 
molar  teeth  smaller. 

Measurements. — Two  adults  from  Porcupine  Mountains,  Onton- 
agon County,  Mich.:  Total  length,  192,  178;  tail  vertebra?,  95,  114; 
hind  foot,  22,  20.  Average  of  9  adults  from  Tower,  Minn.,  186 
(174-200),  90  (80-104),  19.8  (19-21)  ;  of  10  adult  males  from  Peter- 
boro,  N.  Y.,  190  (176-20G),  96.8  (85-108),  21.4  (20.8-21.8);  of  10 
adult  females  from  Peterboro,  N.  Y.,  178  (171-200),  89  (84-100),  20.7 
(19.8-21.8). 

Type  specimen. — No.  \%\%\  U.  S.  National  Museum  evidently  is  the 
type  of  Hesperomys  gracilis  Le  Conte.  It  agrees  perfectly  with  the 
original  description  and  has  passed  as  the  type  for  more  than  thirty 
years.  It  bears  several  labels,  among  them,  one  in  the  hand  of  Doctor 
Cones,  as  follows :  "Hesp.  gracilis.  Le  Conte 's  type  specimen.  Wis- 
consin? Ohio?  Michigan?"  In  the  Museum  catalogue  under  No. 
10292  occurs  the  remark  "  Dry  type  of  gracilis  "  (entry  made  in  1872). 

The  specimen  is  in  poor  condition.  The  skin  consists  of  the 
anterior  and  posterior  parts  connected  by  thread  and  cotton.  The 
left  hind  foot  and  the  tail  are  present,  and  also  the  ears,  which  are  in 
fair  condition.  The  tail  measures  approximately  95  millimeters — 
the  tip  has  been  broken  off.  The  skull  has  been  removed  and  is 
sufficiently  complete  to  show  important  characters.  The  posterior 
part  has  been  broken  away,  including  the  greater  part  of  the  brain- 
case and  the  sphenoid  and  occipital  regions.  The  tips  of  the  nasals 
are  slightly  broken.     The  teeth  and  both  mandibles  are  intact. 

Remarks. — Under  the  name  canadensis,  this  form  has  become  well 
known  in  recent  years.  It  is  the  long-tailed  mouse  of  the  northeastern 
United  States  as  opposed  to  the  shorter  tailed  noveboracensis  with 


44  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [HO.  28. 

which  it  has  often  been  confused.  It  is  really  quite  distinct  from 
noveboracensis,  and  adult  specimens  of  the  two  are  readily  distin- 
guishable by  both  external  and  cranial  characters.  Immature  or 
poorly  prepared  specimens,  however,  are  sometimes  difficult  to  deter- 
mine. Although  living  in  the  same  general  localities,  gracilis  and 
noveboracensis  are  nearly  always  confined  to  different  local  habitats, 
gracilis  showing  preference  for  the  colder,  more  moist  places,  or  deep, 
mostly  coniferous,  woods;  noveboracensis  for  the  warmer,  dryer,  more 
open  country,  or  deciduous  woods. 

Like  the  other  members  of  the  maniculatus  series,  gracilis  grades 
into  surrounding  forms  by  scarcely  perceptible  degrees.  On  the 
north  and  east  it  meets  maniculatus  and  abietorum;  on  the  northwest, 
areticus;  and  on  the  south,  nnbiterrce.  Large  series  from  the  Hudson 
Bay  region  referred  to  maniculatus  plainly  approach  areticus,  being 
darker  and  shorter  tailed  than  gracilis.  They  so  nearly  combine  the 
characters  of  maniculatus,  gracilis,  and  areticus  that  without  violence 
they  might  be  placed  with  any  of  the  three.  In  the  same  way,  speci- 
mens from  New  Hampshire  approach  abietorum,  and  others  from 
Pennsylvania  tend  toward  nubiterrm.  Even  specimens  from  Peter- 
boro,  N.  Y.,  the  type  locality  of  '  canadensis '  show  slight  tend- 
ency toward  abietorum,  but  they  are  much  nearer  to  gracilis,  and  as 
there  is  scarcely  room  for  three  forms  in  this  series,  canadensis  is  not 
recognized. 

The  application  of  the  name  gracilis  to  this  form  seems  incon- 
testable (regardless  of  the  supposed  type  specimen,  which  unquestion- 
ably belongs  to  this  form),  because  the  measurements  given  in  the 
original  description  could  not  possibly  apply  to  noveboracensis.  The 
original  description  is  as  follows: 

Hair  dark  slate-color  above,  a  little  tipped  with  brown,  cheeks,  line  above 
the  mouth,  chin,  throat,  and  body  beneath  white,  allowing  the  dark  color  of  the 
lower  part  of  the  hair  to  shine  through  in  such  a  manner  as  to  cause  these 
parts  to  appear  grey.  Outer  side  of  fore  legs  brownish,  thighs  slate  colored 
both  above  and  beneath,  feet  pale  grey,  nearly  white.  Head  narrow,  nose  some- 
what pointed,  ears  large,  open,  narrowly  edged  with  whitish.  Tail  longer  than 
head  and  body. 

Length  3.S  in.     Tail  4  in.     *     *     * 

Inhabits  Michigan ;  Prof.  Baird. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  234,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows: 

Massachusetts:   Mount  Graylock,  2. 

Michigan:  Park  Siding,  5;  Porcupine  Mountains,  4  ;a  Suny,  4. 
Minnesota:   Bridgman,  3;  Minnesota,  4;  Tower,  14;  Two  Harbors,  2. 
New  Hampshire:   Dublin,  1;  Mount  Washington,  16;  Ossipee,  3. 
New  York:  Alder  Creek,  3;   Catskill  Mountains,  13;   Elizabethtown,  2; 
Lake  George,  1  ;  Locust  Grove,  10:  Mountain  View,  3;  Peterboro,  68; 
Piseeo.  4. 


°Coll.  Univ.  of  Michigan.     Submitted  for  examination  by  Prof.  C.  C.  Adams. 


1909.]  MANICULATUS   GROUP ABIETORUM.  45 

Ontario:  Algonquin  Park,  11;  Bracebridge,  1  ;"  Deer  Park,  o;a  Grand 
Bend,  1;  Gravenhurst.  2;  Michipicoten  Island,  Lake  Superior,  4; 
North  Shore,  Lake  Superior  (Agassiz),  1;  Port  Franks,  3;  Sand 
Lake,  1. 

Quebec:   Godbout,  2;  Lac  aux  Sables,  3;  Lake  Edward,  (5;  Murray  Lay,  11. 

Vermont:  Burlington,  1;  Mount  Mansfield,  9. 

Wisconsin:   Eagle  Liver,  7  (approaching  inaniculatus ) . 

PEROMYSCUS  MANICULATUS  ABIETORUM  Bangs. 

Peromy&cm   canadensis   abietorum    Bangs,   Proc.   Biol.    Soc.   Wash.,   X,   49-50, 
Mar.  9,  1896. 

Type  locality. — James  River,  Nova  Scotia. 

Geographic  distribution. — Nova  Scotia  and  neighboring  parts  of 
eastern  Canada ;  west  to  central  Maine. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  P.  m.  gracilis,  but  paler  and  graver. 

Color. — No.  2201  Bangs  Collection,  in  slightly  worn  summer  pelage : 
Similar  to  P.  m.  gracilis,  but  paler  and  grayer;  upperparts  and  sides 
almost  uniform  drab,  with  very  fine  dusky  grizzling  and  scarcely  any 
indication  of  a  dark  dorsal  stripe ;  orbital  region  and  base  of  whiskers 
with  weak  dusky  markings;  tail  brownish  black  above,  white  below; 
underparts  white.  Full  winter  pelage  (No.  1473  U.  S.  National  Mu- 
seum) :  Almost  as  in  same  pelage  of  P.  m.  gracilis,  being  not  grayer, 
but  slightly  browner;  general  color  bister,  with  a  tinge  of  fawn  color, 
this  produced  by  grizzling  of  pale  fawn  color  and  dusky ;  back  essen- 
tially like  sides;  underparts  pure  snowy  white. 

Skull. — Essentially  as  in  P.  m.  gracilis. 

Measurements. — Type :  Total  length,  200 ;  tail  vertebra3,  103 ;  hind 
foot,  20.  Average  of  10  adults  from  Third  Mopang  Lake,  Maine: 
177  (171-187) ;  91.6  (82-97) ;  21  (20-22). 

Type  specimen. — No.  2205,  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology.  Cam- 
bridge, Mass.  9  adult,  Aug.  8,  1894.  Formerly  same  number, 
Collection  of  E.  A.  and  O.  Bangs.  Well-made  specimen  accompanied 
by  full  data  including  flesh  measurements  taken  by  the  collector,  C. 
H.  Goldthwait. 

Remarks. — The  series  upon  which  this  form  was  named  consists 
largely  of  immature  specimens,  most  of  which  are  somewhat  over- 
stuffed, causing  paleness,  which  is  more  apparent  than  real.  It  is 
evident,  however,  that  abietorum  averages  grayer  than  gracilis,  as 
shown  by  a  considerable  series  from  northeastern  Maine,  which  seems 
to  be  referable  to  this  form  rather  than  to  gracilis.  Between  this 
form  and  arcticus  there  is  gradual  intergradation,  arcticus  being 
darker  and  shorter-tailed  and  abietorum,  paler  and  longer-tailed. 
Between  the  two  there  seems  to  be  room  for  the  recognition  of  only 
one   intermediate   form.     Two   names  have   been    proposed,   gracilis 

"  Collection  of  Canadian  Geological  Survey. 


46  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

and  canadensis,  and,  although  specimens  from  their  respective  type 
localities  arc  not  exactly  alike,  they  resemble  each  other  more  than 
they  resemble  cither  of  the  extremes,  arcticus  and  ahietorum.     There- 
fore gracilis,  the  one  named  earlier,  is  recognized. 
Specimens  examined. — Total  number  101,  from  localities  as  follows: 

Maine:   Big  Deer  Isle,  1;  Blue  Hill,  2;  Bucksport,  1;  Columbia  Falls,  1; 

Greenville,  1  ;  King  and  P.artlett  Lake,  11  ;  Mount  Katahdin,  9;  Third 

Mopang    Lake,    2f> ;    Sebec    Lake,    1;    South   Twin    Lake,    Penobscot 

County,  44:  Upton,  2. 
New    Brunswick:   Arthurette,    1;    Gulquac    Lake,    Victoria    County,    3; 

Hampton,   4;    Tobique   Point.    1:    Forks   Tobique    Point    River,     19; 

Tobique  River,  4;  Trousers  Lake,  24. 
Nova  Scotia:     Digby,  1;  Halifax,  1;  James  River,  17. 
Quebec:   Port  Daniel,  6;  Riviere  du  Loup,  8;   Saint  Rose  du  Degele,  1; 

Salmon   Lake,  1. 
Prince  Edward  Island:   Kensington,  2. 

PEROMYSCUS  MANICULATUS  ARGENTAT1X  Copeland  and  Church. 

Peromyscus  canadensis  argentatus  M.  Copeland  and  M.  L.  Church,  Proc.  Biol. 
Soc.   Wash.,   XIX,   pp.  122-123,  Sept.  6,    1906. 

Type  locality. — Grand  Harbor,  island  of  Grand  Manan,  New 
Brunswick. 

Geographic  distribution. — Island  of  Grand  Manan,  New  Bruns- 
wick. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  m.  ahietorum,  but  tail  averaging  slightly 
shorter,  and  color  more  grayish,  with  dusky  mixture  more  copious 
and  intense;  similar  to  P.  maniculatus,  but  color  decidedly  more 
grayish. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  Similar  to  that  of  ahietorum,  but  slightly 
grayer,  less  buffy;  dusky  mixture  stronger  and  more  intense;  sub- 
terminal  zone  of  hairs  of  upperparts  narrower  and  paler;  general 
effect  of  upperparts  varying  from  drab  to  broccoli  brown  and  hair 
brown,  mid-dorsal  region  often  so  mixed  with  dusky  as  to  produce 
an  effect  approaching  slate  gray;  underparts  white,  quite  concealing 
slaty  undercolor;  ears  blackish,  faintly  edged  with  paler;  orbital 
ring  and  spot  at  base  of  whiskers  intense  blackish;  tail  sharply 
bicolor,  blackish  above,  white  below. 

Ski/IJ. — As  in  P.  maniculatus. 

Measurements. — Average  of  23  topotvpes:  Total  length,  180 
(171-1D4)  ;  tail  vertebrae,  87.8  (82-93)  ;  hind  foot,  21.2  (20-22). 

Type  specimen. — No.  168.  Collection  of  Manton  Copeland,  Taun- 
ton, Mass.  $  adult.  Sept.  19,  1905.  Manton  Copeland  and  Morton 
L.  Church.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — This  insular  form  combines  to  some  extent  the  charac- 
ters of  typical  maniculatus  and  ahietorum.  though  grayer  than  either. 
It  is  about  the  same  size  as  maniculatus  and  in  its  grayish  coloration 


1909.]  MANICULATUS    GROUP NUBITERRAE.  47 

approaches  abietorum.     Many  adults  closely  resemble  immature  ex- 
amples of  abietorum. 
/Specimens  examined. — Total  number  46,  all  from  the  type  locality. 

PEROMYSCUS  MANICULATUS  EREMTTS  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Pleasant  Bay,  Grindstone  Island,  Magdalen  Islands,  Quebec.  No. 
150223,  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological  Survey  Collection.  9  adult, 
Aug.  9,  1907.     W.  H.  Osgood. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  >n.  abietorum,  but  color  darker  and  tail 
shorter;  similar  to  P.  maniculatus,  but  paler  and  slightly  smaller. 

Color.- — Similar  in  general  to  typical  maniculatus,  but  paler 
throughout,  yet  darker  than  abietorum.  Type  in  fresh  fall  pelage: 
Ground  color  of  upperparts  russet,  uniformly  and  rather  liberally 
mixed  with  dusky,  producing  a  general  effect  slightly  lighter  than 
Prout  brown ;  concentration  of  dusky  mixture  in  middle  of  back  com- 
paratively slight;  a  distinct  dusky  orbital  ring  and  spot  at  base  of 
whiskers;  underparts  creamy  white;  tail  sharply  bicolor. 

Skull. — Practically  as  in  P.  m.  abietorum  ;  somewhat  smaller  and 
narrower  than  in  maniculatus. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length,  183;  tail  vertebrae,  83;  hind 
foot,  21;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  15.7  (15-16).  Average  of  10  topo- 
types:  181  (172-189)  ;  83  (78-90)  ;  21. 

Remarks. — This  island  form  differs  in  color  more  decidedly  from 
P.  m.  abietorum,  which  occurs  on  the  mainland  of  Nova  Scotia  and 
New  Brunswick,  than  it  does  from  typical  maniculatus  of  Labrador. 
It  is  in  fact  nearly  intermediate  between  abietorum  and  maniculatus, 
being  darker  than  the  former  and  paler  than  the  latter. 

/Specimens  examined. — Total  number  19,  all  from  the  type  locality. 

PEROMYSCTJS  MANICULATUS  NUBITERRAE  Rhoads.     Cloudland  Mouse. 

Peromyscus    leucopus    nubiterrae    Rhoads,    Proc.    Acad.    Nat.    Sci.    Phila.,   pp. 

187-188,  April,  1S9C>. 
Peromyscus  canadensis  nubiterrae  Rhoads,  ibid.,  p.  213,  May,  1897. 

Type  locality. — Summit  of  Roan  Mountain,  North  Carolina,  alti- 
tude 6,370  feet. 

Geograplih-  distribution. — Allegheny  and  Blue  Ridge  Mountains 
and  adjacent  ranges  from  western  Pennsylvania  south  to  western 
North   Carolina,  and  northeastern  Georgia.0     Canadian  zone. 

Characters. — Similar  to  gracilis  but  slightly  smaller;  dusky  area 
in  middle  of  back  broader  and  better  defined.  Tail  longer  than  head 
and  body :  skull  quite  small ;  pelage  very  soft. 

"The  occurrence  of  P.  m.  nubiterrae  in  Georgia  is  not  indicated  on  the  dis- 
tribution map  (Plate  I),  as  specimens  from  that  State  were  not  received  until 
after  the  plate  was  printed. 


48  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Color. — Much  as  in  gracilis  bul  usually  with  a  broader,  better  de- 
fined, dusky  dorsal  area,  particularly  in  unworn  pelage.  Topotype 
No.  54401  in  full  winter  pelage  (January)  :  Sides  of  body,  head,  and 
shoulders  russet,  thickly  sprinkled  with  blackish,  producing  a  general 
effect  approximating  Prout brown;  back  from  shoulders  to  base  of  tail 
broadly  blackish  brown,  sparingly  relieved  with  russet;  underparts 
pure  creamy  white  entirely  dominating  the  slaty  basal  color;  ears 
dusky,  rather  sharply  edged  with  whitish;  small  white  tufts  at  an- 
terior bases  of  ears;  a  narrow  dusky  orbital  ring  and  spot  at  base 
of  whiskers;  feet  white,  'ankles'  dusky;  tail  dusky  brownish  above, 
white  below.  Topotype  No.  73121  in  partly  worn  pelage  (July  20)  : 
Sides  cinnamon  tinged  with  fawn;  back  brownish. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  gracilis,  but  averaging  decidedly 
smaller;  very  much  smaller  and  lighter,  than  in  levcopus  and  gossy- 
pinus. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length  170;  tail  vertebrae  87;  hind 
foot  20.5.     Two  adult  topotypes :  173,  188 ;  93,  98 ;  21,  19.5. 

Type  .s- peci m at. — No.  3664  Collection  Academy  of  Natural  Sci- 
ences, Philadelphia.  $  adult,  June  19,  1895.  Samuel  N.  Khoads. 
Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — This  form  is  not  strongly  characterized,  but  seems 
worthy  of  recognition,  particularly  since  it  is  a  divergent,  or  what 
may  be  called  a  peripheral  development,  not  standing  between  any 
two  oppositely  characterized  forms.  Its  peculiarities,  though  not 
absolutely  constant,  are  shared  by  a  majority  of  individuals.  The 
skulls  from  the  type  locality  are  variable,  perhaps  indicating  that 
the  small  size  and  other  characteristics  are  not  as  yet  thoroughly 
established.  The  dark  color  more  nearly  approaches  that  of  true 
gracilis  than  it  does  that  of  specimens  from  New  York  and  New 
England,  all  of  which  tend  more  or  less  toward  abietorum. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  175,  from  localities  as  follows: 

Georgia:  Brasstown  Bald,  12. 

Maryland:   Bittiuger,  G;  Finzel,  19;  Grantsville,  16. 

North  Carolina:   Highlands,  7:  Pisgah  Ridge,  Transylvania  County,  6;a 

Roan   Mountain    (4,700-6,300  feet),  36. 
Pennsylvania:   Drury   Run,    1;    Eaglesmere,    Sullivan    County,   4;    King 

Station,    Cambria    County.    0;    Lake    Ganoga,    Sullivan    County,    2; 

Mount   Pocono,  2;   near  Round   Island,   Clinton  County,   2;    Summit 

Mills,  Somerset  County,  19. 
Tennessee:   Holston  Mountains,  1. 
Virginia:   Mount  Rogers,  4;  Peaks  of  Otter,  2;  Sky  land,  Page  County,  1; 

Tazewell  Peak,  1. 
West    Virginia:   Black    Mountain,    5;    Cold    Knob    Mountains,    1;    Jobs 

Knob  6;  Travelers  Repose,  10;  White  Sulphur.  3. 

"  Coll.  Biltmore  Forest  School. 


1900.]  *MANICULATUS    GEOUP ARCTICUS.  49 

PEROMYSCUS  MANICULATUS  ARCTICUS   (Mearns). 

(PI.  I.  fig.  2.) 

Hesperomys  leucopus  arcticus"  Mearns,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.     II, 

p.  285,  Feb.,  1890. 
Peromyseus  mania/lulus  arcticus  Osgood,  N.  Am.  Fauna  No.  19,  p.  33,  Oct.,  1900. 

Type  locality. — Fort  Simpson,  Mackenzie,  Canada. 

Geographic  distribution. — Interior  of  northwest  Canada;  from 
southeastern  Saskatchewan  north  along  the  Mackenzie  Eiver  at  least 
to  Fort  Norman ;  west  to  the  upper  waters  of  the  Yukon,  and  thence 
south  to  eastern  Alberta.     Canadian  and  Hudsonian  zones. 

Characters. — Similar  to  maniculatus,  but  tail  shorter;  nasals 
shorter  and  wider.  Similar  to  gracilis,  but  slightly  more  dusky 
throughout;  tail  shorter:  skull  broader  and  heavier.  Similar  to 
nebrascensis,  but  decidedly  darker,  less  ochraceous;  tail  slightly 
longer;  skull  broader.  Similar  to  artemisiai  and  oreas,  but  tail 
shorter;  skull  shorter  and  more  angular. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage  (November)  :  Ground  color  of  upperparts 
isabella  color  to  cinnamon,  quite  heavily  and  uniformly  mixed  with 
dusky,  which  is  slightly  or  not  at  all  concentrated  in  middle  of  back; 
general  effect  thus  produced  varying  from  grayish  cinnamon  to  drab 
or  hair  brown,  much  like  the  adolescent  pelage  of  related  forms; 
orbital  ring  and  spot  at  base  of  whiskers  strongly  blackish;  white 
hairs  in  basal  ear  tufts  usually  well  developed;  underparts  creamy 
white;  tail  deep  dusky,  almost  black,  above,  white  below;  'ankles' 
sharply  blackish.  Worn  pelage  (April-August)  :  General  effect  of 
sides  cinnamon,  shading  into  pale  russet  in  middle  of  back;  '  ankles  ' 
dusky  brownish;  tail  dusky  brownish;  otherwise  similar  to  unworn 
pelage.  Adolescent  pelage :  Slightly  grayer  and  more  dusky  than 
in  unworn  adult;  ground  color  of  upperparts  nearly  drab:  general 
effect  hair  brown  to  blackish  mouse  gray.  Young  in  first  coat: 
General  effect  mouse  gray  to  slate  color,  often  quite  blackish  in  mid- 
dle of  back. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  gracilis,  but  averaging  larger  and 
heavier;  nasals  wider;  infraorbital  part  of  zygomata  heavier;  entire 
skull  shorter  relative  to  its  width ;  lower  lip  of  foramen  magnum 
broader  and  condyle  more  sharply  notched  on  each  side.  The  same 
characters  in  greater  or  less  degree  also  distinguish  it  from  the 
skulls  of  nebrascensis,  rufinus,  artenvisiae,  and  oreas,  the  only  other 
forms  to  which  it  is  closely  related. 

Measurements. — Average  of  25  adults  and  adolescents  from  the 
type  locality:  Total  length.  100  (150-172)  ;  tail  vertebrae,  71  (62-78)  ; 

°The  name  arcticus  was  published  as  a  nomen  nudum  in  1S7T — cf.  Coues, 
Monogr.  X.  Am.  Rod.,  p.  67. 

66268— No.  28—09 4 


50  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [NO.   28. 

hind  foot,  20  (19-21)  ;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  15.8  (15-16.8).  Of  5 
adults  from  the  upper  Athabaska  River  (approaching  oreas)  :  170 
(168-193)  ;  85  (80  91)  ;  20. 

Type  specimen. — No.  5555,  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology,  Cam- 
bridge, Mass. ;  formerly  No.  4531,  U.  S.  National  Museum.  $ 
young  adult,  Sept.  7,  1859.  Robert  Kennicott.  Skin  in  fair 
condition  with  all  parts  intact.  Head  and  neck  show  slight  effect 
of  recent  moistening,  evidently  done  in  removing  the  skull.  Hind 
feet  turned  under  body,  but  in  good  condition;  tail  perfect.  Color 
rather  paler  than  in  recently  collected  topotypes,  doubtless  due  to 
fading,  which  renders  the  specimen  unreliable  for  close  comparisons. 
Skull  with  zygomata  not  'squared'  greatly  as  in  older  individuals; 
crowns  of  teeth  scarcely  worn.  Zygomata  somewhat  broken;  basi- 
occipital  and  sphenoid  region  cut  out  in  a  long  rectangle. 

Remarks. — P.  m.  arctic  us  is  the  only  member  of  the  genus  inhabit- 
ing the  great  forested  region  of  the  interior  of  northwest  Canada. 
Its  range  in  this  region  is  very  wide,  evidently  covering  the  entire 
Canadian  section  and  entering  the  Hudsonian  at  some  points. 
Throughout  the  center  of  its  range  it  is  very  constant  in  character, 
but  around  the  edges  it  is  unstable  and  intergradation  with  various 
forms  is  evident.  Its  relationships  might  still  be  a  puzzle  but  for  the 
large  series  recently  secured  by  the  expeditions  of  Edward  A.  Preble. 
Specimens  from  the  lower  Athabaska  River  are  quite  typical,  but 
those  from  the  upper  river  have  increasingly  longer  tails,  and  certain 
individuals  from  the  extreme  headwaters  near  Henry  House,  Alberta, 
are  almost  like  areas.  The  evidence  that  arcticus  as  it  ranges  west- 
ward into  the  mountains  gradually  merges  with  oreas  is  thus  almost 
complete.  On  the  east  the  chain  of  intergrades  is  less  complete,  but 
sufficient  to  show  that  arcticus,  as  it  ranges  down  the  Saskatchewan 
River,  intergrades  with  gracilis  or  maniculatus.  On  the  south  it 
meets  nebrascensis,  which  replaces  it  on  the  open  plains.  Intermedi- 
ates between  the  two  are  abundant,  a  series  from  Osier.  Saskatchewan, 
perhaps  containing  the  greatest  number.  About  the  upper  waters  of 
the  Lewes  River,  of  the  Yukon  drainage,  arcticus0  is  found  in  com- 
pany with  algidus  and  apparently  distinct  from  it,  though  elsewhere 
the  two  are  connected.  Such  a  state  of  affairs,  however,  is  not  unique, 
as  it  is  found  in  several  other  cases  in  the  extraordinary  maniculatus 
group. 

The  interrelations  of  arcticus,  oreas,  and  artemisiae  are  extremely 
difficult  to  understand.  Further  material  from  the  interior  of 
British  Columbia  will  be  required  before  many  doubtful  points  can 
be  satisfactorily  cleared  up.     That  all  three  forms  intergrade  with 

a  These  western  specimens  of  arcticus  are  slightly  smaller  than  typical,  but 
not  sufficiently  so  to  be  separable. 


1909.]  MANICULATUS   GROUP OEEAS.  51 

each  other,  however,  and  in  turn  with  gambeli,  sonoriensis{ etc.,  is 
scarcely  to  be  doubted. 

Specimen*  examined. — Total  number  1,043,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows: 

Alberta:  Athabaska  Lake  (outlet),  15;  Athabaska  Landing,  22  (5  miles 
above  8;  30  miles  above  14)  ;  Athabaska  River,  22  (Brule  Rapid  .'!. 
Cascade  Rapid  1,  Crooked  Rapid  2,  Grand  Rapids  5,  60  miles  above 
Grand  Rapids  3,  Mountain  Rapid  2,  Pelican  Rapid  3,  50  miles 
above  Pelican  Rapid  2.  Swift  Current  1);  Banff,  10;  Blindman 
River,  5;  Braggs  Crossing,  4;«  Buffalo  Lake,  10;  Calgary,  7  (ap- 
proaching nebrascensis)  ;  Canadian  National  Park,  15;  Canmore,  -; 
Crows  Nest  Pass,  5;«  Edmonton,  3  ;a  Fish  Creek,  3;°  Forks  Blind- 
man  and  Red  Deer  rivers,  7;  Fort  Chipewyan,  22;  Fort  McMurray, 
1;  Grand  Cache  River,  6;b  Henry  House,  26;"  Jasper  House,  <'.;'' 
Miette  River,  1  \a  Moose  Mountain,  3;  Moose  River,  4 ;«  Muskeg 
Creek,  13  ;b  Peace  River  Landing,  14  ;«  Red  Deer,  5;  Red  Deer  River, 
15  (approaching  nebrascensis)  :  St.  Albert,  1;  Slave  River,  31  (near 
mouth  Peace  River  17,  Smith  Landing  14)  ;  South  Edmonton 
(  =  Strathcona),  49;  Sturgeon  River,  l.« 
British  Columbia:  Cariboo,  1;  Cheonnee  Mountains,  6;  Level  Moun- 
tain, 3;  Raspberry  Creek,  10;  Shesley  River,  3;  Telegraph  Creek, 
272. 
Mackenzie:  Fort  Norman,  6;  Fort  Providence,  21:  Fort  Rae.  G3 ;  Fort 
Resolution,  100;  Fort  Simpson,  78;  Fort  Smith,  39;  00  miles  below 
Fort  Smith,  2:  Fort  Wrigley,  2:  Great  Slave  Lake  (islands  east  of 
Fort  Resolution),  4;  Nahanni  River  Mountains,  4;  mouth  Nahauni 
River,  5 ;  Willow  River,  near  Fort  Providence,  2. 
Saskatchewan:  Carlton,  5;  Indian  Head,  3S;  Wingard,  11. 
Yukon:  Fifty  Mile  River,  3;  Lewes  River,  2;  Lake  Lebarge,  17;  Lake 
Marsh,  8 ;  White  Horse  Rapids,  1. 

PEROMYSCUS  MANICULATUS  OREAS  Bangs. 
Peromyseits  areas  Bangs,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XII,  p.  84,  Mar.  24,  1S98. 

Type  locality. — Mount  Baker  Bange  (altitude  6,500  feet),  British 
Columbia. 

Geographic  distribution. — Mountains  and  coast  of  western  Wash- 
ington, north  to  southern  British  Columbia,  south  to  Columbia  River. 

Characters. — Size  rather  large  (hind  foot  22-24);  tail  very  long 
(seldom  less  than  100,  usually  more  than  110)  :  color  very  dark  and 
rich.  Similar  in  general  to  arcticus,  but  color  darker  and  richer;  tail 
and  hind  foot  longer;  ears  larger.  Similar  to  austerus,  but  size  decid- 
edly larger;  color  averaging  much  less  blackish;  skull  larger  and 
broader. 

a  Collection  of  Canadian  Geological  Survey. 

&  Approaching  oreas. 

c  The  majority  of  this  series  are  intermediate  between  arcticus  and  oreas, 
but.  a  few  specimens  are  almost  as  long-tailed  as  oreas.  Possibly  they  are  still 
more  closely  allied  to  algidus. 


52  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  Ground  color  of  upperparts  cinnamon  to 
russet,  slightly  paler  on  anterior  half  of  body;  dusky  mixture  rather 
strong,  but  not  predominating  except  in  middle  of  back,  where  it 
shows  as  a  broad,  irregular  blackish  patch;  eye  with  a  well-defined 
sooty  ring  around  it;  a  prominent  sooty  spot  at  base  of  whiskers; 
underparts  creamy  white;  feet  white,  forearm  dusky  and  tawny, 
'ankles1  dusky  brownish;  cars  dusky,  very  narrowly  edged  with 
whitish;  very  little  or  no  white  at  anterior  base  of  ear;  tail  blackish 
brown  above,  white  below.  Worn  pelage:0  Sides  bright  russet  to 
Mars  brown;  middle  of  back  Mars  brown  to  mummy  brown;  dusky 
mixture  variously  eliminated  and  changed  to  shades  of  brownish. 
Adolescent  pelage:  Upperparts  pale  cinnamon  uniformly  mixed 
with  dusky,  producing  a  general  effect  of  broccoli  brown  tinged 
with  fawn. 

Skull. — Size  slightly  larger  than  in  arcticus;  nasals,  palatine  slits, 
and  general  rostral  region  longer;  infraorbital  foramina  more  com- 
pressed laterally;  inferior  lip  of  foramen  magnum  less  distinctly 
notched  on  either  side;  general  outline  of  skull  more  compressed 
anteriorly.  Similar  to  that  of  austerus,  but  much  larger;  nasals  and 
palatine  slits  longer;  braincase  broader;  teeth  larger. 

Measurements. — Type  and  one  topotype,  respectively:  Total 
length,  200 ;  207 ;  tail  vertebrae,  101 ;  114 ;  hind  foot,  24 ;  24.  Average 
of  10  adults  from  Mount  Rainier,  Washington:  203  (194-214);  111 
(105-120)  ;  23.2  (22-24)  ;  ear  from  notch  (dry)  16.6  (15.9-17.1).  Of 
12  adults  from  Neah  Bay,  Washington:  201  (185-214);  111 
(105-123);  22.8  (22-24). 

Type  specimen. — No.  3696  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology,  for- 
merly same  number,  Collection  of  E.  A.  and  O.  Bangs.  $  adult, 
Aug.  29,  1896.    A.  C.  Brooks.    Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — In  length  of  tail,  this  form  exceeds  all  other  members 
of  the  manicnlatus  group.  Although  the  average  length  is  about 
110  mm.,  specimens  with  tails  longer  than  120  are  common,  and  an 
extreme  example  from  Quiniult  Lake.  Washington,  has  a  tail  meas- 
uring 131  mm.  P.  m.  oreas  is  not  confined  strictly  to  mountainous 
country,  but  inhabits  also  the  heavily  forested  lowlands  of  the  Puget 
Sound  region.  Its  relationship  to  austerus  is  difficult  to  understand. 
The  case  is  very  similar  to  that  of  gambeli  and  rubidus  in  California, 
the  complications  of  which  may  be  due  either  to  hybridization  or  to 
intergradation.  It  is  already  known  that  areas  and  austerus  occur 
together  at  a  number  of  localities  and  apparently  maintain  their 
respective  characters.     At  other  places  only  one  form  has  thus  far 

a  A  single  specimen  from  Teniiio,  Wash.,  appears  to  represent  a  peculiar  pale 
phase  which  in  worn  pelage  is  pale  viuaceous  drab.  Several  like  it  have  been 
examined  from  monntains  near  Wenatchee,  and  from  Lake  Kichelos.  Others 
from  Tenino  and  from  Eastoii.  near  Lake  Kichelos,  seem  to  be  typical  oreas. 


1900.]  MANICULATUS   GROUP — HYLAEUS.  53 

been  found,  at  others  extremes  of  both  forms  and  intermediates  occur. 
and  at  still  others  intermediates  only.  There  is  no  environmental 
distinction  as  in  the  case  of  gambeli  and  rubidus,  for  oreas  and  aus- 
terus  live  under  apparently  identical  conditions.  Although  only  one 
form  has  been  found  at  the  respective  type  localities  of  oreas  and  aus- 
terus,  both  occur  together  near  by  and  further  collecting  may  show 
that  they  do  so  over  a  wide  area.  Specimens  which  appear  to  be 
intermediate  between  oreas  and  austerus  may  in  reality  represent 
special  differentiations  of  the  one  or  the  other  showing  accidental 
parallelism. 

As  stated  elsewhere,  oreas  appears  to  intergrade  with  <ir<-ti<-tis,  most 
of  the  intermediate  specimens  having  been  referred  to  artemisiae.  It 
intergrades  also  with  macrorhinus,  as  proved  by  specimens  from 
River  Inlet,  British  Columbia.  Intergradation  with  rubidus  also  is 
evident.  When  intergradation  occurs  with  so  many  forms  even  the 
extremes  of  which  are  closely  similar  in  general  characters,  the  allo- 
cation of  individual  specimens  or  of  small  series  is  extremely  difficult. 
Specimens  from  Lake  Bennett  and  the  region  of  the  headwaters  of 
the  Yukon,  previously  referred  to  oreas,11  prove  to  be  separable  and 
apparently  are  most  closely  related  to  forms  of  the  Alaskan  coast. 
They  may  be  connected  with  oreas  through  the  interior  of  British 
Columbia. 

/Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  357,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows : 

British  Columbia:  Chilliwack  Valley.  9;  Hope  and  near  Hope,  50;  Mount 

Raker  Range,  5;  Port  Moody,  14. 
Washington:  Aberdeen,  2;  Boulder  Creek,  20  ;6  Boulder  Lake,  ll;6  head 
of  Cascade  River,  7;  Chehalis  County,  3;  near  Lake  Cushman,  15; 
Easton,  7;  Granville,  7;  Happy  Lake,  42;  6  Kent,  1;  Kiehelos  Lake,  6; 
Lake  Washington,  2;  Lapush,  19;  Martin,  2;  Mount  Rainier,  29 
(Longmire  Springs  9,  Paradise  Creek,  altitude  5,200  feet,  11)  ; 
Mount  St.  Helens,  2:  Mount  Vernon.  8;  Noah  Ray.  4!>;r  Quiniult 
Lake,  15;  Roy,  1;  Shoalwater  Ray,  1;  North  Fork  Skokomish 
River,  6;  Suez,  G;  Tenino,  10;  00  miles  cast  of  Toledo,  2;  near 
Wenatchee,  0  (aberrant). 

PEROMYSCUS  MANICULATUS  HYLAEUS  Osgood. 

(PL  II,  fig.  4). 

Peromyscus  hylaeus  Osgood,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc*.  Wash..  XXI,  pp.  141-142,  June  9, 
1908. 

Type  locality. — Hollis,  Kasaan  Bay,  Prince  of  Wales  Island, 
Alaska. 

Geographic  distribution. — Islands  and  coast  of  southeast  Alaska 
west  and  northwest  of  the  range  of  P.  m.  macrorhinus,  including 

a  North  Am.  Fauna  No.  19,  p.  32,  Oct.,  1900. 
6  May  include  some  specimens  of  P.  m.  austerus. 

c  Three  specimens  in  this  series,  although  having  the  large  hind  foot  and  long 
tail  of  areas,  have  small  skulls  very  similar  to  those  of  oust  crux. 


54  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Prince  of  Wales,  Kupreanof,  Mitkof,  and  Admiralty  islands  and  the 
mainland  coast  from  Lynn  Canal  to  Frederick  Sound. 

Characters. — Color  rich  and  dark,  about  as  in  macrorhinus;  size 
decidedly  smaller.  Similar  to  oreas,  but  color  possibly  averaging 
slightly  darker  and  otherwise  differing  much  as  keeni  docs  in  having 
smaller  ears  and  shorter  tail.  Similar  to  keeni,  but  skull  more  lightly 
built ;  rostrum  longer,  more  slender.  Similar  to  algidus,  but  color 
darker. 

Color. — Practically  as  in  keeni.  Worn  pelage:  Sides  varying  from 
russet  to  Mars  brown  and  shading  into  Mars  brown  and  Prout  brown 
on  dorsum. 

JSkull. — Very  similar  to  that  of  oreas;  nasals  and  rostrum  aver- 
aging slightly  more  slender.  Similar  to  that  of  keeni,  but  more 
lightly  built  throughout;  rostrum  and  nasals  longer  and  more  slen- 
der; posterior  nasal  endings  usually  exceeding  premaxillse;  infraor- 
bital region  lighter.  Somewhat  similar  to  that  of  macrorhinus,  but 
decidedly  smaller. 

Measurements. — Average  of  20  adult  topotypes:  Total  length  198.4 
(101-205)  ;  tail  vertebrae  98  (91-105)  ;  hind  foot  23  (22-23.5)  ;  ear 
from  notch  (dry)  15.3  (14.5-16.8). 

Type  specimen. — No.  127038  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  adult.  May  15,  1903.  W.  H.  Osgood.  Speci- 
men in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — This  is  the  form  prevalent  over  most  of  the  coast 
region  of  southern  Alaska.  In  general  terms  it  is  like  keeni,  except 
in  cranial  characters,  and  both  keeni  and  hylaeus  are  very  similar  to 
oreas  except  in  respect  to  their  shorter  ears  and  tails.  All  are  de- 
cidedly smaller  than  macrorhinus  and  sitkensis.  The  form  from  the 
Queen  Charlotte  Islands,  keeni,  so  far  as  known,  is  the  only  well- 
developed  insular  form  north  of  Puget  Sound,  all  those  from  the 
various  islands  of  the  Alexander  Archipelago,  with  the  exception 
of  sitkensis,  being  too  slightly  or  not  at  all  differentiated.  P.  tn. 
hylaeus  probably  intergrades  with  macrorhinus  in  the  vicinity  of 
Frederick  Sound,  as  indicated  by  the  slightly  increased  size  of  speci- 
mens from  Mitkof  Island.  Intergradation  with  algidus  takes  place 
in  the  region  of  Lynn  Canal. 

Specimen*  examined. — Total  number,  103,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows: 

Alaska:  Glacier  Bay,  2;  Juneau,  10;  Kasaan  Bay,  Prince  of  Wales 
Island,  63;  near  Killisnoo.  Admiralty  Island,  ."4:  Lindenburg  Penin- 
sula, Kupreanof  Island,  1G;  Petersburg,  Mitkof  Island,  13;  Taku 
Harbor,  5. 


1909.]  MANICULATUS    GROUP KEENI.  55 

PEROMYSCUS  MANICULATUS  KEENI    (Rhoads). 
(PI.   II,  fig.  8.) 

Sitomys  keeni  Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  pp.  25S-259,  Oct.  23,  1S94. 
P[eromyscus]  keeni  Bangs,  Am.  Naturalist,  NNNI,  p.  75,  Jan.,  1897. 

Type  locality. — Massett,  Graham  Island,  Queen  Charlotte  Islands. 
British  Columbia. 

Geographic  distribution. — Moresby  and  Graham  islands,  Queen 
Charlotte  Group,  British  Columbia. 

Characters. — Similar  to  oreas,  but  ears  decidedly  smaller;  tail 
averaging  shorter;  skull  slightly  heavier.  Similar  to  hylaeus,  but 
skull  heavier,  with  shorter  broader  nasals.  Size  smaller  than  in 
macrorhinus,  prevostensis,  and  sitkensis. 

Color. — Not  appreciably  different  from  that  of  other  forms  of  the 
northwest  coast — oreas,  macrorhinus,  hylaeus,  etc.  Worn  pelage: 
Sides  russet  shading  into  darker  Mars  brown  in  middle  of  back. 
Unworn  pelage  probably  much  darker,  with  dorsum  more  contrasted 
with  sides. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  oreas,  but  averaging  slightly  heavier, 
particularly  in  the  rostral  region.  Similar  to  that  of  hylaeus,  but 
nasals  and  rostrum  shorter  and  thicker;  posterior  nasal  endings 
usually  about  equaling  premaxillse;  skull  slightly  heavier  throughout. 

Measurements. — Average  of  20  males  from  Skidegate,  Graham 
Island:  Total  length  197  (186-212)  ;  tail  vertebrae  102  (95-111)  ;  hind 
foot  22.7  (22-23);  ear  from  notch  (dry)  14.7  (14-15.2).  Of  15 
females  from  the  same  locality:  199.8  (181-209)  ;  103.4;  22.4  (22-23). 

Type  x/><  cimen. — Xo.  7768  Collection  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences, 
Philadelphia  ;  formerly  No.  768  Collection  of  S.  N.  Rhoads.  $  young 
adult.  1892.  J.  H.  Keen.  Specimen  in  alcohol,  except  skull,  which 
has  been  removed  and  preserved  separately.  It  is  of  little  value  for 
comparison. 

Remarks. — This  mouse  is  of  the  same  general  type  as  P.  m.  oreas 
of  the  Puget  Sound  region  and  P.  in.  hylaeus  of  the  islands  and  coast 
of  southeastern  Alaska.  It  is  most  closely  related  to  hylaeus,  being 
distinguished  only  by  slight  cranial  characters.  Since  these  charac- 
ters, although  reasonably  constant,  vary  slightly  towards  hylaeus,  it 
seems  fitting  to  include  keeni  among  the  numerous  subspecies  of 
manic  ul  at  us.  The  only  other  white-footed  mouse  occurring  on  the 
Queen  Charlotte  Islands  is  P.  s.  prevostensis,  which,  although  nearly 
the  same  color,  is  so  much  larger  than  keeni  as  not  to  require  close 
comparison. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  108,  from  localities  in  the 

Queen  Charlotte  Islands  as  follows: 

Graham  Island:   Massett,  10;   Skidegate  Inlet,  50. 
Moresby  Island:   Curushewa  Inlet,  40;  near  Rose  Harbor,  8. 


56  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28; 

PEROMYSCUS  MANICULATUS  ALCIDIS"  subsp.  qov. 

Tii tie  from  head  of  Lake  Bennetl  (site  of  old  Bennetl  <'ity).  British  Columbia. 
No.  130013  IT.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological  Survey  Collection.  $  adult. 
Sept.  17,  1903.     \Y.  II.  Osgood. 

Geographic  distribution. — Region  of  the  headwaters  of  the  Yukon 
River  from  Lake  Bennett  to  the  Lower  pari  of  the  Lewes  River. 

Characters. — Similar  to  hylat  us,  but  color  paler  and  more  grayish  ; 
similar  to  oreas,  hut  paler  and  with  shorter  tail  and  ears. 

Color. — Much  as  in  arcticus,  but  with  rather  less  dusky;  similar  to 
hylaeus  but  decidedly  paler  and  more  grayish.  Unworn  pelage: 
Upperparts  between  cinnamon  and  isahella  color,  mixed  with  dusky 
rather  lightly  on  sides  and  more  heavily  in  middle  of  back,  over  quite 
an  area  of  which  it  predominates;  head  and  face  and  sometimes 
shoulders  slightly  grayish ;  orbital  ring  and  dusky  spot  at  base  of 
whiskers  present,  hut  less  conspicuous  than  in  hylaeus.  Worn  pelage  : 
Sides  cinnamon  or  wood  brown  to  russet,  becoming  slightly  darker  on 
dorsum;  dusky  mixture  seldom  or  never  thoroughly  eliminated;  ears 
rather  broadly  edged  with  whitish;  pre-auricular  lanuginous  tufts 
usually  with  a  fewT  white  hairs. 

Skull. — Very  similar  to  those  of  oreas  and  hylaeus;  possibly  aver- 
aging slightly  larger;  larger  than  in  arcticus,  with  larger  teeth  and 
zygomata  more  compressed  anteriorly. 

Measurements. — Average  of  20  adult  topotypes:  Total  length  192 
(178-204)  ;  tail  vertebra?  94  (83-101)  ;  hind  foot  22.5  (22-23.5)  ; 
ear  from  notch   (dry)    15.8   (15-16.4). 

Remarks. — This  is  a  slight  form,  the  interior  representative  of  the 
dark  coast  form  hylaeus.  It  is  very  similar  to  oreas,  differing  onty 
in  slightly  paler  color  and  in  shorter  tail  and  ears.  Possibly  the  two 
intergrade  in  the  interior  of  northern  and  central  British  Columbia. 
Although  arcticus  and  oreas  appear  to  intergrade  in  southern  British 
Columbia,  arcticus  and  algidus  occur  together  in  the  range  of  algidus 
and  maintain  their  distinctness.  Although  nearly  the  same  color. 
they  are  easily  distinguishable  by  size  and  cranial  characters.  In  the 
flesh,  their  distinctness  is  even  more  apparent.  This  form  as  well  as 
oreas  bears  some  general  resemblance  to  gracilis,  the  long-tailed  form 
of  the  East.  All  the  similar  western  forms,  however,  regardless  of 
color  or  length  of  tail,  differ  from  gracilis  in  larger  hind  feet  and  in 
larger  skulls  with  heavier  teeth. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  00,  from  localities  as  follows: 

Alaska:   Glacier.    White    Pass    Railroad,    11;    Haines,    1     (approaching 

hylaeus)  :  Skagway,  1  ;  Summit,  White  Pass,  1. 
British  Columbia:   Bennett,  41;  Cheonnee  Mountains,  1. 
Yukon    Territory:   Caribou,   2;    Fifty   Mile   River,   1;    Lake    Tagish,   4; 

White  Horse,  3. 

a  Algidus  =  very  cold,  pertaining  to  a  cold  climate. 


1909.]  MANICTJLATUS    ( IKOI'P—  M  A<  IK  )|{  1 1 1  X  rs.  57 

PEROMYSCUS  MANICULATUS  MACRORHINUS   (Rhoads)'. 

Sitomys  maerorhinus  Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  pp.  259-260,  Oct.  23, 

IS!  14. 
P[eromyscus]  maerorhinus  Baugs,  Am.  Naturalist,  XXXI.  p.  75,  Jan.,  1S97. 

Type  locality. — North  Pacific  Salmon  Cannery,"  mouth  of  Skeena 
River,  British   Columbia. 

Geographic  distribution. — Mainland  coast  of  northern  British 
Columbia  and  southern  Alaska. 

Characters. — Size  very  large  (hind  foot  24-25)  ;  color  dark  and 
rich.  Similar  to  oreas,  but  decidedly  larger;  tail  relatively  shorter. 
Similar  to  hylaeus,  but  larger  throughout.  Similar  to  sitkensis,  but 
smaller,  skull  decidedly  smaller  and  more  slender. 

Color. — Almost  as  in  areas,  possibly  averaging  slightly  darker. 
Worn  pelage:  ''  Sides  varying  from  rich  russet  to  Mars  brown;  mid- 
dle of  back  slightly  darker,  approaching  Prout  brown  and  burnt 
umber;  orbital  ring  and  spot  at  base  of  whiskers  rather  extensive 
and  contrasted  (probably  more  so  in  unworn  pelage);  'ankles' 
broadly  dusky  brownish  behind,  foreleg  "with  a  russet  stripe  extend- 
ing from  side  nearly  or  quite  to  wrist ;  underparts  creamy  white." 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  areas  and  hylaeus,  but  decidedly  larger; 
nasals  more  elongate;  molariform  teeth  larger;  zygomata  more  com- 
pressed anteriorly.  Similar  to  that  of  sitkensis,  but  smaller;  rostrum 
more  slender;  molariform  teeth  smaller;  audital  bullae  relatively 
larger. 

Measurements. — Average  of  6  adults  from  Inverness,  mouth  of 
Skeena  River,  British  Columbia:  Total  length  209  (200-217);  tail 
vertebrae  112  (105-117)  ;  hind  foot  24.5  (24-25)  ;  ear  from  notch 
(dry)  16.1  (15-17).  Average  of  10  adults  from  Wrangell,  Alaska: 
215  (202-222)  ;  112  (104-123)  ;  23.8  (23-24.5). 

Type  specimen. — No.  8381  Collection  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences, 
Philadelphia.  Formerly  No.  1381  Collection  of  S.  N.  Rhoads.  Col- 
lected by  J.  H.  Keen.  Skin  in  alcohol.  Skull  not  thoroughly 
cleaned;  right  zygoma  and  part  of  infraorbital  plate  broken  away; 
otherwise  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — The  mice  of  the  northwest  coast,  including  areas, 
maerorhinus,  hylaeus,  sitkensis,  and  keeni,  are  very  similar  in  color, 

°The  exact  locality,  as  I  am  informed  by  Itev.  J.  H.  Keen,  who  collected  the 
type. 

6  Specimens  in  complete  unworn  pelage  are  not  at  hand.  As  indicated  by  a 
few  specimens  in  changing  pelage,  it  would  be  very  nearly  the  same  as  in  oreas 
and  hylaeus. 

'One  specimen  from  Inverness.  British  Columbia,  is  abnormally  colored. 
The  entire  underparts  are  rich  brownish  russet  like  the  sides;  the  underside 
of  the  tail  is  flecked  with  dusky;  and  the  feet  arc  brownish  dusky  to  the  bases 
of  the  toes.     Thus  the  only  white  on  the  animal   is  on  its  toes. 


58  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

and  the  various  forms  are  distinguishable  only  by  size,  proportions, 
and  slight  cranial  characters.  With  the  exception  of  sitkensis  and 
prevostensis,  macrorhinus  is  the  largest  of  these  northwest  coast 
forms.  Since  sitkensis  and  prevostensis  are  insular  in  distribution 
so  far  as  known,  macrorhinus  is  the  only  very  large  mainland  form. 
Its  size  readily  distinguishes  it  from  oreas  and  hylaeus,  though  in- 
dications of  intergradation  with  each  are  known,  and  specimens  from 
outlying  localities  therefore  may  prove  troublesome.  A  series  from 
River  Inlet,  British  Columbia,  seems  to  show  intergradation  between 
macrorhinus  and  oreas,  containing,  as  it  does,  individuals  which  may 
be  referred  without  violence  to  either  one,  and  others  that  are  as 
nearly  halfway  between  the  two  as  conceivable.  Another  series  from 
Petersburg,  Alaska,  though  referable  to  hylaeus,  have  somewhat 
larger  teeth  than  that  form  and  may  be  considered  as  connecting 
hylaeus  with  macrorhinus.  Thus  it  appears  that  the  type  locality 
of  macrorhinus  is  in  about  the  center  of  its  range,  a  most  unusual 
circumstance,  for  when  it  was  described  absolutely  nothing  was 
known  of  the  distribution  and  relationships  of  the  mice  of  the  north- 
west coast  and  the  type  locality  was  determined  only  by  the  location 
of  the  first  collector  to  secure  specimens  and  forward  them  to  a 
mammalogist. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  111,  from  localities  as 
follows : 

Alaska:  Loring,  Revillagigedo  Island,  34;  Woronkofski  Island,  6;  Wran- 
gell,  33. 

British  Columbia:  Metlakatla,  4;"  Port  Simpson,  3;  River  Inlet,  22 
(approaching  oreas);  mouth  of  Skeena  River,  9  (Inverness,  8; 
North  Pacific,  1). 

PEROMTSCUS   MANICULATUS   ARTEMISIAE    (Rhoads). 
i 

Sitomys  americanvs   artemisiae   Rhoads,   Proc.   Acad.    Nat.    Sci.   Philadelphia, 

pp.  260-261,  Oct.  23,  1894. 
Peromyscus  texcmus  subarcticus  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  XII, 

pp.  15-16,  Mar.  4,  1899— Deerlodge  County,  Mont.& 
Peromyscus  texanus  artemisiae  Miller  and  Rehn,  Proc.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist., 

XXX,  p.  84,  Dec,  1901. 

Type  locality. — Ashcroft,  British  Columbia. 

Geographic  distribution. — South  central  British  Columbia,  north- 
eastern Washington,  northern  Idaho,  western  Montana,  and  western 
Wyoming.     Transition  and  Canadian  zones. 

Characters. — More  or  less  similar  to  arcticus,  raftnus,  and  gambeli; 
size  about  as  in  arcticus,  color  somewhat  paler,  skull  narrower;  color 

a  Collection  of  Canadian  Geological  Survey. 

6  The  exact  locality  is  "  SW.  corner  of  Deerlodge  Co. — about  20  miles  west 
and  a  very  little  north  of  Anaconda — near  a  Post  Office  called  Cable,"  as  I  am 
informed  by  a  letter  from  the  collector,  Prof.  L.  L.  Dyche. 


1000.1  MANICULATUS    GROUP ARTEMISI  AH.  59 

about  as  in  gambeli,  though  slightly  darker,  size  larger;  color  less 
tawny  and  size  larger  than  in  rufinus;  white  in  subauricular  tufts 
nearly  obsolete;  tail  shorter  and  color  paler  than  in  oreas;  darker  and 
larger  than  nebrascensis  and  sonoriensis. 

Color. — Ground  color  of  upperparts  varying  from  pale  cinnamon 
to  brownish  fawn,  about  as  in  gambeli,  duller  and  less  tawny  than 
in  rufinus;  dusky  mixture  usually  somewhat  concentrated  on  dorsum 
into  an  irregular  darker  area;  ears  dusky,  whitish  edged;  sub- 
auricular  tufts,  when  conspicuous,  chiefly  huffy  cinnamon,  lightly 
mixed  with  dusky,  white  much  reduced  or  absent;  a  dusky  spot  at 
base  of  whiskers;  eyelids  and  sometimes  a  very  narrow  orbital  ring 
dusky;  feet  white;  forelegs  white  or  often  with  a  light  mixture  of 
dusky  to  wrists;  '  ankles  '  dusky;  underparts  creamy  white;  tail  dark 
brownish  above,  white  below.  Worn  pelage :  General  color  rather 
dull;  sides  pale  fawn  to  russet;  dorsum  russet  to  Prout  brown. 
Adolescent  pelage:  Ground  color  pale  drabby  fawn  heavily  mixed 
with  dusky,  slightly  increased  on  dorsum ;  general  effect  of  upper- 
parts  broccoli  brown  to  hair  brown.  Young  in  first  coat:  Base  of 
hairs  slate  color  to  blackish  slate ;  general  effect  of  upperparts  mouse 
gray,  decidedly  darker  and  more  slaty  on  dorsum. 

Skull. — Much  as  in  rufinus  and  gambeli,  but  averaging  larger  and 
more  elongate  w7ith  longer  nasals;  similar  to  that  of  areticus,  but 
averaging  narrower  with  less  spreading  zygomata  and  longer  more 
slender  nasals. 

Measurements. — Average  of  6  topotypes:  Total  length  167  (155- 
180)  ;  tail  vertebrae  75  (69-86)  ;  hind  foot  20.5  (19-22)  ;  ear  from 
notch  (dry)  16.1  (15-17).  Of  5  adults  from  Similkameen  River: 
172    (158-186);  77.5    (68-82):   20.2    (20-21). 

Type  specimen. — No.  7368  Collection  of  Academy  of  Natural  Sci- 
ences, Philadelphia.  Formerly  No.  368  Collection  of  S.  N.  Rhoads. 
$  adult.  July  5,  1892.  S.  N.  Rhoads.  A  flat  skin  without  stuff- 
ing, but  otherwise  in  good  condition ;  tail  stiffened  with  a  quill ;  skull 
practically  perfect. 

Remarks. — -It  is  extremely  difficult  to  characterize  this  form  since 
it  shows  some  resemblance  to  so  many  surrounding  forms.  It 
seems  to  be  an  aggregation  of  intermediates,  but  sufficiently  con- 
stant  and  restricted  in  range  to  merit  recognition.  Its  recognition 
as  a  distinct  form  is  far  more  satisfactory  than  an  attempt  to  adjust 
it  with  the  several  related  forms,  with  none  of  which  it  thoroughly 
agrees.  In  a  way,  it  connects  the  long-tailed  and  the  short-tailed 
forms  of  the  maniculatus  group,  although  intergradation  between 
the  two  series  occurs  also  elsewhere.  The  gradation  from  gambeli 
via  artemisiae  to  oreas  seems  to  be  complete,  although  at  certain 
localities  representatives  of  each  may  be  found  apparently  preserv- 
ing distinctness.     At  St.  Mary  Lake,  Montana,  two  forms  occur,  one 


60  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

referable  to  nebrascensis  and  occupying  the  open  sagebrush  country, 
and  the  other,  called  artemisiae,  being  confined  to  the  heavy  forest. 
Although  distinct  here  and  apparently  free  from  hybridization,  each 
form  is  connected  by  slight  gradations  with  the  same  parent  ( ?) 
form.  The  majority  of  the  series  called  artemisiae  are  indistinguish- 
able from  topotypes  except  by  size,  and  in  this  respect  variation  in 
the  series  extends  from  the  average  dimensions  of  artemisiae  to  those 
of  oreas.  The  closest  relations  of  artemisiae  are  with  arcticus,  and 
some  specimens  are  almost  indistinguishable.  Additional  material 
from  central  and  northern  British  Columbia,  western  Montana, 
northern  Idaho,  and  adjacent  regions,  supplemented  by  careful  field 
studies,  would  doubtless  reveal  some  very  interesting  facts  regarding 
intergradation  and  distribution,  and  it  may  be  necessary  later  for 
artemisiae  and  arcticus  to  be  thrown  together;  for  the  present  both 
may  be  recognized.  P.  m.  artemisiae  intergrades  even  with  sonorien- 
sis,  as  proved  by  specimens  from  east-central  Idaho,  and  these  in  turn 
merge  with  nebrascensis,  rufinus,  gambeli,  etc.,  and  so  connection 
with  all  the  forms  of  this  remarkable  group  is  shown.  P.  subarcticus 
Allen  is  an  absolute  synonym  of  artemisiae,  the  type  being  indis- 
tinguishable in  even  the  slightest  degree  from  topotypes  of  artemisiae. 
Specimens  examined. — Total  number  549,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows : 

British  Columbia:  Ashcroft,  28;  Barkerville,  1  ;  Bonaparte,  1;  Ducks,  2; 
Field,  16  (approaching  oreas  and  arcticus)  ;  Glacier,  0  (approach- 
ing areas  and  arcticus)  ;  Gold  Range,  1  ;  Golden,  8  (approaching  oreas 
and  arcticus);  Hope  and  near  Hope,  87;  125  Mile  House,  Caribou 
Road,  2;  Kamloops,  15  ;a  Lac  La  Hache,  2;6  Midland,  1  ;a  Moniskee 
Divide,  15;  Myer  Creek,  2  ;«  Nelson.  18;  Okanagan,  .14  ;°  Okanagan 
Lake,  3;  Rossland,  1;"  Shuswap,  3;  Sieamous,  13  (approaching 
oreas);  Similkameen  River,  5  miles  north  of  U.  S.  boundary,  7; 
Sophia  Mountains,  1  ;a  Spenees  Bridge,  2;"  Vernon,  6. 

Idaho:  Litter  Root  Mountains,  1  ;  Coeur  d'Alene,  19;  near  Collins.  Latah 
County,  2;  Craig  Mountains,  1  ;  Fiddle  Creek,  4;  Freedom,  1  ;  Kings- 
ton, 2;  Mission,  1;  Mullan,  8;  Osborn,  3;  Priest  Lake,  8  (approach- 
ing oreas)  ;   Seven  Devils  Mountains,  3. 

Montana:  Beartooth  Lake,G;  Beartooth  Mountains,2;  Deerlodge  County, 
::-,  Flathead  Lake.  13;  Helena,  2;  Horse  Plains,  3;  Hot  Springs 
Creek,  1;  Kalispell,  1;  Little  Bitter  Root  Creek,  3;  Lolo,  5;  Nyack, 
7;  Prospect  Creek,  5;  St.  Mary  Lake,  10  (approaching  oreas); 
Saltese,  10;  Stanton  Lake,  1;  Stepbensville,  4;  Summit,  2;  Thomp- 
son Falls,  1;  Thompson  Pass,  4;  Tobacco  Plains,  11  ;  Upper  Stillwater 
Lake.  1. 

Oregon:  Elgin,  3  (approaching  gambeli)  ;  Wallowa  Lake,  14  (approach- 
ing gambcli)  ;   Wallowa  Mountains,  1. 

Washington:  Asotin,  2  (approaching  gambeli)  ;  Blue  Creek,  5;  Cheney, 
2;  Columbia  River  (Lord),  1;  Colville.  15;  Conconully,  3;  Crab 
Creek,    Lincoln    County,    1    (approaching    gambeli);    Davenport,    1; 

a  Collection  Canadian   Geological    Survey. 
6  Specimens  poor,  position  doubtful. 


1909.]  MANICULATUS   GROUP SATURATUS.  61 

Douglas,  1;  Easton,  2;  Fort  Spokane,  2;  Marcus,  4:  Rock  Lake,  2; 
Spokane  Bridge,  15;  Spokane  Falls,  1;  Wawawai,  2  (approaching 
gambeli  i. 
Wyoming-:"  Baggs  Crossing  (30  mi.  NWY),  8;  ("larks  Fork,  !.* ;  Jack- 
sons  Hole,  1;  La  Barge  Creek,  3;  Lake  City,  10;  Mammoth  Hot 
Springs,  34;  Yellowstone  Park,  4. 

PEROMYSCUS    MANICULATUS    SATURATUS    Bangs. 

Peromyscus  texanus  saturatus  Bangs.  Am.  Naturalist,  XXXI,  pp.  74-7.~>,  Jan.  1, 
1897. 

Type  locality. — Saturna  Island,  Island  District,  British  Columbia. 

Geographic  distribution. — Confined  to  Saturna  Island. 

Characters. — Similar  in  color  to  P.  in.  axsterus,  but  lateral  line  and 
cinnamon  beneath  base  of  tail  more  conspicuous;  size  larger;  skull 
larger,  broader,  and  more  angular;  hind  foot  '21  to  22;  tail  shorter 
than  head  and  body. 

Color. — Unworn  or  slightly  worn  pelage:  Upperparts  very  dark; 
general  effect  cinnamon  heavily  clouded  with  blackish,  the  latter 
somewhat  concentrated  dorsally;  lateral  line  cinnamon,  rather  well 
defined,  extending  to  the  heels,  which  are  mixed  cinnamon  and  dusky, 
and  broadening  across  the  interfemoral  region  beneath  the  tail  into 
a  conspicuous  patch  of  nearly  clear  cinnamon ;  upper  side  of  arm  to 
wrist  cinnamon  lightly  mixed  with  dusky;  ears  dusky  brownish, 
edged  with  whitish,  subauricular  tufts  same  color  as  rest  of  upper- 
parts;  tail  blackish  brown  above,  white  below;  underparts  creamy 
white  not  thoroughly  concealing  slaty  undercolor.  Worn  pelage : 
Sides  bright  cinnamon  to  russet,  blending  with  the  lateral  line  which 
is  much  less  contrasted  than  in  unworn  pelage;  back  dark,  Mars 
brown  to  mummy  brown  and  Prout  brown.  Adolescent  pelage: 
Sides  drabby  hair  brown  or  sooty  isabella  color;  narrow  cinnamon 
lateral  line  usually  well  marked;  back  with  a  rather  well-defined 
sooty  grayish  brown  stripe. 

Skull. — About  the  size  of  that  of  oreas  but  more  angular  and  more 
arched  in  the  interorbital  region;  larger,  broader,  and  more  angular 
than  in  an  sterns;  audital  bullae  and  molar  teeth  about  as  in  oreas, 
slightly  larger  than  in  austerus. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adults  from  the  type  locality  (fide 
Bangs,  1.  c.)  :  Total  length  180.9;  tail  vertebrae  76.2;  hind  foot  (dry) 
21.25. 

Type  specimen. — No.  2581  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology,  Cam- 
bridge, Mass.,  formerly  same  number  Collection  of  E.  A.  and  O. 
Bangs.  $  adult,  January  31,  1804.  W.  C.  Colt.  Specimen  in 
fair  condition.  Skull  with  nasals  slightly  broken  anteriorly;  other- 
wise perfect. 

aAll  approaching  rufitms, 


62  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Remarks. — Although  typical  austerus  occurs  on  both  sides  of  Puget 
Sound  and  even  on  Vancouver  Island,  it  does  not  appear  to  range 
unchanged  over  the  small  islands  between  Vancouver  Island  and  the 
mainland.  The  form  of  Saturna  Island  will  perhaps  be  found  on 
adjacent  islands  and  may  be  connected  by  them  with  austerus.  Cer- 
tain aberrant  specimens  from  the  mainland  at  Howe  Sound  and 
Malaspina  Inlet,  British  Columbia,  show  some  approach  to  saturatus, 
particularly  in  their  skulls,  but  for  the  present  seem  best  considered 
as  variously  intermediate  between  the  mainland  forms. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  221,  all  from  the  type 
locality. 

PEROMYSCUS    MANICULATUS    HOL.LISTERI    subsp.    now 

(PI.  II,  fig.  6.) 

Type  from  Friday  Harbor,  San  Juan  Island,  San  Juan  County,  Wash.  No. 
130316  IT.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological  Survey  Collection.  $  adult,  Oct. 
23,  1903.     N.  Hollister. 

Characters. — Color  almost  as  in  saturatus/  skull  larger  and  heavier, 
with  larger  molar  teeth,  and  larger  audital  bulla?. 

Color. — Almost  as  in  saturatus;  ground  color  a  slightly  paler  shade 
of  cinnamon ;  lateral  line  not  so  sharply  defined. 

/Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  saturatus,  but  larger  and  heavier;  palate 
broader,  molar  teeth  heavier;  audital  bullae  actually  and  relatively 
larger. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes :  Total  length  180.8 
(167-188) ;  tail  vertebrae  79.3  (73-84) ;  hind  foot  22.1  (21-22.5) ;  ear 
from  notch  (dry)  16.8  (15.2-17.2). 

Remarks. — The  relationship  of  this  form  to  saturatus  is  evident. 
The  cranial  characters  by  which  it  differs  are  constant,  and  it  seems 
necessary  to  recognize  them,  especially  since  it  is  an  insular  form. 
The  evident  deviation  of  both  saturatus  and  hollisteri  from  mainland 
forms  of  the  maniculatus  series  seems  best  expressed  by  trinomial 
names,  particularly  since  so  many  of  the  small  islands  of  the  Puget 
Sound  region  are  as  yet  unrepresented  by  specimens  in  collections. 
The  whole  question  of  the  interrelations  of  orcas,  austerus,  and 
artemisiae  is  not  as  yet  satisfactorily  worked  out,  and  much  material 
and  careful  field  notes  from  islands  and  mainland  coasts  of  southern 
British  Columbia  and  northern  Washington  are  greatly  to  be  desired. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  -11,  all  from  the  type  locality. 


1909.]  MANICULATUS   GROUP AUSTERUS.  63 

PEROMYSCUS   MANICULATUS   AUSTERUS    (Baird). 

(PI.   II,   tig.  3.) 

Eesperomys  wsterus  Baird,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  VII,  p.  336,  1855. 
P[eromyscus]  austerus  Bangs,  Am.  Naturalist,  XXXI.  p.  75,  Jan.,  1897: 
Peromyscus  akeleyi  Elliot,  Field  Col.  Mus.,  Chicago,  Zool.  Ser.  I,  p.  22(3,  Feb., 
1899 — Elwah  River,  Olympic  Mountains,  Washington. 

Type  locality. — Old  Fort  Steilacoom,  Wash. 

Geographic  distribution. — Coast  region  of  Puget  Sound,  Washing- 
ton ;  north  to  southern  British  Columbia  and  including  Vancouver 
Island. 

Characters. — Size  medium  (hind  foot  19-22,  tail  usually  less  than 
100)  ;  color  very  dark.  Similar  to  oreas,  but  decidedly  smaller  and 
more  sooty  in  color;  similar  to  saturatus  and  rubidus,  but  skull 
smaller  and  narrower;  similar  to  gambeli,  but  very  much  darker 
and  with  different  skull. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  Ground  color  of  upperparts  brownish 
fawn ;  sides  with  liberal  mixture  of  sooty,  middle  of  back  with  still 
more,  forming  a  more  or  less  distinct  sooty  stripe;  ears  sooty,  very 
narrowly  edged  with  whitish,  no  white  at  anterior  bases;  a  narrow 
dusky  orbital  ring  and  a  small  dusky  spot  at  base  of  whiskers ;  under- 
pays creamy  white,  slaty  undercolor  usually  showing  through;  tail 
sooty  above,  white  below ;  '  ankles  '  dusky  brownish.  Worn  pelage : 
Sides  Mars  brown  to  Prout  brown ;  dorsum  Prout  brown  to  mummy 
brown.  Adolescent  pelage :  Sides  grayish  wood  brown  heavily  mixed 
with  sooty,  middle  of  back  and  top  of  head  black  or  nearly  black, 
shoulders  slightly  less  intense. 

Skull. — Size  small;  braincase  very  narrow;  nasals  rather  short; 
zygomata  not  'squared'  anteriorly;  molariform  teeth  small;  palatine 
slits  short.  Most  similar  to  that  of  gambeli,  but  narrower  and  more 
elongate;  zygomata  lighter;  decidedly  smaller  than  in  saturatus, 
oreas,  and  rubidus. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  topotypes:  Total  length  172  (163- 
190)  ;  tail  vertebras  86  (79-96)  ;  hind  foot  20.5  (20-21)  ;  ear  from 
notch  (dry)  15  (14-15.5).  Of  10  adults  from  Goldstream,  Vancouver 
Island,  British  Columbia:  173  (170-178)  ;  85  (81-89)  ;  20.3  (19-21). 

Type  specimen. — In  the  original  description  of  austerus,  Baird 
does  not  designate  a  type  but  mentions  two  localities,  thus :  "  Col- 
lected at  Fort  Steilacoom,  Puget  Sound,  by  Dr.  Geo.  Suckley, 
U.  S.  A.,  and  by  Dr.  Cooper  on  the  Spokan  Plains."  In  1857,  two 
years  later,  he  published  a  more  complete  description  and  listed  1 
specimen  from  Spokane  Plain  and  11  from  Steilacoom,  4  of  the  latter 
queried  and  mentioned  in  the  text  as  possibly  belonging  to  another 
form  (Mamm.  N.  Am.,  p.  466,  1857).  Allen  (Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat. 
Hist.,  V,  id.  192,  1893)  has  selected  Steilacoom  as  the  type  locality 
of  austerus  on  the  grounds  that  it  is  the  locality  first  mentioned  in 
the  original  description  and  the  one  from  which  came  the  majority 


64  NORTH     AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

of  the  specimens  examined  by  Baird  in  L857.  Miller  and  Rehn  (Proc. 
Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XXX.  p.  69,  Dec,  1901),  either  unaware  of 
Allen's  action  or  in  exception  to  it,  gave  Spokane  Plain  as  the  type 
locality.  There  appear  to  be  good  grounds  for  either  decision,  but 
Allen's,  having  priority,  is  entitled  to  more  consideration  even  though 
it  can  not  be  denied  that  the  specimen  from  Spokane  Plain  may  have 
been  the  chief  basis  of  the  original  description.  The  statement  by 
Baird  (Mamm.  X.  Am.,  p.  466)  that  "the  Hesperomys  austerus  has 
thus  far  only  been  found  in  the  eastern  part  of  Washington  Terri- 
tory" is  hard  to  understand  in  connection  with  the  list  of  specimens 
immediately  following,  the  majority  of  which  are  from  western 
rather  than  eastern  Washington.  No.  1004,  II.  S.  Xational  Museum, 
from  Steilacoom,  which  is  one  of  the  specimens  listed  in  1857  now- 
extant,  was  considered  the  type  by  Coues,  and  now  bears  a  type 
label,  but  as  it  was  not  collected  until  1856,  the  year  following  the 
first  publication  of  the  name,  and  as  its  measurements  do  not  agree 
with  those  of  the  original  description,  obviously  it  can  not  logically 
be  considered  the  type.  The  measurements  given  in  the  original  de- 
scription do  not  agree  exactly  with  those  of  the  specimen  from  Spo- 
kane Plain  as  published  by  Baird  in  1857,  nor  yet  with  an}r  of  those 
from  Steilacoom,  so  no  conclusion  can  be  adduced  from  that  source. 
On  the  whole,  the  question  appears  to  be  open,  and  therefore  Allen's 
right  to  fix  Steilacoom  as  the  type  locality  can  not  fairly  be  disputed. 

Of  Baird's  original  specimens  from  Steilacoom  now  extant,  Xo. 
364  U.  S.  National  Museum  (skull  only)  may  perhaps  be  regarded 
as  the  type.  It  is  badly  broken  and  of  little  value  for  comparison 
(see  Lyon  and  Osgood,  Bull.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.  Xo.  62,  p.  lV>.  1909). 

Remarks. — Typical  austerus  appears  to  be  confined  to  the  imme- 
diate vicinity  of  Puget  Sound.  Specimens  from  Howe  Sound  and 
Malaspina  Inlet  on  the  coast  of  southern  British  Columbia  are 
slightly  large,  but  do  not  seem  separable.  In  cranial  characters  some 
of  them  approach  oreas  very  closely,  but  others  are  exactly  like  aus- 
terus; since  the  majority  have  skulls  more  similar  to  austerus  and 
all  have  rather  short  tails  and  hind  feet,  they  are  referred  to  austerus. 
In  the  same  way,  specimens  from  Lake  Cushman  and  the  Skokomish 
River  in  the  eastern  Olympic  Mountains  are  larger  than  typical; 
these,  however,  may  possibly  be  tending  toward  rubidus.  The  series 
representing  l  P.  akeleyV  also  comes  within  this  category.  The  type, 
however,  is  like  austerus  in  size  and  cranial  characters.  Specimens 
from  Vancouver  Island  are  almost  exactly  like  topotypes,  differing 
only  in  having  slightly  wider  braincases.  Some  specimens  from  the 
coast  of  Oregon  approach  austerus  quite  decidedly,  but  the  general 
average  of  the  majority  from  that  region  seem  referable  to  ruMdus, 
chiefly  on  account  of  their  larger,  broader  skulls.  The  occurrence 
of  austerus  and  oreas  at  the  same  localities  has  been  discussed  in  the 
account  of  oreas. 


1909.]  MANICULATUS   GROUP RUBIDUS.  65 

Specimens  i  xamined. — Total  number  408,  from  localities  as  follows: 
British  Columbia:  Agassiz,  10;  Comox,  6;  Chilliwaek  Valley  11;  (Jib- 
son  Landing,  Howe  Sound,  12 ;  a  Goldstream,  27;  Hasting?  3;  Kent, 
2;  Langley,  1;  Lund,  Malaspina  Inlet,  20;°  Mount  Baker  Range,  1; 
.Mount  Lehman,  1;  Port  Moody,  14;  Salt  Spring  Island,  2;°  Sunias, 
22;  Victoria,  26 ;6  Wellington,  3;  Westminster,  9. 
Washington:  Aberdeen,  9;a  Avon,  5;  Boulder  Creek,  30  ;c  Bou  er  Lake, 
1;  Elwah  River,  Olympic  Mountains,  38  ;c  Lake  Cushrnan,  1;  Hamil- 
ton, 3 ;  Happy  Lake,  2 ;  Johnson  Ranch,  Elwah  River,  2 ;  Mount  Elli- 
nor  (3  m.  SE.),  2;  Mount  Vernon,  28;  Nesqually  Flats,  31;  Roy,  1  : 
Sauk,  2 ;  Seattle,  9 ;  North  Fork  Skokomish  River,  21 ;  Soleduck 
River,  1 ;  °  Steilacooin,  40 ;  Tacoma,  3 ;  Tenino,  3  •  Whidby  Island,  6. 

PEROMYSCUS  MANICULATUS  RUBIDUS  Osgood. 

Pcromyscus  oreas  rubidus  Osgood,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XIV,  pp.  193-194, 

Dec.  12,  1901. 
Peromyscus  perimekurus  Elliot,  Field  Col.  Mus.,  Chicago,  Pub.  74,  Zool.  Ser., 

Ill,  p.  156,  Apr.,  1903— Goldbeach,  Oreg. 

Type  locality. — Mendocino  City,  Calif. 

Geographic  distribution. — Coast  of  California  and  Oregon  from 
San  Francisco  Bay  to  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  River. 

Characters. — Similar  to  oreas,  but  tail  and  hind  foot  shorter;  simi- 
lar to  austerus,  but  color  paler,  skull  larger  and  broader;  similar  to 
gambeli,  but  tail  longer  and  color  darker. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  Ground  color  of  upperparts  cinnamon; 
black  mixture  rather  heavy  on  sides,  predominating  on  back,  form- 
ing a  broad  blackish  stripe  from  shoulders  to  base  of  tail  or  an 
irregular  patch  between  shoulders  and  rump :  head  and  shoulders- 
somewhat  grayish ;  a  conspicuous  blackish  orbital  ring  and  spot  at 
base  of  whiskers;  ears  dusky,  edged  with  whitish;  very  few  or  not 
any  white  hairs  at  anterior  bases  of  ears ;  feet  white,  '  ankles  1  dusky : 
tail  blackish  above,  white  below;  underparts  creamy  white.  Worn 
pelage:  Sides  fawTn  color  to  russet;  dorsum  russet  to  Mars  brown; 
face  and  head  nearly  like  sides;  dusky  mixture  often  almost  entirely 
eliminated  or  so  faded  as  to  show  scarcely  any  contrast  with  ground 
color.  Adolescent  pelage:  General  effect  of  upperparts  varying 
from  grayish  hair  brown  to  hair  brown  tinged  with  fawn.  Young 
in  first  coat :  General  color  mouse  gray,  more  or  less  sooty  in  middle 
of  back. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  gambeli,  but  larger  and  heavier;  similar 
to  that  of  oreas,  but  with  nasals  averaging  slightly  shorter;  somewhat 
similar  to  that  of  austerus,  but  decidedly  larger  and  heavier,  brain- 
case  broader,  teeth  heavier. 

Measurements. — Three  adult  topotypes:  Total  length,  189.  100. 
203;  tail  vertebra',  !><>.  !>:>.  W:  hind  foot.  21.  22.  21.     Average  of  6 

"Approaching  oreas? 

6  Collection  of  Canadian  Geological  Survey. 
r  May  include  some  specimens  of  P.  hi.  oreas. 
66268— No.  28—09 5 


66  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

adults  from  Mendocino  County,  Calif.,  193  (189-203),  96  (90-100), 
21.5  (21-22),  ear  from  notch  (dry),  15.8  (15.2-16.9). 

Type  specimen. — No.  91650  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  <j>  adult.  November  17,  1897.  J.  Alden  Loring. 
Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — The  range  of  this  form  follows  quite  closely  the  humid 
coast  belt  of  California  and  Oregon.     Specimens  from  the  southern 
part  of  its  range  approach  gambeli,  and  in  the  north,  near  the  mouth 
of  the   Columbia  River,  approach  to  oreas  or  austerus  or  both  is 
evident.    Some  series  from  this  latter  region  are  too  variable  to  admit 
of  satisfactory  classification,  for  they  contain  individuals  showing 
some  of  the  characters  of  any  of  the  three  closely  related  forms, 
oreas,  austerus,   and    rubidus.     The  difficulty   is  increased  b}^   two 
names,  dkeleyi  and  perimekurus,  which  confront  the  reviser.     Their 
respective  types  do  not  exactly  agree  with  any  of  the  other  forms, 
and  series  from  their  type  localities  contain  large  and  small,  dark  and 
light  individuals.     Neither  form  can  be  definitely  characterized,  and 
the  soundest  procedure  seems  to  be  to  consign  each  to  the  form  which 
appears  to  be  dominant  in  the  region  from  which  it  comes.     Thus 
dkeleyi  falls  under  austerus  and  perimekurus  under  rubidus.     Spec- 
imens from  the  Willamette  Valley  are  nearly  typical,  though  possibly 
tending   in    slight   degree   toward   gambeli.     All   along  the   border 
between  the  humid  coast  and  the  relatively  arid  interior  are  found 
intermediates  between   rubidus  and  gambeli,  or  in  some  localities 
the  two  forms  are  found  side  by  side.     Six  specimens  from  the  Outer 
Peninsula,  near  Samoa,  Humboldt   Bay,  are  decidedly  paler  than 
others   from  the  neighboring  redwoods.     They  evidently  represent 
an  incipient  and  very  local  subspecies,  and  well  illustrate  the  plasticity 
of  the  group  to  which  they  belong.     A  careful  study  of  this  variation 
and  the  local  conditions  doubtless  would  prove  instructive.     An  aber- 
rant specimen  is  present  also  in  the  series  from  Wells,  Oreg.     It  is  so 
much  paler  than  the  others  of  the  series  that  partial  albinism  is  sug- 
gested, but  possibly  local  environment  may  be  the  true  explanation. 
Specimens  examined. — Total  number  838,  from  localities  as  follows : 
California:  Alton,  11;  Alton  Junction,  8;  Berger  Creek,  4;  Blue  Lakes, 
1;   Bodega,   10;    Briceland,  4;   Canto,   17;    near   Calpella,   2;    Camp 
Meeker,   1 ;   Canyon  Creek,  Trinity  County,  1  ;   Cape  Mendocino,  2 ; 
Cazadero,  1 ;  Crescent  City,  51 ;  Dyerville,  7 :  Eureka,  15 ;  Freestone, 
2;  Gasquet,  8;  Hoopa  Valley,  IS;  Humboldt  Bay,  19  (Carson  Camp, 
Mad   River,  13;   Outer  Peninsula,   near   Samoa.  6°);    Inverness,  8; 
La  Honda,  46 ;  Laytonville,  1 ;  near  Lower  Lake,  18 ;  Mad  River,  2 ; 
Marshall,  Marin  County,  5:a  Mendocino  City,  15;  Mount  Tamalpais, 
1;  Nicasio,  67;  Novato,  2;  Olema,  6;  a  Orick,  21;  Petrolia,  10;  Point 
Reyes,   38;°   Portola,   160;°   Requa,   18;    Rio   Dell,   1;    Rockport,    2; 
Sherwoods,    15;    Siskiyou    Mountains    (Shelley    Creek),    3;    Smith 
River,  4;  Sur,  10 ;a  Ukiah.  11  ;"  Westport,  1  ;  Woodside,  2." 

°Aberrant. 


1909.]  MANICULATUS   GROUP GAMBELI.  67 

Oregon:  Agnes,  2;  Astoria,  12;  Beaverton,  1;  Elkhead,  1;  Florence,  7; 
Forest  Grove,  1;  Gardiner,  22;  Glendale,  1;  Gold  Beach,  17;  Grants 
Pass,  5;°  Marshfleld,  3;  McCoy,  '.»;  Mount  Hood  (west  slope),  1; 
Oregon  City,  5 ;  Portland,  22 ;  Port  Orford,  2 ;  Prospect,  12 ;«  Riddle, 
1;  Rogue  River  Valley,  2;a  Roseburg,  5;°  Scottsburg,  6:  Seaside.  15; 
Sheridan,  6;  Tillamook,  1;  Wells,  20;  Yaquina,  6;  Yaquina  Bay,  4. 

PEROMYSCUS    MANICULATUS    GAMBELI    (Baud). 

(PL  II,  fig.  12.) 

Hesperomys  gambelii  Baird,  Mamm.  X.  Am.,  Pac.  R.  R.  Reports,  VIII,  pp.  464- 

465,  1857. 
Sitomys  americanus  gambelii  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  X.  Y.,  V,  pp. 

190-191,  Aug.  18,  1893. 
Sitomys  americanus  thwrberi  Allen,  supra  eit.,  pp.  185-186 — San  Pedro  Martir 

Mountains,  Lower  California. 
P  [eromyscus]  t[eoeanus]  gambelii  Mearns,  Proc.  1".  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  XVIII,  p.  446, 

Mar.  25,  1S96. 
Peromyscus    texanus    melius    Mearns,    Proc.   U.    S.    Nat.    Mus.,    XVIII,   p.   446, 

Mar.  25,  1896 — Nachoguero  Valley,  Lower  California. 

Type  locality. — Monterey,  Calif. 

Geographic  distribution. — Central  Washington  east  of  the  Cas- 
cades, thence  south  through  central  and  eastern  Oregon  to  California ; 
throughout  California  except  the  '  redwood  strip  '  of  the  northwest 
coast  and  except  the  southeastern  desert  region  and  the  region  east  of 
the  Sierra ;  south  into  northwestern  Lower  California.  Upper  So- 
noran  to  Hudsonian  zone. 

Characters. — General  characters  similar  to  rufinus,  sonoriensis, 
and  artemisiae;  color  much  as  in  rufinus,  but  usually  duller,  less 
tawny ;  decidedly  darker,  more  clouded  with  dusky  than  in  sonorien- 
sis;  size  smaller  than  in  artemisiae;  also  slightly  smaller  than  sonor- 
iensis;  somewhat  dimorphic  in  color,  but  with  one  phase  greatly  pre- 
dominating; somewhat  similar  to  rubidus.  but  smaller,  with  shorter 
tail  and  less  intense  color. 

Color. — Buff  phase  h  in  unworn  pelage:  Upperparts  between  ochra- 
ceous  and  ochraceous  buff  heavily  and  nearly  uniformly  mixed  with 
dusky,  producing  a  general  effect  varying  from  rusty  isabella  color 
to  bister ;  sides  nearly  or  quite  like  back ;  underparts  creamy  white ; 
ears  dusky,  narrowly  edged  with  whitish;  subauricular  tufts  same 
color  as  back,  white  spots  nearly  or  quite  obsolete;  no  definite  dusky 
facial  markings;  feet  white,  w  ankles'  slightly  dusky  or  nearly  white; 
tail  bicolor,  dusky  brownish  above,  white  below\  Dark  phase :  Rather 
variable,  but  in  general  more  dusky  and  more  vinaceous  than  buff 

a  Approaching  gambeli. 

^  The  predominating  phase,  and  though  not  so  distinctly  buffy  as  the  buff 
phases  of  sonoriensis  and  blandus,  it  is  evidently  the  corresponding  condition. 


68  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

phase;  genera]  effecl  Mars  brown  strongly  tinged  with  fawn.  Worn 
pelage:  General  effect  of  upperparts  varying  from  clay  color  or  dingy 
ochracebus  buff  to  lightly  grizzled  fawn  color,  dusky  mixture  changed 
to  cinnamon  or  brownish,  but  seldom  so  thoroughly  eliminated  as  in 
sonoriensis;  sides  usually  nearly  the  same  as  back.  Adolescent 
pelage:  General  effecl  of  upperparts  varying  from  hair  brown  to 
sepia,  dusky  mixture  often  very  strong.  Young  in  first  coat:  Bases 
of  hairs  slate  color  or  blackish  slate,  tips  mouse  gray,  usually  slightly 
darker  on  back  than  on  sides;  general  effect  grayish  slate  color. 

Skull. — Practically  as  in  sonoriensis  but  averaging  slightly  smaller; 
smaller  and  with  shorter  nasals  than  in  artemisiae;  decidedly  smaller 
than  in  rubidus,  with  smaller  teeth,  smaller  and  narrower  braincase, 
and  shorter,  relatively  broader,  nasals. 

Measurements. — Average  of  6  adult  topotypes:  Total  length  159 
(148-170)  ;  tail  vertebra?  71.6  (64-80)  ;  hind  foot  20;  ear  from  notch 
(dry)  14.9  (14.2-15.8).  Of  10  adults  from  Stanford  University, 
California:  161  (157-173);  7±4  (70-77);  20.  Of  10  adults  from 
northwestern  Lower  California:  170  (100-183);  80  (69-86);  20.7 
(20-21.7). 

Type  specimen. — An  individual  type  was  not  specified  by  Baird. 
His  list  of  specimens  with  the  original  description  includes  various 
localities  in  Washington,  Oregon,  and  California.  Since  the  list 
appears  to  follow  a  geographic  sequence  from  north  to  south,  the 
specimens  from  Washington  are  mentioned  first.  It  is  evident,  how- 
ever, that  the  specimens  from  California  formed  the  principal  basis 
of  the  description.  One  from  Monterey,  Calif.  (Xo.  369),  is  specific- 
ally mentioned  in  the  description,  and  farther  on  the  form  is  referred 
to  as  "  the  common  California  species.''  Doctor  Allen,  therefore, 
in  1893  (1.  c. ),  designated  this  specimen  (Xo.  369  U.  S.  National 
Museum)  as  the  type  of  gambeli.  It  is  not  now  extant,  but  a  so- 
called  cotype,  Xo.  368,  is  in  the  National  Museum.  It  is  in  very  bad 
condition,  having  been  exposed  as  a  mounted  specimen  until  the  color 
has  faded  very  much.  The  present  color  is  chiefly  pale  yellowish  buff. 
The  ears  are  entirely  gone  and  patches  of  hair  are  gone  from  the 
sides.  The  skull  has  been  removed  from  the  skin  and  is  in  good  con- 
dition. 

Remarks. — P.  m.  gambeli  is  one  of  the  most  widely  ranging  and 
best  known  of  the  maniculatus  group.  It  is  extremely  abundant 
throughout  its  range,  and  large  representations  of  it  are  present 
in  most  American  collections.  It  is  quite  variable  and  its  intergra- 
dation  with  surrounding  forms  is  complete.  Since  it  stands  between 
sonoriensis  and  the  paler  shorter-tailed  forms  of  the  group  on  the 
one  hand  and  rubidus  and  the  darker  longer-tailed  forms  on  the 
other,  it  necessarily  includes  a  considerable  range  of  variation.  That 
is,   intermediates   between    gambeli   and   soitorieiLsix   must   be   quite 


1909.]  MANTCULATUS    GROUP GAMBELI.  69 

different  from  intermediates  between  gambeli  and  rubidus,  although 
both  are  referable  to  gambeli  because  nearer  to  that  than  to  the  other 
forms.  For  example,  specimens  from  Berkeley,  Calif.,  arc  darker 
and  longer-tailed  than  typical  gambeli  and  evidently  approach 
rubidus;  while  others  from  Jacumba,  Calif.,  are  paler  than  (/<///(/>/// 
and  approach  sonorit  nsis.  The  Berkeley  specimens  are  therefore 
decidedly  darker  than  those  from  Jacumba,  but  they  are  nearer  to 
gambeli  than  to  rubidus,  and  those  from  Jacumba  likewise  nearer 
than  to  sonoriensis.  In  studying  such  material,  there  is  constant 
temptation  to  treat  these  intergrades  as  separate  forms,  but  after 
testing  every  possible  alternative  one  is  forced  to  conclude  that  no 
logical  subdivision  of  gambeli  as  here  recognized  can  be  made. 
When  the  problem  is  viewed  as  a  wholes — in  perspective,  so  to  speak — 
gambeli  appears  to  be  a  tolerably  constant  entity  throughout  what 
may  be  called  the  center  of  its  range  and  about  the  periphery  to 
merge  with  other  forms.  Thus,  specimens  from  Monterey,  the  type 
locality,  are  absolutely  identical  with  those  from  San  Diego  and  the 
northeast  coast  of  Lower  California,  and  the  intervening  region 
is  inhabited  by  exactly  the  same  form.  These,  moreover,  are  like 
specimens  from  the  greater  part  of  the  interior  of  California,  in- 
cluding the  west  slope  of  the  Sierra.  Whenever  this  constant  form 
meets  the  range  of  sonoriensis,  however,  the  effect  is  immediately 
apparent,  and  throughout  a  narrow  strip  between  the  ranges  of  the 
two  forms  intermediates  or  mixed  specimens  fairly  representative 
of  each  form  are  found.  Thus  intermediates  between  gambeli  and 
sonoriensis  are  similar,  whether  from  the  San  Pedro  Martir  Moun- 
tains of  Lower  California  or  from  the  eastern  slopes  of  the  northern 
Sierras  or  Cascades.  As  Monterey,  the  type  locality  of  gambeli,  is 
on  the  coast  not  far  from  San  Francisco  Bay,  it  might  be  supposed 
that  topotypes  would  be  nearer  to  the  darker  form  rubidus  than  to 
the  animal  of  the  coast  ranges  of  southern  California.  This  is  not 
the  case,  however,  and  the  reason  is  easily  understood  when  the 
local  conditions  are  known.  At  Monterey  it  is  dry  and  sandy,  and 
these  conditions  continue  inland  to  the  Salinas  Valley.  Although 
specimens  from  the  Santa  Cruz  Mountains  on  one  side  of  Monterey 
Bay  and  from  Sur  on  the  other  are  referred  to  rubidus,  those  from 
the  vicinity  of  the  town  of  Monterey  are  like  those  from  Salinas  and 
other  interior  localities. 

The  transition  from  gambeli  to  rubidus  along  the  line  between 
their  ranges  is  rather  sudden,  suggesting  the  possibility  of  hybrid- 
izing. From  several  localities  specimens  fairly  typical  of  both  forms 
are  known,  from  others  we  have  both  forms  and  apparent  interme- 
diates, and  from  still  others  all  specimens  thus  far  obtained  are 
intermediates  not  typical  of  either  form.  This  is  exactly  what  would 
be  expected  upon  the  theory  of  hybridism,  but  of  course  it  can  not 


70  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

be  considered  as  conclusive  proof.  Specimens  from  the  higher  parts 
of  the  Sierra  appear  to  differ  in  an  extremely  slight  degree  from  the 
coast  range  specimens  and  apparently  approach  rufirvus.  The  amount 
of  individual  variation  is  so  great,  however,  that  there  seems  to  be  no 
means  of  distinguishing  the  mountain  specimens.  In  fact,  even 
gambety  from  the  region  of  the  type  locality  differs  but  little  from 
rufinus.  Specimens  slightly  darker  or  lighter  than  the  average  may 
be  found  almost  anywhere  in  the  range,  as  the  animal  seems  to 
respond  to  local  environment  very  readily.  Thus  specimens  caught 
in  thick  woods  along  a  comparatively  cold  stream  may  be  noticeably 
darker  than  others  taken  perhaps  within  half  a  mile  in  the  chaparral 
of  a  dry  hillside.  It  is  possible  that  the  first  generation  of  progeny 
from  the  darker  specimens  if  transferred  to  the  dry  hillside  would 
be  lighter  than  their  parents.  Such  questions,  of  course,  can  be  de- 
termined only  by  experimentation,  but  obviously  variations  that 
occur  fortuitously  throughout  wide  areas  can  not  be  distinguished 
by  name.  In  spite  of  this  frequent  variability  gambeli  is  not  a 
respecter  of  zones,  as  appears  in  many  localities,  notably  on  Mount 
Shasta,  where  it  ranges  unchanged  from  the  base  of  the  mountain 
to  the  rocky  cliffs  above  timberline.  In  northeastern  California 
the  mice  of  the  semidesert  lava  beds  are  more  like  the  dark  gambeli 
than  the  pale  sonoriensis.  Throughout  the  desert  region  sonoriensis 
is  the  prevailing  form,  except  on  the  lava  beds.  Apparently  the 
animals  inhabiting  lava  beds  differ  from  those  of  the  wooded  Sierra 
in  the  causes  of  their  acquiring  their  dark  color,  but  since  they  are 
indistinguishable  they  must  be  referred  to  gambeli. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  2,077,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows: 

California:  Adin,  2;  Ager,  1;  Alila,  11  ;a  Alta  Peak,  Kaweah  River,  1; 
Alturas,  2 ;  Alum  Rock  Park,  24 ;  Aspen  Meadow,  Tuolumne  County, 
7;  Auburn,  2;  Ballena,  3;°  Banta,  6;  Bartlett  Mountain.  2;  Bart- 
lett  Springs,  2;  Bear  Valley,  San  Benito  County,  1;  Belmont,  2; 
Berkeley,  43;  Beswick,  1<>;  Bieber,  1;  Bitterwater,  7;  Bloods,  Cala- 
veras County,  2;  Blue  Canyon,  3 ;  Brentwood,  1 ;  Brownell,  13;  Bully 
Cboop  Mountains,  3;  Bunch  Grass  Spring.  5;  Burbank,  1;  Burney, 
1;  Burney  (12  m.  E.),  1;  Buttonwillow,  4;  Calaveras  Big  Trees.  15; 
Canyon  Creek,  17;  Carberry  Ranch,  6;  Carbondale,  2;  Carpentaria, 
2;  Cassel,  18;  Cedarville,  1;°  Chinese  Camp,  2  ;  Colusa,  2;  Cuyamaca, 
1;  Dana,  15;  Donner,  53;  Dos  Palos,  1;  Dulzura,  19;  Dyerville,  1; 
Echo,  6;  Emerald  Bay,  Lake  Tahoe,  11;  Encinitas,  1;  Etna,  1;  Fair- 
field, 16  (approaching  rubidus)  ;  Fall  River,  5;  Ferndale,  6;  Fort 
Crook,  10;  Fremont  Peak.  Gabilan  Range,  4;  Freshwater  Creek,  1; 
Fresno,  2;  Gaviota  Pass.  4:  Giant  Forest.  Sequoia  National  Park,  2; 
Gilroy,  2:  Glen  Ellen,  13  (approaching  rubidus)  ;  Goose  Lake,  6; 
Goosenest  Mountain.  2;  Greenville,  2;  Grizzly  Mountains,  4;  Hal- 
stead  Meadows.  14:  Hayden  Hill,  1;  Hermit  Valley,  Calaveras 
County.  15:  Hoopa  Valley,  l' :  Horubrook,  1;  Horse  Corral  Meadows, 

0  Approaching  sonoriensis. 


1909.]  MANICULATUS   GKOUP GAMBELI.  71 

1;  Horse  Creek,  Siskiyou  County,  10;  Hu  en  erne,  10;  Jackson,  0; 
Jacumba,  54  ;a  Jamesburg,  11  ;  Jamul,  1  ;  Jamul  Creek,  near  El  Nido, 
8;  Jolon,  5;  East  Fork  Kaweah  River,  9;  King  City,  1;  Laguna 
Ranch,  1;  Laguna  Mountains,  San  Diego  County,  it;  La  Panza,  2; 
Lassen  Creek,  Modoc  County,  5;  Lassen  Teak,  12;  Learlys  Kanch, 
Mendocino  County,  2;  near  Leesville,  3;  Lemoore,  1 ;  Little  Shasta,  3; 
Long  Valley,  Lake  County,  2;  Los  Angeles,  17;"  Los  Banos  17 ;  Lower 
Alkali  Lake,  1;  Lyonsville,  6;  Mad  River,  1;  Madeline  Divide,  4; 
Madeline  Plain,  12;  Mansfield,  3 :  Marysville  Buttes,  23:  McKinney, 
1;  Mendota,  3;  South  Fork  Merced  River,  3;  Merrillville,  2;  Millford, 
2;  Mission  Santa  Cruz,  3;  Mohawk,  3;  Montague,  4;  Monterey,  12; 
Montgomery,  1;  Morro,  4;  near  Morro  Pock,  3;  Mount  Dana.  1; 
Mount  Diablo,  1;  Mount  Hamilton,  3;  Mount  St.  Helena.  16;  Mount 
Sanhedrin,  13;  Mount  Sbasta,  102;  Mount  Tallac,  7;  Mountain 
House,  Butte  County,  2 ;  Nelson,  5 ;  Xordhoff,  2 ;  Oakdale,  1 ;  Orosi,  1 ; 
Orris,  1;  Pacheco  Peak,  2;  Pacific  Grove,  2;  Palo  Alto,  2;  Petaluma, 
5;  Picard,  15;  Pine  Valley,  Monterey  County,  13;  Pitt  River,  6; 
Pleyto,  2;  Point  Pinos,  7:  Porcupine  Flat,  1;  Porterville,  3;  Port 
Harford,  1;  Posts,  5;  Poway,  1  ;  Pozo,  1;  Priest  Valley,  1;  Pyramid 
Peak,  43;  Quincy,  11;  20  miles  SW.  of  Quincy,  12;  Ripon,  1  ;  River- 
side. 5;  Robbins  Creek,  4:  Rose  Canyon,  San  Diego  County,  14  ;a 
Round  Valley,  Mendocino  County,  14;  Salinas,  1;  Salt  Springs, 
Fresno  River,  5;  San  Antonio,  G;  San  Diego,  1;  San  Fernando,  8; 
Cliff  House,  San  Francisco,  8  (approaching  rubidus)  ;  San  Gabriel 
Mountains,  1  ;a  San  Juan,  Orange  County,  2;  bead  of  San  Joaquin 
River,  2;  San  Luis  Obispo,  11;  San  Luis  Rey,  2;  San  Mateo,  2;  San 
Miguel,  4;  San  Simeon,  7;  Santa  Barbara,  1:  Santa  Cruz,  1;  Santa' 
Lucia  Peak,  12;  Santa  Maria,  3;  Sauta  Monica,  6;  Santa  Paula,  2; 
Santa  Ynez  Mission,  3 ;  Santa  Ynez  River,  1  ;  Santa  Ysabel,  9 ;  Saticoy 
1  2;  Secret  Valley,  3;  Sierra  City,  4;  Sierra  Valley,  36  ;a  Silver  Lake, 
136 ;  Sisson,  2 ;  Slippery  Ford,  4 ;  Smith  Mountain,  San  Diego  County, 
6;  Snow  Mountain,  38;  Soledad,  1;  Sonora  Tass,  2:  Soquel  Mill,  1; 
Sorrento,  1 ;  Stanford  University,  34;  .Stanley  (S  m.  W.  of  Huron),  1; 
Stillwater,  1;  Stockton,  1 ;  Summit  Lake  (12  m.  NW.  of  Lemoore),  1 ; 
Tassajara,  11  ;  Tehama,  5 ;  Temescal,  3 ;  Three  Rivers,  6 ;  Tower 
House,  1;  Tracy,  6;  Tulare  Lake,  2;  Tule  Lake,  4;  Tuledad  Canyon, 
4;  Tuolumne  Meadows,  3;  Twin  Oaks,  5  ;  Upper  Lake,  1;  Van  Deusen 
River,  2;  Ventura,  3;  Walnut  Creek,  12;  Wawona,  3;  Weber  Lake,  2; 
West  Riverside,  2:a  Willows,  11;  Witch  Creek,  1  :  South  Yolla  Bolly 
Mountain,  12 ;  Yosemite  Valley,  8. 

Lower  California:  Canyon  Salado,  1;"  Cape  Colnett,  1;  Carrizo  Creek, 
5;  El  Alamo,  2;°  Encinita,  1;  Ensenada,  28;  Gato  Creek,  2:  Guada- 
lupe Valley,  1;°  Juncolito,  2;  La  Huerta,  3;a  Los  Encinas,  1 ;° 
Nachoguero  Valley,  5:  edge  of  Pacific  Ocean  at  Boundary  Monument 
No.  258,  3;  Pifion,  9;°  Pozo  Luciano,  1  ;a  Rancho  San  Antonio.  1:2:" 
Rancho  Santo  Tomas,  2;a  Rancho  Vie'jo,  6;°  Rosarito,  6;"  San  Felipe, 
2;°  Saiios  Cedros.  6;  San  Pedro  Martir  Mountains  (Coll.  by  Thurber 
and  Anthony),  61  ;a  San  Quentin,  40;  Santa  Eulalia,  14;°  Santa  Rosa, 
4;°  Sau  Telmo,  4;  San  Vicente,  2;  San  Ysidro  Ranch,  16:  Tecate 
Valley,  7;  Trinidad,  6;"  Ysadora,  1." 

Nevada:  Deep  Hole,  1;  Flowing  Springs,  1;  Smoke  Creek,  4:  Summit 
Lake,   i. 

"Approaching  sonoriensis. 


72  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Oregon:  Add,  Lake  County,  1  ;  Anna  Creek,  Mount  Mazama,  6;  Antelope, 
10;  Make  Oven,  1  ;  Bend,  7;  BuCk  Creek,  L' ;  Burns,  5;  Camp  Creek,  '.',: 
Crater  Lake,  14;  Crooked  River,  4;  The  Dalles,  9;  Detroit,  5; 
Diamond  Lake,  :',:  Fort  Klamath,  15;  Goose  Lake  Valley,  2;  Harney, 
1;  ten  miles  N.  of  Harney,  10;  John  Day  River,  1;  Lake  Alvord, 
3;°  Lone  Rock,  4  ;  Lost  River,  Klamath  Basin,  8 ;  Matoles  River,  2  ; 
Maury  Mountains,  10;  Mount  Hood,  12  (approaching  rubidus)  ; 
Mount  Jefferson,  11;  Narrows,  1.'!;  Paulina  Lake,  2;  Pendleton,  5; 
Plush,  4;  Prineville,  8;  Rock  Creek  Sink,  3;  Shirk,  2;  Siskiyou,  6; 
Stein  Mountains,  3;  Summer  Lake,  4;  Summit,  1;  Swan  Lake  Val- 
ley, 2;  Twelve  Mile  Creek,  2;  Tule  Lake,  4;  Wapinitia,  7;  Warner 
Mountains,  2;   Williamson  River,  3. 

Washington:  Chelan,  19  (approaching  artemisiae)  ;  Head  of  '  Lake 
Chelan,  8  (approaching  artemisiae);  Cleveland,  9;  Coulee  City,  2; 
Douglas,  1;  Goldendale,  2;  North  Yakima,  7;  Trout  Lake,  2;  We- 
natchee,  3. 

PEROMYSCUS  MANICTJLATUS  RUFINUS   (Mkrriam). 

Hesperomys  leucopus  rufinus  Merriam,  N.  Am.  Fauna  No.  3,  pp.  65-66,  Sept. 

11,  1890. 
Peromyscus  rufinus  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  VIII,  p.  252,  Nov. 

25,  1896. 

Type  locality. — San  Francisco  Mountain,  Arizona,  at  9,000  feet 
altitude. 

Geographic  distribution. — Southern  Rocky  Mountain  region,  in- 
cluding the  elevated  part  of  New  Mexico,  scattered  peaks  and  ranges 
in  Arizona,  eastern  Utah,  and  the  greater  part  of  western  and  central 
Colorado.    Transition  to  boreal  zones. 

Characters. — Similar  to  nebrascensis  and  sonoriensis,  but  darker, 
more  richly  colored,  shades  of  ground  color  richer  and  more  tawny, 
dusky  more  extensive;  similar  to  arcticus  and  artemisiae,  but  smaller 
and  less  extensively  dusky,  skull  slightly  different;  most  similar  to 
gambeli,  but  color  slightly  brighter,  more  rufescent,  particularly  in 
unworn  pelage. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  Upperparts  ochraceous  or  tawny  ochra- 
ceous,  thickly  and  finely  mixed  with  dusky;  dorsum  somewhat  darker 
than  sides,  or  sometimes  nearly  same  color;  subauricular  tufts  usually 
conspicuous,  mixed  white  and  buffy  ochraceous;  ears  dusky,  edged 
with  creamy  white;  a  small  dusky  spot  at  base  of  whiskers  and  a 
narrow  dusky  orbital  ring;  underparts  creamy  white;  feet  and  fore- 
legs white;  'ankles'  buffy  ochraceous;  tail  blackish  brown  above, 
white  below.  Worn  pelage :  Upperparts  ochraceous  buff  to  tawny, 
varying  in  clearness  according  as  the  dusky  of  the  unworn  pelage  is 
more  or  less  altered  and  eliminated;  back  nearly  same  color  as  sides 
except  in  stages  of  slight  wear.  Adolescent  pelage :  Ground  color  of 
upperparts  paler  than  in  adults,  inclining  to  buffy  rather  than  tawny; 
dusky  mixture  heavier  and  more  uniform ;  general  effect  somewhat 

"  Approaching  .sonoriensis. 


1060.1  MANICULATUS   GROUP RUFINUS.  73 

between  cinnamon  and  raw  umber.  Young  in  first  coat :  Base  of  hairs 
slate  color  (Ridgw.  pi.  II,  No.  4);  ends  of  hairs  pale  drabby  fawn 
mixed  with  dusky  brownish;  general  effect  of  upperparts  mouse  gray. 

Skull. — Practically  as  in  nebrascemis  and  sonoriensis/  slightly 
smaller  than  in  artemisiae;  smaller  and  narrower  than  in  arcticus  and 
with  less  spreading  zygomata. 

Measurements. — Average  of  15  adult  topotypes:  Total  length. 
160  (150-170):  tail  vertebra?,  70  (56-75);  hind  foot,  20  (19-21); 
ear,  from  notch  (dry),  15.5  (14.1-16.6).  Of  20  males  from  Manzano 
Mountains,  New  Mexico:  151  (144-165);  63.4  (59-77).  Of  15  fe- 
males from  the  same  locality:    156  (142-168)  ;  68  (61-73). 

Type  specimen. — No.  Hftf  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  9  adult.  August  22,  1889.  C.  Hart  Merriam 
and  Vernon  Bailey.  Specimen  in  partly  worn  pelage,  in  good  con- 
dition. 

Remarks. — This  is  a  mountain  form,  but  like  other  members  of 
the  maniculatus  group  it  variously  intergrades  with  surrounding 
forms,  and  differs  from  them  only  in  average  characters.  On  the 
north  it  meets  artemisvv.  from  which  it  differs  mainly  in  smaller 
size  and  slightly  more  rufescent  color.  Specimens  from  Mammoth 
Springs,  Yellowstone  Park,  in  unworn  winter  pelage  are  very  similar 
to  typical  rufinus  in  the  same  pelage  from  Arizona  and  New  Mexico, 
and  others  from  Clarks  Fork,  Wyoming,  in  partly  worn  pelage  are 
more  dusky  than  rufinus  and  very  similar  to  artemisice,  to  which  they 
are  referred. 

On  the  east,  intergradation  with  nebrascensis  is  evidenced  by  speci- 
mens from  the  foothill  region  of  eastern  Colorado,  and  in  some  series 
specimens  which  might  be  referred  to  either  form  are  found.  Pos- 
sibly, if  the  exact  localities  from  which  they  came  were  known,  the 
difference  would  be  explained.  Connection  with  sonoriensis  in  the 
same  way  is  shown  on  the  west,  although  in  a  series  from  Bluff,  Utah, 
we  find  11  specimens  that  are  typical  rufinus  and  one  that  is  typical 
sonoriensis,  which  might  seem  to  indicate  that  the  two  forms  are  dis- 
tinct. At  other  localities,  however,  there  is  ample  evidence  of  inter- 
gradation, and,  indeed,  individual  variation  in  each  form  is  almost 
enough  to  cover  the  average  difference  between  the  two.  Moreover. 
sonoriensis  unquestionably  intergrades  with  gambeli,  which  is  dis- 
tinguishable from  rufinus  only  with  great  difficulty.  In  worn  pelage, 
the  majority  of  specimens  of  rufinus  are  indistinguishable  from  gam- 
beli  in  the  same  pelage.  This  is  particularly  true  of  specimens  from 
the  Sierra-Cascade  region,  which  for  the  present  are  referred  to  <jam- 
beli  under  the  belief  that  they  are  nearer  that  form,  though  undoubt- 
edly tending  somewhat  toward  rufinus.  In  winter  pelage  gambeli 
from  the  coast  of  California  is  more  dusky  and  less  tawny  than 
rufinus.     Very  few  specimens  in  winter  pelage  from  the  Sierra  Ne- 


74  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

vada  are  available  at  present,  but  the  scanty  material  shows  somewhat 
more  similarity  to  gambeli  than  to  rufinus.  Since,  however,  the  dif- 
ferences are  within  the  limits  of  variation,  it  will  not  be  surprising 
if  good  series  in  winter  pelage  from  the  Sierra-Cascade  region  prove 
referable  to  rufinus. 

SpeciTwns   examined. — Total    number,    1,336,    from    localities    as 
follows : 

Arizona:  Baker  Butte,  Mogollon  Mountains,  4;  Chiricahua  Mountains, 
131;  Graham  Mountains.  2~>;  Keani  Canyon.  4  (approaching  sono- 
riensis)  ;  San  Bernardino  Ranch,  21  (approaching  sonoriensis)  :  San 
Francisco  Mountain,  28;  Show  Low,  2;  Springerville,  59;  Taylor,  3; 
Turkey  Tanks,  3;  White  Mountains,  66. 

Colorado:  Allenton,  Eagle  County,  2;a  Alruont,  2;  Antonito,  2;  Asli- 
baugh  Ranch,  2;a  Arboles,  2;  Bayfield,  1;  Black  Hawk  2;  Boreas 
Pass,  Summit  County,  1;°  Boulder,  63  (approaching  nebrascensis)  ; 
Boulder  County,  23;  Canadian  Creek,  7;  Canyon  City,  4:  Conejos 
River,  2;  Cortez,  1;«  Coulter,  5;  Coventry.  3;  Debeque,  1;  Del 
Norte,  1;  Durango,  4;  Elkhead  Mountains,  1;  Estes  Park.  63  (ap- 
proaching nebrascensis)  ;  Florida,  15;  Fort  Garland,  4;  Glenwood 
Springs  (12  miles  above).  2;«  Golden,  4:  Gold  Hill,  16  (approach- 
ing nebrascensis)  ;  Hermit,  2;  Longs  Peals.  22;  McCoy,  1:  Mesa 
Verde,  1;  Mount  McLellan,  1;  Mud  Springs,  Garfield  County,  2;a 
Naturita,  1;  Nederland,  14  (approaching  nebrascensis);  Pagosa 
Springs,  4;  Pearl,  3;  Rabbit  Ear  Mountains,  2;  Rifle,  3;  Ruby  Lake, 
1;  Salida,  1:  Santa  Maria  Lake,  3;  Sapinero,  1;  Sheephorn  Pass, 
Grand  County,  2;a  Silverton,  4;  Tarryall  Creek,  near  Puma,  1;° 
Toponas,  2;  Trinidad,  1;  Uncompahgre  Plateau,  3;  White  River 
Plateau,  3;  Whiteley,  3. 

New  Mexico:  Abiquiu,  4;  Albuquerque,  2;  Amizett,  2;  Ancho,  2;  Ar- 
royo Hondo,  3  ;  Arroyo  Seco,  6 ;  Aztec,  20 ;  Bear  Canyon,  Raton  Range, 
6;  Bear  Spring  Mountains,  6;  Boulder  Lake,  1;  Cabra  Springs,  1; 
Capitan  Mountains,  53;  Carrizozo,  1:  Chama,  10;  Chama  River,  2; 
Chico  Springs,  1;  Cienequilla,  6;  Cloudcroft,  10;  Copperton,  23; 
Costilla  Pass,  7;  Coyote  Creek.  3;  Datil  Mountains,  25;  Espanola, 
7;  Fisher  Peak,  1;  Fort  Wingate,  5;  Gallina,  3;  Gallinas  Mountains, 
19;  Gallo  Canyon,  1;  Gallup,  1 :  Glorieta,  5:  Grants,  10;  Hall  Peak,5; 
Hondo  Canyon,  1  ;  Jamez  Mountains,  1  ;  Jicarilla  Mountains,  17;  La- 
guna,  1;  La  Plata,  42;  Las  Vegas,  17;  Long  Canyon,  near  Catskill,  2; 
Manzano  Mountains,  127;  Mesa  Jumanes,  4;  head  of  Mimbres  River, 
1;  Moreno  Valley,  3;  Pecos  Baldy,  8;  Pinon  Hills,  1;  Ribera,  2;  Rin- 
conada,  4;  Rio  Puerco,  1:  Ruidoso,  2;  Ruidoso  Creek,  7;  San  Mateo 
Mountains,  20;  San  Pedro,  5;  Santa  Clara  Canyon,  2:  Sierra  Grande, 
4;  Stinking  Spring  Lake,  2;  Taos,  1;  Taos  Mountain,  1;  Taos 
Pueblo,  5;  Thomkins  Lake,  4;  Tierra  Amarillo,  2;  Tres  Piedras,  25; 
5  miles  E.  of  Tularosa,  1;  Twining,  8;  Willis,  5;  Willow  Creek, 
Mogollon  Mountains,  2. 

Utah:  Barclay.  8;  Bluff  City,  16;  La  Sal  Mountains,  1;  Noland  Ranch, 
20;  Park  City,  5;  Riverview,  24. 

a  Collection  of  E.  R.  Warren. 


1909.]  MANICULATUS   GROUP NEBEASCENSIS.  75 

PEROMYSCUS   MANICULATUS    NEBRASCENSIS    (Meabns). 

Hesperomys  leucopus  nebrascensis  (Baird)  Mearns,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist., 
N.  Y.,  II,  p.  285,  Feb.  21,  1890 — not  Hesperomys  sonoriensis  var.  nebrascen- 
sis Baird,  nomen  nudum,  L857. 

?  Hesperomys  I  Vesperimus)  cherrii  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  .Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  Ill, 
pp.  211-211',  Apr..  1891— part,  reference  to  skull  only. 

Peromyscus  texanus  nebrascensis  Allen.  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist..  VIII,  p.  251, 
Nov.  2."..  1896— part. 

Type  locality. — Calf  Creek,  Custer  County,  Mont. 

Geographic  distribution. — Plains  and  foothills  along  the  eastern 
base  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  from  south  central  Saskatchewan  to  the 
Panhandle  of  Texas,  occupying-  in  general  the  eastern  parts  of  Mon- 
tana, Wyoming,  and  Colorado,  and  the  western  and  southwestern 
parts  of  Saskatchewan  and  the  Dakotas.  Upper  Sonoran  and  Transi- 
tion zones. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  m.  arcticus,  but  color  decidedly  paler, 
more  buffy  ochraceous;  size  slightly  smaller,  tail  averaging  shorter 
(usually  less  than  TO  mm.)  ;  color  nearly  as  in  P.  m.  sonoriensis,  buffy 
and  ochraceous  with  slight  variations  predominating  in  all  adult 
pelages,  tail  shorter;  very  similar  to  P.  m.  luteus,  but  larger,  with 
noticeably  larger  ears;  also  similar  to  P.  m.  nip' mis,  but  color  paler; 
somewhat  similar  to  P.  1.  arididus,  but  smaller,  with  a  shorter,  more 
hairy,  and  more  sharply  bicolor  tail;  skull  smaller,  with  narrower 
braincase,  smaller  audital  bullae,  longer  parallel-sided  palatine  slits, 
and  smaller  molar  teeth. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage  (Sept.-Dec.)  :  Upperparts  pale  ochraceous 
buff  or  between  cream  buff  and  ochraceous  buff,  lightly  and  uniformly 
mixed  with  dusky ;  back  scarcely  or  not  at  all  darker  than  sides ;  under- 
pays pure  creamy  white;  ears  dusky  brownish,  broadly  edged  with 
white;  subauricular  tuft  pure  white  anteriorly,  nearly  clear  buff}1,  pos- 
teriorly, the  white  usually  quite  conspicuous;  feet  and  forelegs  white, 
'ankles'  buffy  or  buffy  and  dusky;  tail  sharply  bicolor,  blackish 
brown  above,  white  below.  Worn  pelage  (Apr.-July)  :  Similar  in 
general  to  unworn  pelage  but  color  of  upperparts  much  brighter, 
more  ochraceous;  dusky  mixture  becoming  gradually  eliminated  with 
increasing  wear  and  changed  to  cinnamon  and  russet:  general  effect 
of  upperparts  varying  from  ochraceous  buff  to  tawny  ochraceous. 
Adolescent  pelage:  Most  similar  to  unworn  pelage  of  adult  but  less 
buffy;  general  effect  of  upperparts  pale  drab  or  isabella  color. 
Young  in  first  coat :  Upperparts  slate  color  at  base  of  hairs,  brownish 
smoke-gray  at  tips;  underparts  grayish  white. 

Skvll. — Similar  in  general  to  that  of  P.  m.  arcticus,  but  averaging 
slightly  smaller  and  narrower;  nasals  usually  longer,  narrower,  and 
more  convex ;  braincase  narrower  and  less  arched ;  zygomata  not  so 
heavy  nor  so  much  '  squared  '  anteriorly.  The  skull  of  nebrascensis 
is  essentially  like  those  of  sonoriensis  and  rufinus;  it  is  larger  than 
that  of  luteus. 


76  NORTH    AMERICAN     FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Measurements. — Average  of  JO  adults  from  Fort  Custer,  Mont.: 
Total  length  L58.3  (147-170)  ;  tail  vertebrae  63.7  (56-71)  ;  hind  foot 
20.1  (20-21 )  ;  ear  from  notch  (dry)  14.5  ( 14-15.2). 

Type  specimen. — No.  1200  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
New  York.  $  adult.  October  10,  1887.  W.  W.  Granger.  The  skin  of 
the  type  is  in  good  condition  in  fresh  fall  pelage.  Its  hind  foot  meas- 
ures dry  20.8  mm.  No  skull  corresponding  to  this  skin  can  at  present 
be  found  in  the  collection  of  the  American  Museum. 

Remarks. — P.  m.  nebrascensis  is  almost  identical  in  color  with 
sonomensis  and  very  similar  in  general  appearance.  Certain  speci- 
mens of  nebrascensis  in  partly  worn  pelage  are  deeper,  more  nearly 
tawny  ochraceous,  than  any  sonoriensis,  and  vice  versa,  certain  much- 
worn  examples  of  sonoriensis  are  paler  than  any  nebrascensis,  but 
the  majority  of  examples  of  each  in  ordinary  conditions  of  pelage  are 
indistinguishable  by  color  alone. 

The  tail  in  nebrascensis  averages  constantly  shorter  than  in  sonori- 
ensis, though  many  specimens  of  each  are  fairly  between  the  extremes. 
The  skulls  are  somewhat  variable,  but  the  same  sort  of  variations 
apparently  occurs  in  each  form.  The  color  of  nebrascensis  is  also 
very  much  like  that  of  luteus,  which  usually  may  be  distinguished  by 
its  small  size,  particularly  by  its  small  ears,  skull,  and  teeth. 

P.  m.  nebrascensis  intergrades  on  all  sides  with  other  forms.  On 
the  north  it  merges  into  arcticus,  as  amply  proved  by  specimens  from 
Osier  and  Moose  Jaw,  Saskatchewan.  On  the  east  it  meets  luteus, 
on  the  west  and  southwest  rufinus  and  sonoriensis,  and  future  collec- 
tions ma}7  show  its  connection  with  blandus  on  the  south. 

The  name  nebrascensis,  as  first  used  by  Baird  in  1857,  was  a  nomen 
nudum  and  deserved  no  definite  recognition  until  employed  in 
connection  with  a  description  by  Mearns  in  1890.  This  has  been 
discussed  more  fully  under  P.  m.  luteus. 

The  name  Hesjjeromi/s  cherrii  applies  to  a  species  of  Reithrodon- 
tomys,  but  the  skull  of  a  Peromyscus  indistinguishable  from  nebra- 
scensis was  included  among  the  specimens  originally  referred  to  it 
(see  Proc.  Biol.  Soc,  XX,  pp.  50-51,  Apr.  18,  1907). 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  G17,  from  localities  as  follows : 

Alberta:  Medicine  Hat,  71. 

Colorado:  Baxter  Pass,  3;  Buford,  Rio  Blanco  County,  1;°  Colorado 
Springs,  12;  near  Craig,  Routt  County,  1;°  Crested  Butte.  1; 
Douglas  Spring,  Routt  County,  1  ;  "  Escalante  Hills,  1 ;  Flagler,  1 
(approaching  luteus);  Four  Mile  Creek.  4:  Fruita,  1  (immature): 
Gaume  Ranch,  8 ;  a  Grand  Junction,  3 ;  Ladore,  2 :  Lay,  2 ;  a  Lily,  2 ; 
Loveland,  35;  Medano  Ranch,  2;  Meeker,  2;a  Rangeley,  1;  mouth 
of  Sand  Creek,  Routt  County,  1  :  °  Snake  River.  5:  Steamboat 
Springs,  Routt  County,  2:a  Valmont,  1;  White  River,  1:  Wray, 
4;  Wright  Ranch.  Yampa  County,  1:"  Yarmany  Creek,  near 
McCoy,  2.« 

a  Collection  of  E.  R.  Warren. 


1909.]  MANICULATUS   GROUP LUTEUS.  77 

Montana:  Bear  Paw  Mountains,  8   (approaching  ruflnus)  ;    Big   Snowy 

Mountains,  2;  Birch  Creek,  6;  Bower,  1;  Calf  Creek,  5;  Columbus, 
5;  Fort  Assiniboine,  8;  Fort  Custer,  26;  Great  Falls,  20;  Jefferson 
River,  Gallatin  County,  1;  Midvale,  4;  Milk  River,  3;  Musselshell 
River,  2 :  Little  Porcupine  Creek,  2;  Powderville,  3:  Pryor  Moun- 
tains, 2  (approaching  artemisice)  ;  Red  Lodge,  2;  Robare,  <i;  St.  Mary 
Lake,  16  (approaching  artemisiw)  :  Shelby  Junction,  4:  North  Branch 
Sunday  Creek,  1 ;  Tilyou  Ranch,  1. 

North  Dakota:  Fort  Buford,  5;  Glenullin,  12  (in  part  approaching 
Intent)  ;    Little   Missouri   River.   7. 

Saskatchewan:  Crane  Lake,  7:  "  Cypress  Hills,  7;  a  Moose  Jaw,  11;  Old 
Wives  Creek.  10;a   Osier.  Ill   (approaching  arcticus). 

South  Dakota:  Belle  Fourehe,  2;  Buffalo  Gap,  1;  Deadwood,  1;  Elk 
Mountain,  9;  Rapid  City,  3;  Xmithville,  10. 

Texas:   Washburn,  10. 

Wyoming:  Aurora,  10;  Beaver,  1;  Bighorn  Basin,  2;  Bighorn  Moun- 
tains, 1  (approaching  ruflnus?);  Bitter  Creek,  7:  Bridger  Fass,  :; ; 
Bull  Lake,  3;  Clarks  Fork,  4;  Devils  Tower,  2;  Fontanelle,  1  ;  Fort 
Bridger,  18  (approaching  sonoriensis)  ;  Fort  Fetterinan,  1  (approach- 
ing luteus)  ;  Fort  Laramie,  1;  Fort  Steele,  5;  Fort  Washakie,  3  (ap- 
proaching sonoriensis)  ;  Green  River,  7:  Kinney  Ranch,  Bitter  Greek, 
1;  Lake  Fork,  3:  Little  Powder  River,  3;  Newcastle.  10;  Otto,  6; 
Powder  River  Crossing,  2;  Sheep  Creek  (17  mi.  W.  of  Toltec),  6;  b 
Sheridan,  5:  Sherman,  4:  South  Pass  City,  1;  Sundance,  8;  Woods,  2. 

PEROMYSCUS  MANICULATUS  LUTEUS  Osgood. 

Hesperomys  sonoriensis  var.  neorascensis  Baird,  Mamm.  N.  Am.,  p.  404,  1857 — 

nomen  nudum. 
Hesperomys   sonoriensis   var.    neorascensis  Coues,   Monogr.   N.   Am.    Rodentia, 

p.  78,   synonymy  under  Hesperomys   leucopus   sonoriensis,   ~\*~1 — mentions 

specimens  from  Deer  Creek,  Nebraska. 
Peromyscus  nebrascensis  of  authors,  not  of  Mearns. 
Peromyscus  luteus  Osgood,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash..  XVIII,  p.  78,  Feb.  21,  1906. 

2\>//>e  locality. — Kennedy,  Nebr. 

Geographic  distribution. — Sandhill  region  of  western  Nebraska 
and  adjoining  parts  of  the  States  of  Kansas,  Colorado,  South  Dakota, 
and  Wyoming.  Possibly  extending  north  to  western  North  Dakota 
and  south  to  western  Oklahoma. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  m.  nebrascensis,  but  averaging  smaller ; 
ears  decidedly  smaller;  color  more  buffy  ochraceous,  particularly  in 
unworn  pelage;  skull  and  teeth  averaging  smaller  and  lighter. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage  (Oct.-Nov.)  :  Upperparts  varying  from 
ochraceous  buff  to  almost  orange  buff  lightly  and  uniformly  lined 
with  dusky;  sides  like  back  (occasionally  a  bright  ochraceous  buff 
lateral  line  unmixed  with  dusky  is  found),  sides  of  face  usually  a 
trifler  paler;  ears  dusky,  broadly  margined  with  white;  subauricular 
tufts  white  or  mixed  white  and  buffy,  usually  very  conspicuous; 
underparts  creamy  white;  feet  white:  'ankles'  white  or  buffy;  tail 
sharply  bicolor,  dusky  brownish  above,  white  below.     Worn  pelage 


a  Collection  of  Canadian  Geological  Survey.  b  Carnegie  Museum. 


78  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

(April-July)  :  Similar  to  unworn  pelage,  but  ground  color  brighter, 
dusky  mixture  changed  to  cinnamon  rufous  or  almost  entirely  elim- 
inated; general  effect  of  entire  upperparts  bright  oehraceous  buff, 
slightly  paler  across  shoulders  and  often  slightly  tinged  with  cinna- 
mon rufous  in  middle  of  back.  Young:  Similar  to  P.  m.  nebraseensis, 
but  usually  slightly  paler. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  nebraseensis,  but  averaging  smaller  and 
lighter;  teeth  slightly  smaller;  nasals  usually  shorter  and  relatively 
broader.  Extreme  type  of  skull  about  as  in  P.  m.  bairdi,  average 
type  slightly  larger. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adults  from  the  type  locality :  Total 
length  149  (1-12-158)  ;  tail  vertebras  G1.5  (56-G5)  ;  hind  foot  19.5 
(19-20.5)  ;  ear  from  notch  (dry)  12.5  (11.8-13). 

Type  specimen. — No.  ^ffff  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  ?  adult.  Apr.  23,  1890.  V.  Bailey.  Specimen 
in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — Those  familiar  with  P.  m.  bairdi  (better  known  under 
the  name  michiganensis)  will  readily  recognize  I  ulcus,  which  is 
practically  identical  in  every  respect  save  color.  Its  bright  buffy 
oehraceous  color  easily  distinguishes  it  from  bairdi,  while  its  small 
size  separates  it  from  nearly  all  other  forms.  In  the  somewhat 
brightened  and  worn  pelages  of  spring  and  summer  its  color  is  prac- 
tically like  that  often  shown  at  the  same  season  by  nebraseensis  and 
sonoriensis;  but  in  fresh  fall  and  winter  pelage  it  is  more  oehraceous 
than  either  of  these  forms.  Its  small  size,  and  particularly  its  small 
ears,  are  usually  safe  guides  in  separating  it  from  nebraseensis,  which 
is  the  form  with  which  it  is  most  apt  to  be  confused.  In  the  center 
of  its  range — that  is,  in  the  sandhills  of  Nebraska — its  characters  are 
well  established,  but  on  either  side  intergrading  specimens  occur,  ap- 
proaching bairdi  on  the  east  and  nebraseensis  on  the  west.  Although 
the  average  typical  nebraseensis  is  decidedly  larger  than  typical 
luteus,  the  amount  of  individual  variation  in  either  form  is  almost 
enough  to  cover  the  two  extremes.  In  spite  of  this  fact,  and  in  spite 
of  fairly  convincing  evidence  of  gradual  intergradation  around  the 
periphery  of  its  range,  typical  luteus  and  nebraseensis  sometimes 
occur  together.  For  example,  a  series  of  13  specimens  from  Elk 
Mountain,  South  Dakota,  contains  5  that  are  typical  of  luteus  and  8 
that  are  as  typical  of  nebraseensis.  Two  specimens  from  Dickinson. 
N.  Dak.,  are  unquestionably  referable  to  luteus,  although  the  locality 
is  quite  removed  from  the  general  range  of  the  form  and  well  within 
the  supposed  precincts  of  nebraseensis. 

The  name  nebraseensis  has  been  applied  frequently  to  the  form 
now  called  luteus,  and  it  was  doubtless  intended  by  Baird  for  that 
form.  This  is  made  clear  by  Coues  (Monogr.  N.  Am.  Rodentia,  p.  79, 
1877),  who  states  that  Baird  based  the  name  upon  two  specimens 


1909.]  MANICULATUS   GROUP BAIRDI.  79 

from  Deer  Creek,  Nebraska.  As  used  by  Baird  and  Coues,  it  was  un- 
questionably a  nomen  nudum,  and  so  remained  until  Mearns  redefined 
it  and  selected  a  new  type  belonging-  to  a  form  different  from  that  to 
which  Baird  intended  to  apply  the  name. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  253,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows : 

Colorado:  Spring  Canyon,  near  Fort  Collins.  ."".." 

Kansas:  Hays,  (i  (approaching  bairdi)  :  Logan  Comity,  2;  Long  Island,  1; 
Pendennis,  14;  Trego  County,  7. 

Nebraska:  Callaway,  9;  Broken  Bow,  1:  Cherry  County,  13;  10  miles  S. 
of  Cody,  4;  Deer  Creek.  1:  Haigler,  8;  Kennedy.  20;  is  miles  NW. 
of  Kennedy,  4 ;  Perch,  Rock  County,  14 ;  Thomas  County,  1 ;  Two 
Mile  Lake,  Cherry  County,  1 ;  Valentine,  1. 

North  Dakota:  Bottineau,  3;  Dickinson,  5;  Medora,  1  (identity  not  cer- 
tain) ;  Minnewaukan,  6. 

Oklahoma:  North  Reaver  River,  T. 

South  Dakota:  Cheyenne  River,  3;  Corral  Draw,  Pine,  Ridge  Reserva- 
tion, 46;  Custer  (?),  .';."i ;  Elk  Mountain,  9;  "Southern  Dakota,-'  3 ; 
Spring  Creek,  10:  Squaw  Creek.  12  (approaching  bairdi). 

Wyoming:  Kittle  Medicine,  1." 

PEROMYSCUS  MANICULATUS  BAIRDI  (Hoy  and  Kennicott). 

(PI.  II.  tig.  10.) 

Mus  bairdii  Hoy  and  Kennicott,  in  Kennicott,  Agricultural  Report,  1".  S.  Patent 

Office  (1856),  pp.  92-95,  PI.  XI,  1857. 
Peromyscus  michiganensis  of  authors,  not  of  Audubon  and  Bachman. 
Peromyscus  bairdi  Snyder.  Pull.  Wis.  Nat.  Hist.  Soc.  II.  p.  116,  April.  1902. 

Type  locality. — Bloomington,  McLean  County,  111. 

Geoymphh-  distribution. — Prairie  region  of  the  upper  Mississippi 
Valley  in  southern  Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  Illinois,  Indiana,  eastern 
Ohio.  Iowa,  Missouri,  Oklahoma,  and  the  eastern  or  humid  parts  of 
Kansas,  Nebraska,  South  Dakota,  and  North  Dakota  ;  north  to 
southern  Manitoba.  Upper  Austral  and  Transition  zones,  meeting 
the  range  of  P.  in.  luteus  along  the  border  between  the  humid  and 
the  arid  subdivisions. 

Characters. — Size  and  proportions  about  as  in  /\  ///.  luteus;  color 
very  dark,  dorsum  usually  black  or  very  dark  brown;  ears  and  feet 
smaller  and  tail  decidedly  shorter  than  in  leucopus  or  noveboracen- 
sis;  tail  more  thickly  haired  and  more  sharply  bicolor. 

Co/or. — Unworn  winter  pelage:  Upperparts  russet  or  Mars  brown 
heavily  mixed  with  black,  the  latter  usually  concentrated  in  the 
middle  of  the  back;  sides  also  heavily  mixed  with  black,  but  usually 
noticeably  paler  than  back;  sides  of  face  nearly  the  same  as  sides  of 
body,  somewhat   paler  than   top   of  head;   underparts  pure  creamy 

"  Collection  of  Colorado  State  Agricultural  College. 


80  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

white,  often  separated  from  the  sides  by  a  narrow  russet  lateral  line; 
ears  brownish  black,  very  narrowly  margined  with  creamy;  sub- 
auricular  tufts  mixed  russet  and  dusky,  very  rarely  with  a  few  white 
hairs;  feet  white,  'ankles'  usually  extensively  blackish  brown,  this 
sometimes  extending  out  on  top  of  foot;  tail  sharply  bicolor,  black 
or  blackish  brown  above,  white  below.  Slightly  worn  pelage  of 
spring:  Similar  to  unworn  pelage,  but  contrast  between  back  and  sides 
somewhat  heightened,  black  predominating  on  the  back  and  brownish 
russet  on  the  sides.  Summer  pelage  (June-July)  :  The  extremely 
worn  pelage  becomes  brighter,  more  nearly  russet  throughout,  and 
the  dark  dorsal  area  is  much  reduced  and  changed  to  pale  brownish. 
The  short  new  pelage  as  it  begins  to  come  in  is  also  uniform  russet 
lightly  sprinkled  with  dusky  and  with  very  little  or  no  decided  dif- 
ference between  back  and  sides.  Young:  Darker  than  adults,  black 
usually  predominating,  more  or  less  modified  on  the  sides  by  grayish 
broccoli  brown. 

Skull. — Practically  as  in  P.  m.  luteus,  possibly  averaging  slightly 
smaller  with  shorter  nasals.  General  characters  as  in  nebrascensis, 
sonoriensis,  etc.,  but  size  smaller.  Compared  with  those  of  novebora- 
censis  and  leucopus  it  is  much  smaller;  teeth,  braincase.  and  audital 
bulla?  much  smaller;  palatine  slits  relatively  longer  and  with  sides 
more  nearly  parallel. 

Measurements. — Two  adults  from  Racine,  Wis.:  Total  length  161, 
140;  tail  vertebrae  70,  54;  hind  foot  19,  18;  ear  from  notch  (dry) 
11.6,  10.6. 

Type  spt  cimen. — The  only  specimen  now  extant  having  any  claim 
to  consideration  as  the  type  of  this  form  seems  to  be  No.  750  Col- 
lection of  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  Philadelphia.  The  record 
in  the  catalogue  is  as  follows:  "  No.  750,  Hesperonajx  bairdii.  Donor 
Dr.  LeConte.  Locality  Illinois.  Entered  January,  1860/'  The 
specimen  now  bears  a  red  label  marked  "Type  of  Mus  bairdii  Hoy 
and  Kennicott."  This  label,  however,  is  recent,  as  also  a  white  one 
which  reads  in  the  handwriting  of  Witmer  Stone:  "  750  Hesperomys 
bairdii.  Illinois.  Type."  Mr.  Stone  informs  me  that,  according  to 
his  recollection,  these  data  were  transcribed  by  him  from  the  stand 
upon  which  the  specimen  was  formerly  mounted.  The  specimen, 
though  identifiable  and  unquestionably  of  this  form,  is  in  very  poor 
condition  and  of  little  interest  save  from  a  historical  standpoint. 

Remarks. — Under  the  name  michiganensis  this  mouse  has  been 
well  known  for  years.  Its  small  size,  sharply  bicolor  and  somewhat 
penciled  tail,  and  its  cranial  characters  serve  to  distinguish  it  easily 
from  leucopus  or  noveb&racensis,  while  its  dark  color  at  once  separates 
it  from  luteus  and  nebrascensis,  to  which  it  is  really  most  closely 
related.  It  appears  to  be  confined  to  the  prairie  or  more  open  parts, 
including  cultivated  fields,  of  the  central  Mississippi  Valley,  while 


1009.]  MANICULATUS    GROUP BAIRDT.  81 

leucopus  and  noveboracensis  are  found  in  wooded  parts  of  the  same 
region.  Its  known  eastern  limit  is  in  eastern  Ohio  and  southern 
Ontario,  but  with  the  clearing  of  the  land  it  is  apparently  extending 
its  range  to  the  eastward.  Thus  it  is  now  found  at  Elk  River,  Min- 
nesota, as  evidenced  by  a  specimen  collected  by  A.  B.  Mills  in  1899, 
although  some  ten  years  earlier  Vernon  Bailey  made  large  collec- 
tions there  and  did  not  secure  it. 

Along  the  border  between  the  humid  and  arid  regions  it  inter- 
grades  with  P.  m.  luteus.  Specimens  from  Pierre,  S.  Dak.,  are  per- 
fect intermediates,  and  others  throughout  the.  western  part  of  its 
range  tend  more  or  less  toward  luteus.  In  west  central  Oklahoma  it 
apparently  intergrades  with  nebrascensis  rather  than  with  luteus. 
and  in  southern  Oklahoma  it  probably  meets  P.  m.  pallescens, 
though  the  evidence  in  both  cases  is  rather  unsatisfactory.  A  small 
series  from  Fort  Reno,  Okla.,  are  slightly  paler  than  bairdi,  but 
decidedly  darker  than  luteus  or  nebrascensis;  the  ears  are  small,  as 
in  bairdi,  but  the  skulls  are  rather  large,  as  in  nebrascensis.  Speci- 
mens from  Chattanooga,  Oklahoma,  and  Belle  Plain,  Kans.,  agree 
fairly  well  with  those  from  Fort  Reno.  A  little  to  the  westward  we 
have  fairly  typical  nebrascensis  from  Washburn,  Tex.,  and  to  the 
eastward  we  find  bairdi  at  Red  Fork,  Okla.  Thus  the  Fort 
Reno  specimens  are  intermediate  in  characters  and  in  geographic 
situation,  so  the  most  logical  treatment  seems  to  be  to  refer  them  to 
bairdi,  the  form  they  most  resemble.  Surely  nothing  is  to  be  gained 
by  making  such  intermediate  specimens  the  basis  of  new  names. 

The  name  michiganensis  was  adopted  for  this  form  b}^  Baird 
(Mamm.  N.  Am.,  p.  416,  1857),  who  evidently  was  misled  by  the 
rather  small  measurements  published  by  Audubon  and  Bachman  for 
their  supposed  new  species.  Subsequent  authors  have  followed  Baird 
in  the  use  of  the  name.  A  careful  analysis  of  the  original  description 
of  michiganensis,  however,  leads  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  based 
upon  an  immature  example  of  P.  I.  noveboracensis,  as  the  following 
extracts  indicate: 

Mouse  with  yellow  cheeks,  a  light  grayish  brown  color  above,  whitish  be- 
neath. This  species  bears  some  resemblance  in  size  and  colour  both  to  the 
common  house  mouse  (M.  musculus)  and  the  white-footed  mouse  (M.  leucopus.) 
The  colour  on  the  back  resembles  the  former  and  on  the  under  surface  the 
latter.0 

Hoy  and  Kennicott  appreciated  the  difference  between  bairdi  and 
michiganensis,  but  supposed  that  three  forms  were  distinguishable. 

°Aud.  and  Bach.,  Jour.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  VIII,  pt.  II,  pp.  :5U4-306,  1S42. 
66268— No.  28—09 6 


82  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

This  is  shown  by  a  letter  from  Doctor  Hoy,  quoted  by  Baird,  as  fol- 
lows: 

I  consider  the  difference  between  the  oak  opening  deer  mouse  (nrichigancnsis) 
and  the  prairie  deer  mouse  (bairdii)  to  consist  mainly  in  the  more  uniform 
color,  longer  tail,  and  larger  head  of  the  former,  giving  to  it  the  look  more  of 
the  common  house  mouse  than  the  latter.0 

The  facts  of  the  case  were  suspected  also  by  Coues,  who  says:6 

There  are,  however,  several  discrepancies  between  the  description  of  Audubon 
and  Bachman  and  the  characters  of  the  animal  which  Hoy,  Kennicott,  Baird, 
and  ourselves  describe.  *  *  *  We  fail  to  realize  "cheeks  yellow,"  though, 
perhaps,  they  are  a  little  brighter  than  surrounding  parts.  The  dimensions 
given,  4  inches  for  length  of  head  and  body,  are  so  much  greater  (by  a  full 
inch)  that  possibly  the  figure  "4"  may  be  a  typographical  error;  but  then  the 
tail,  2J,  is  nearly  as  much  in  excess  of  what  we  find.  It  is  barely  possible, 
after  all,  that,  as  Professor  Baird  hints,  none  of  our  specimens  are  what 
Audubon  and  Bachman  called  michiganensis.  In  that  event,  and  if  positively 
distinct  from  Audubon's  and  Bachman's  animal,  they  would,  of  course,  bear 
the  name  bairdii  and  michiganensis  Aud.  &  Bach,  be  relegated  among  the  un- 
numbered synonyms  of  lax-opus. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  334,  from  localities  as  follows : 

Illinois:   Chicago,  7;  Fox  Lake,  1;  "Illinois,"  1:   Parkersburg,  4;  West 

Xorthfield,  4. 
Indiana:   Bicknell,  2  ;c  Bloomiugton,  5;°"  Denver,  8. 
Iowa:  Clay    County,    5;    Knoxville,    12;    Marion    County,    2;    Palo   Alto 

County,  4. 
Kansas:   Belle    Plain,    5    (approaching    luteus)  ;    Fort    Leavenworth,    2; 

Lawrence,   28;    Lost   Springs,   2;    Manhattan,  2;   Medicine  Lodge,   1 

(approaching  luteus)  ;  Onaga,  28. 
Manitoba:   Aweme,  1  ;e  Carberry,  l.e 
Michigan:    Sand  Point.  Huron  County,  5/ 
Minnesota:   Browns  Valley,  2;   Elk  River,  1;  Fort  Snelling,  54.     Steele 

County,  5. 
Missouri:   Carthage,  3;#  Independence,  1;   Stotesbury.  19. 
Nebraska:   Columbus,  3;  Ewing,  1;  Grand  Island,  1;  London,  5;  Verdi- 
gris, 1. 
North  Dakota:   Devil's  Lake,   13    (approaching  luteus);   Harrisburg,  1; 

Harwood,  3 ;  Jamestown,  1 ;  Oakes,  2 ;  Pembina,  5 ;  Portland,  10. 
Ohio:   London,  2.n 
Oklahoma:   Chattanooga,   2    (approaching   nebrdscensis)  ;    Fort   Reno,   7 

approaching    nebrascensis)  ;    Mount    Scott    P.    O.,    1     (approaching 
pallescens)  ;  Red  Fork,  G. 

a  Baird,  Mamm.  N.  Am.  p.  417,  footnote,  1857. 

b  Monogr.  N.  Am.  Rodentia,  p.  96,  1877. 

c  Received  for  identification  from  E.  J.  Chanler. 

''Coll.  Univ.  of  Indiana,  collected  by  W.  L.  McAfee. 

p  Collection  of  Ernest  T.  Seton. 

''Collection  of  University  of  Michigan. 

o  Collection  of  H.  H.  T.  Jackson. 

h  Loaned  by  Prof.  J.  I.  Hine  of  the  Ohio  State  University. 


1909.]  MANICULATUS    GROUP PALLESCENS.  83 

Ontario:  Leamington,  2;a  Point  Pelee,  7.° 

South  Dakota:  Flandreau,  5;  Fort  Sisseton,  1;  Travere,  ):  Vermilion,  4. 
Wisconsin:   Beaver  Dam,  12;  Delavan,  3;   Milton,  12;  Racine,  3;  Rock 
Prairie,  Rock  County,  2. 

PEROMYSCUS  MANICULATUS  PALLESCENS   (Allen). 

(PI.   II,   fig.   9.) 

Peromyscus  miehiganensis  pallescens  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y„ 
VIII,  p.  238,  November  21,  1S96. 

Type  locality. — San  Antonio,  Tex. 

Geographic  distribution. — Central  Texas,  from  the  vicinity  of 
the  northern  boundary  at  Gainesville  south  to  the  region  immediately 
west  of  Corpus  Christ i  Bay.     Lower  Sonoran  zone. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  m.  bairdi,  but  averaging  smaller;  color 
somewhat  paler,  less  blackish. 

Color. — Topotjrpe  No.  87876,  $  adult.  Feb.  9 :  General  color  of 
upperparts  pale  russet,  lightly  mixed  with  dusky  on  sides  and  more 
heavily  in  middle  of  back;  middorsal  region  not  solid  black  nor 
dusky,  but  mixed  dusky  and  pale  russet;  shoulders  and  nape  about 
like  sides;  ground  color  nearly  ochraceous  buff,  showing  unmixed 
with  dusky  in  the  subauricular  tufts  and  in  the  interfemoral  region 
about  the  base  of  the  tail;  ears  dusky,  whitish  edged;  feet  white, 
'  ankles '  slightly  brownish ;  tail  dusky  brownish  above,  white  below ; 
underparts  creamy  white,  rather  thinly  overlaying  pale  plumbeous 
undercolor.  Worn  pelage:  Not  positively  known  but  as  indicated 
by  specimens  in  changing  pelage,  chiefly  pale  russet  varying  nearly 
to  Mars  brown  in  middle  of  back.  Young  in  first  coat:  Upperparts 
slate  gray,  slightly  darker  in  middle  of  back.  Adolescents:  General 
effect  of  upperparts  broccoli  brown  produced  by  pale  fawn  mixed 
with  dusky. 

Skull. — As  in  bairdi,  but  averaging  somewhat  smaller. 

Measurements. — Average  of  9  adult  topotypes:  Total  length,  126 
(121-130)  ;  tail  vertebrae,  51  (50-52)  ;  hind,  foot,  16  (15-17)  ;  ear 
from  notch  (dry),  11.7  (11.2-12.7). 

Type  specimen. — No.  IfHf  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
New  York.  $  young  adult.  Feb.  7,  1896.  H.  P.  Attwater.  Skin 
perfect  and  in  full  winter  pelage.  Skull  with  right  audital  bulla 
and  right  side  of  basioccipital  broken. 

Remarks. — Except  the  small  series  from  the  type  locality,  very 
few  specimens  of  this  form  have  been  taken.  It  therefore  appears 
to  be  rare  or  difficult  to  secure,  as  considerable  collecting  within  its 
range  has  been  done  recently.     In  color  it  resembles  intermediates 

0  Collection  of  W.  E.  Saunders.  Mr.  Saunders  writes,  July  27,  1908,  Unit  lie 
has  specimens  of  bairdi  also  from  Grand  Bend  and  the  mouth  of  the  Sauble 
River. 


84  NORTH    AMERICA  N     FA  IN  A.  [NO.   28. 

between  bairdi  and  I  ulcus,  such  as  occur  in  central  Nebraska  and 
Kansas.  With  the  exception  of  P.  taylori,  it  is  the  smallest  member 
of  the  genus  found  in  Texas  and  should  be  easily  recognizable. 

As  judged  by  rather  limited  material,  pallescens  is  remarkably  sim- 
ilar to  P.  polionotus  of  Georgia  and  Florida,  differing  only  in  slight 
cranial  characters.  The  wide  region  separating  their  ranges,  how- 
ever, is,  so  far  as  known  at  present,  uninhabited  by  closely  related 
forms. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  14,  from  localities  as  follows : 

Texas:  Alice,  1 ;  Gainesville,  1 ;  San  Antonio,  11 ;  Waco,  1. 

PEROMYSCUS  MANICULATUS  BLANDUS  Osgood. 

Peromyscus  texanus  Mearns,  Proc.  U.   S.   Nat.   Mus.,  XVIII,  p.  446,  footnote, 

1896 — not  of  Woodhouse. 
Peromyscus  sonoriensis  blandus  Osgood,  Froc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XVII,  p.  56, 

Mar.  21,  1904. 

Type  locality. — Escalon,  Chihuahua,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Lower  Sonoran  zone  of  western  Texas 
from  the  Pecos  Valley  westward;  north  along  the  Pecos  Valley  and 
other  Lower  Sonoran  valleys  of  southern  New  Mexico  to  about  lati- 
tude 34°  north ;  south  in  Mexico  east  of  the  Sierra  Madre  in  Chihua- 
hua, southern  Coahuila,  southwestern  Nuevo  Leon,  western  Tamau- 
lipas,  northwestern  San  Luis  Potosi,  Durango,  and  Zacatecas. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  m.  sonoriensis,  but  averaging  smaller; 
tail  shorter  (usually  less  than  75);  color  more  vinaceous;  likewise 
similar  to  both  P.  m.  labecula  and  P.  m.  fulvus.  but  somewhat  smaller 
and  more  vinaceous.  Usually  dichromatic,  the  buff  phase  being  quite 
similar  to  sonoriensis  and  the  gray  phase  unique. 

Color. — Type,  gray  phase  in  winter:  Upperparts  pale,  often  whit- 
ish vinaceous  buff,  thickly  and  delicately  lined  with  dusky,  produ- 
cing a  grayish  drab  general  effect ;  a  narrow  lateral  line  of  vinaceous 
buff;  ear  tufts  conspicuous,  mixed  white  and  vinaceous  buff;  un- 
derparts  creamy  white;  ears  dusky,  rather  widely  margined  outside 
and  inside  with  whitish:  tail  sharply  bicolor:  feet  white,  'ankles' 
with  traces  of  dusky  and  buffv.  Topotype  No.  57644,  buff  phase  in 
winter :  Upperparts  pinkish  buff  instead  of  vinaceous  buff,  lined  with 
dusky,  producing  a  pale  cinnamon  general  effect;  otherwise  similar 
to  gray  phase.  Worn  pelages: — Gray  phase:  Vinaceous  buff  of 
upperparts  paler  and  dusky  mixture  changed  to  cinnamon  fawn  in 
varying  degrees,  producing  an  ecru  drab  general  effect.  Puff  phase: 
Upperparts  nearly  clear  ochraceous  buff  with  little  or  no  dusky  mix- 
ture.    All  stages  of  variation  between  the  two  phases  occur. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  sonoriensis,  but  averaging  slightly 
smaller;  nasals  slightly  wider  and  flatter;  similar  to  that  of  P.  m. 


1909.]  MANICULATUS    GROUP BLANDUS.  85 

labecula,  but  smaller  and  less  angular;  rostrum  more  depressed; 
zygomata  more  lightly  built  anteriorly.  Cranial  characters  rather 
variable  and  more  or  less  inconstant  when  applied  throughout  the 
range  of  the  form. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length,  145;  tail  vertebra:',  61;  hind 
foot,  21.  Average  of  7  adult  topotypes:  161  (145-173)  ;  C8  (59-75)  ; 
21.4  (21-22)  ;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  14.9  (13.8-15.3). 

Type  specimen. — No.  57635  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  ?  adult.  Nov.  27,  1893.  E.  A.  Goldman. 
Specimen  in  excellent  condition. 

Remarks. — Any  small,  short-tailed  mouse  with  conspicuous  ear 
tufts  and  a  slightly  pinkish  or  vinaceous  cast  to  its  general  color,, 
if  from  western  Texas,  southern  New  Mexico,  or  northwestern 
Mexico,  may  be  safely  referred  to  this  form.  In  full  winter  coat  it 
presents  an  attractive  appearance,  the  pelage  being  exceedingly  soft 
and  the  coloration  very  delicate.  The  two  phases  of  coloration  are 
very  distinct  and  examples  of  both  may  be  found  in  almost  every 
series.  Specimens  in  the  buff  phase,  especially  in  worn  pelage,  are 
difficult  to  distinguish  from  sonoriensis,  but  the  presence  of  one  or 
more  in  the  gray  phase  showing  the  pinkish  tints  not  found  in 
sonoriensis  usually  furnishes  the  clue  to  the  identity  of  any  particular 
series.  In  the  northern  part  of  its  range,  blandus  is  often  found 
at  the  same  localities  with  P.  1.  tornillo,  from  which  it  is  easily 
distinguished  by  numerous  characters,  among  which  may  be  men- 
tioned the  following:  Size  smaller;  tail  shorter,  more  distinctly 
penciled,  and  more  sharply  bicolor;  subauricular  tufts  more  promi- 
nent and  nearly  always  extensively  white;  nasals  flatter;  premaxillre 
less  swollen  laterally;  braincase  smaller.  Intergradation  is  evident 
in  the  north  with  P.  m.  ruflnus  and  in  the  south  with  P.  m.  labecula. 
It  meets  ruflnus  in  the  foothills  of  the  mountains  of  southern  New 
Mexico,  and,  although  the  line  may  be  drawn  quite  sharply  between 
the  two  forms,  there  is  only  a  slight  color  difference'  and  this  is 
practically  bridged  by  the  variation  in  ruflnus  from  different  eleva- 
tions. Specimens  from  Berriozabal,  Zacatecas,  agree  in  color  with 
blandus,  but  vary  in  size  and  cranial  characters  to  an  extent  that 
covers  the  extremes  of  both  blandus  and  labeeula.  Two  specimens 
from  still  farther  south,  at  Lagos,  Jalisco,  seem  referable  to  blandus, 
while  series  from  Zacatecas  City  and  Valparaiso  Mountains,  local- 
ities northwest  of  Berriozabal,  are  referable  to  labeeula,  though 
possibly  somewhat  intermediate. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  16)2,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows : 

Chihuahua:   Chihuahua,   7;   Esealon,  15;   Gallego,    J;    .Mesquite  Springs, 

near  U.  S.  Boundary,  5. 
Coahuila:   Jimulco,  1;  La  Ventura,  1;  Saltillo,  3. 


86  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [xo.  28. 

Durango:   Inde,    1;   Rio   Sestin,    11;    Rosario,  2;   San   Gabriel,  2;   Villa 

Ocampo,  3. 
Jalisco:    Lagos,  '_'. 
New  Mexico:  Adobe  Kanch,  Grant  County,  1  ;   near  Alamogorda,  Otero 

County,  .'!;  Animas  Valley,  Grant  County,  1;  Burley,  5;  Carlsbad,  1; 

near  Carrizallilo  Spring,  4;   Deming,  1;  Dog  Spring,  Grant  County, 

3;  Hachita,  4;  Hatchet  Ranch,  Grant  County,  1;  Jarilla.'l;  Mesquite 

Springs,  (5 ;  Tularosa,  13. 
Nuevo   Leon:   Doctor  Arroyo,  !J. 

San  Luis  Potosi:   Hacienda  La  Parada,  4.  • 

Tamaulipas:  Miquihuana,  12. 
Texas:   Franklin  Mountains,  1;  Marathon    (53  in.  south),  1;  Marfa,  5; 

Maxon  Spring,  1;  Presidio  County,  2;  Sierra  Blanca,  3;  Toyahvale, 

1 ;  Valentine,  1. 
United  States  Mexican  Boundary:   Corner  Monument,  100  miles  west  of 

El  Paso,  5 ;  50  miles  west  of  El  Paso,  5. 
Zacatecas:   Berriozabal,  G;  Canitas,  2;  Plateado,  1. 

PEROMYSCUS   MANICULATUS    FULVUS   Osoood. 

Peromyscus  sonoriensis  fulfils  Osgood.   Proc.   Biol.   Soc.  Wash.,  XVII,   p.  57, 
Mar.   21,   1904. 

Type  locality. — Oaxaca,  Oaxaca,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Southeastern  Mexico,  in  parts  of  the 
States  of  Oaxaca,  Puebla,  Veracruz,  Tlaxcala,  and  Hidalgo,  extending 
from  Oaxaca  City  north  to  the  vicinity  of  Pachuca,  Hidalgo.  Lower 
Sonoran  zone. 

Character's: — Similar  to  sonoriensis,  blandus,  and  labecula,  but 
color  darker  and  more  rufescent ;  skull  about  as  in  bland  us,  but  an- 
terior part  of  zygoma  usually  heavier  and  more  deeply  notched  by 
infraorbital  foramen. 

Color. — April  and  May  specimens :  General  color  of  upperparts 
russet,  deepening  in  middle  of  back  to  darker  (Mars  brown  and 
Prout  brown)  ;  underparts  creamy  white;  subauricular  tufts  promi- 
nent, butty  or  pale  creamy;  tail  sharply  bicolor,  brown  above,  white 
below ;  feet  and  forelegs  white ;  outer  side  of  i  ankles '  broAvnish. 
Worn  pelages  somewhat  brighter  colored,  running  to  ochraceous  and 
tawmy,  but  not  very  decidedly  different  from  fresher  pelages.  Fall 
and  winter  pelages  apparently  with  considerable  mixture  of  dusky 
in  middle  of  back. 

Skull. — Similar  in  general  to  that  of  bland  as,  but  anterior  part  of 
zygoma  averaging  somewhat  heavier  and  more  deeply  notched  by 
infraorbital  foramen;  similar  to  that  of  labecula,  but  smaller  and 
shorter;  zygomata  not  so  heavy  nor  so  broadly  expanded  anteriorly; 
nasals  rather  short  and  wide.  Cranial  characters  more  or  less  vari- 
able throughout  range. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length,  167;  tail  vertebra^,  68;  hind 
foot,  22.  Average  of  10  adults  from  Chalchicomula,  Puebla:  162 
(150-183)  ;  71.5  (65-78)  ;  22;  ear  from  notch  (dry)  15.5  (14.2-16.9). 


mot).]  MANICULATUS   GROUP LABECULA.  87 

Type  specimen. — No.  G8G55  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  adult.  June  12,  1894.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — P.  m.  fulvus  is  the  southernmost  representative  of  the 
widely  distributed  m an  iculatus  group.  In  general  terms  it  may  be  sa id 
to  be  a  somewhat  more  brownish  edition  of  the  well-known  United 
States  form,  P.  m.  sonoriensis.  It  does  not  appear  to  be  dichro- 
matic like  blandus,  but  it  is  not  unlikely  that  future  collections 
(from  eastern  San  Luis  Potosi,  for  example)  will  show  that  it  inter- 
grades  with  that  form.  Intergradation  with  labecula  is  indicated 
by  specimens  from  Amecameca,  Mexico,  which  are  rather  dusky. 
particularly  on  the  dorsum.  The  specimens,  however,  were  taken 
in  February,  whereas  those  considered  typical  of  fulvus  were  taken 
in  April,  May,  and  June,  so  that  the  darker  color  of  the  Amecameca 
series  may  represent  merely  a  seasonal  difference.  P.  m.  fulvus 
might  possibly  be  confused  with  P.  melanotis,  although  it  is  very 
distinct.  In  melanotis  the  tail  is  slightly  shorter,  the  ears  are  larger 
and  darker,  the  pelage  usually  longer  and  more  fluffy,  and  the  skull 
differs  noticeably  in  its  longer,  more  slender  rostrum.  P.affinis  may 
be  found  at  the  same  localities  with  fulvus,  but  will  be  easily  dis- 
tinguished by  the  characters  of  the  leucopus  group,  particularly 
by  its  shorter  pelage,  longer,  less  distinctly  bicolor,  and  practically 
unpenciled  tail,  and  by  the  absence  of  distinct  preauricular  spots. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  124,  from  localities  in  Mexico 
as  follows : 

Hidalgo:   El  Chico,  1;  Irolo,  9;  Pachuca,  10;  Sierra  tie  Pachuca,  •'! :  Leal 
del  Monte.  25;  Tulancingo,  7. 

Mexico:  Amecameca,  10. 

Oaxaca:  Huajuapam,  2;  Oaxaca,  3. 

Puebla:  Chalchicomula,  17 ;  Esperanza,  8. 

Tlaxcala:  Apixaco,  4;  Huamantla,  5. 

Veracruz:   Las  Yigas,  3;  Perote,  ."> :  Cofre  de  Perote,  1  ;  Xuehil.  13. 

PEROMYSCUS  MANICULATUS  LABECULA  Elliot. 

PeromyscU8   labecula  Elliot,   Field  Col.  Museum,   Zool.    Ser.,   III,   pp..  143-144. 

Mar.  1903. 
Peromyscus  sonoriensis  labecula  Osgood,  Proe.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XVII.  p.  57, 
Mar.  21,  1904. 

Type  locality. — Ocotlan,  Jalisco,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Southwestern  and  south  central  Mexico, 
chiefly  in  the  States  of  Jalisco,  Guanajuato,  and  Mexico.  Lower 
Sonoran  and  Upper  Sonoran  zones. 

Characters. — Similar  in  general  to  sonoriensis,  blandus,  and 
fulvus,  but  size  larger;  color  decidedly  darker,  more  sooty;  skull 
larger  and  more  angular. 

Color. — Fresh  pelage,  topotype  No.  12013."),  December  30:  Upper- 
parts  fawn  color  heavily  mixed  with  sooty  throughout,  producing  a 


88  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  \no.  28. 

general  effect  from  drab  to  hair  brown:  middle  of  back  somewhat 
darker  than  sides:  underparts  white;  feet  white;  forelegs  with 
traces  of  dusky  inside;  'ankles1  extensively  dusky;  ears  blackish, 
faintly  edged  with  whitish;  subauricular  tufts  mixed  whitish  and 
fawn  strongly  pervaded  with  sooty;  tail  sharply  bicolor,  blackish 
above,  white  below.  Worn  pelage,  topotype  No.  120114:  Upper- 
parts  chiefly  fawn  color  mixed  with  rusty  brownish,  producing  a 
general  effect  of  nearly  clear  dark  fawn  color.  Young:  General 
effect  of  sides  slaty  gray;  middle  of  back  darker,  slaty  to  almost 
black.  Extreme  types  of  coloration  are  more  sooty,  less  fawn,  than 
in  specimens  from  the  type  locality. 

/Skull. — Slightly  larger,  longer,  and  more  angular  than  in  sonorien- 
sis,  blandus,  and  fulvus;  anterior  part  of  zygoma  very  heavy  and 
deeply  notched  by  interorbital  foramen ;  braincase  relatively  small. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adults  from  the  type  locality :  Total 
length,  173  (108-182);  tail  vertebra?,  72  (04-82);  hind  foot,  22.5 
(22-24)  ;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  14.9  (14.5-15.5). 

Type  specimen. — No.  8093  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
June,  1901.  F.  E.  Lutz.  Skin  poorly  made;  side  of  head  torn;  feet 
slightly  injured;  tail  vertebrae  not  removed  from  skin;  skull  with 
anterior  part  of  right  zygoma  broken ;  teeth  much  worn. 

Remarks. — Except  in  certain  worn  pelages,  this  form  is  always 
more  or  less  sooty  in  color.  It  is  less  confined  to  the  Lower  Sonoran 
zone  than  blandus  and  fulvus  and  apparently  enters  even  the  Tran- 
sition, where  it  ranges  with  P.  melanotic.  In  certain  pelages  it  is 
often  scarcely  distinguishable  by  color  alone  from  P.  melanotis.  Its 
skull,  however,  always  preserits  diagnostic  characters  in  the  shorter, 
broader  rostrum,  and  narrower,  less-rounded  braincase.  It  ap- 
proaches, also,  P.  I.  mesom'elas  in  color,  but  is  of  course  distinguished 
by  the  numerous  characters  which  separate  the  maniculatus  and 
leucopus  groups. 

Specimens  from  Etzatlan  and  Atemajac,  Jalisco,  seem  to  be  some- 
what intermediate  between  Iribecula  and  blandus,  while  those  from 
Ajusco,  Federal  District  of  Mexico,  approach  fulvus.  Two  speci- 
mens from  Hacienda  Magdalena,  Colima,  are  tentatively  referred  to 
labecula,  although  they  are  very  small  and  rufescent.  Possibly  they 
represent  a  slightly  characterized  coast  form  or  an  approach  to 
fulvus.  Several  from  Tepic  also  are  small  and  have  short,  broad 
nasals  and  small  molar  teeth,  but  in  view  of  the  known  cranial 
variability  in  the  group  and  the  scantiness  of  material,  it  does  not 
seem  wise  to  attempt  to  define  such  forms. 

Specimens  exam  hied. — Total  number  152,  from  localities  in  Mexico 
as  follows: 

Colima:   Hacienda  Magdalena,  2  (aberrant). 
Guanajuato:  Irapuato,  6:  Santa  Rosa,  1;  Silao,  1. 
Hidalgo:   Ixmiquilpan,  1;  Zimapan,  2. 


1909.]  MANICULATUS    GROUP SONORIENSIS.  89 

Jalisco:  Arroyo  de  Plantinar,  3;  Atemajac,  4:  El  Molino,  2;  Estancia,  4; 

Etzatlan,  3;   Garabotos,   1;   Mascota,  1;   Ocotlan,  41;   Plantinar,   1; 

Sierra  Nevada  de  Colima,  9;  Zapotlan,  6. 
Michoacan :  Patamban,  2;  Patzcuaro,  1. 
Morelos:   Huitzilac,  1  :  Yautepec,  ."». 
Mexico:  Ajusco,  4   (not  typical);  Tlalpam,  8;  Toluca  Valley,  15;  north 

slope  Volcan  Toluca,  2. 
Tepic:  Ojo  de  Aguas,  near  Amatlan,  4;  Tepic,  3. 
Zacatecas:  Valparaiso  Mountains,  16;  Zacatecas,  5. 

PEROMYSCUS  MANICULATUS  SONORIENSIS  <  Li:  Conte). 

Hesperomys  sonoriensis  Le  Conte,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Pbila.,  VI    (1852-3), 

p.  413,  1853. 
Hesperomys  leucopus  deserticolus  Mearns,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  II, 

pp.  2S5-2S6,  Feb.,  181)0 — Mohave  River,  12  miles  below  Hesperia,  Calif. 
Sitomys   insoiatvs  Rhoads,  Proe.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Pbila.,  pp.  256-257,  Oct.  23, 

1894 — Oro  Grande,  San  Bernardino  County,  Calif. 
[Peromyscus  tan  mix]  .sonoriensis  Mearns,  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  XVIII,  p.  44(3, 

Mar.  25,  1896. 
Peromyscus  oresterus  Elliot,  Field  Col.  Mus.,  Chicago,  Pub.  74,  Zool.  Ser.,  Ill, 

pp.   l.r)9-l(i(»,   Apr.,   1903 — Vallecitos,    San   Pedro  Martir  Mountains,   Lower 

California,  Mexico. 

Type  locality. — Santa  Cruz,  Sonora,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution.— -Great  Basin  region  in  general.  North- 
ern Sonora,  southern  and  western  Arizona  and  Utah,  exclusive  of  the 
higher  mountains,  northeastern  Lower  California  east  of  the  San 
Pedro  Martir  Mountains,  southern  and  eastern  California  east  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada  and  the  San  Bernardino  and  associated  ranges,  prac- 
tically all  of  Nevada,  and  parts  of  southeastern  Oregon  and  south- 
central  Idaho. 

Characters. — Similar  in  general  to  P.  m.  nebrascensis ;  size  averag- 
ing larger,  tail  longer  (70  to  80  mm.)  ;  slightly  dimorphic  in  color,  but 
less  so  than  in  blandus;  predominating  color  in  most  adult  pelages 
ochraceous  bun;  white  spots  at  anterior  base  of  ear  usually  conspicu- 
ous; color  paler,  less  mixed  with  dusky  than  in  rufinus  and  gambeli 

Color. — Unworn  pelage,  pale  phase  represented  by  No.  f|lf  £  U.  S. 
National  Museum,  from  Lochiel,  Pima  County,  Ariz. :  Ground  color 
of  upperparts  ochraceous  buff  lightly  and  uniformly  mixed  with 
fine  dusky  lines;  back  scarcely  or  not  at  all  darker  than  sides;  under- 
pays white  or  creamy  white;  ears  dusky,  rather  broadly  edged  with 
whitish;  subauricular  tufts  chiefly  ochraceous  buff  lightly  mixed 
with  dusky,  but  with  a  small  tuft  of  pure  white  hairs  at  the  anterior 
base  of  the  ear;  little  or  no  dusky  at  base  of  whiskers  and  no  orbital 
ring,  although  the  eyelids  may  be  dusky;  feet  and  forelegs  white. 
tarsal  joints  white,  buffy,  -or  buffy  slightly  mixed  with  dusky; 
tail  brownish  dusky  above,  white  below.  Dark  phase,  represented 
by  No.  58788  U.  S.  National  Museum,  from  Santa  Cruz  River, 
Sonora:  Similar  to  pale  phase,  but  darker,  often  closely  resembling 


90  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

normal  pelages  of  rufinus  and  gambeli;  ground  color  of  upperparts 
ochraceous,  or  even  lawny  ochraceous,  usually  with  a  more  or  less 
vinaceous  cast;  dusky  mixture  heavier;  basal  color  of  hairs  darker; 
dusky  markings  about  face  inclined  to  be  slightly  developed;  white  in 
subauricular  tufts  reduced  or  obsolete:  "ankles'  usually  somewhat 
dusky.  Worn  pelage:  Dusky  mixture  of  upperparts  much  reduced 
and  changed  to  cinnamon  or  russet,  so  that  the  general  effect  becomes 
clear  ochraceous  buff,  lightly  overcast  with  russet;  this  change  is 
effected  without  much  abrasion,  so  that  specimens  in  full  long  pelage 
may  have  the  predominating  ochraceous  buff  color;  in  extreme  wear 
the  darker  mixture  is  very  pale  and  almost  eliminated  and  the  gen- 
eral color  paler,  becoming  nearly  cream  buff  or  pinkish  buff;  the  dif- 
ference between  the  dark  and  light  phases  in  worn  pelage  is  mini- 
mized, one  being  merely  somewhat  more  vinaceous  than  the  other. 
Adolescent  pelage:  Upperparts  mixed  dusky  and  pale  clay  color, 
general  effect  varying  from  wood  brown  to  broccoli  brown.  Young 
in  first  coat:  Upperparts  slate  color  at  base  of  hairs,  pale  drab  gray 
at  tips. 

Skull. — About  as  in  that  of  nebrascensis,  possibly  averaging 
slightly  larger;  also  similar  to  those  of  gambeli,  rufinus,  and  blandus; 
slightly  larger  than  in  blandus  and  <j<iuil><li,  with  nasals  averaging 
longer  and  more  convex;  braincase  smaller  and  narrower  than  in 
arizonae  or  any  of  the  leucopus  group:  palatine  slits  relatively  long 
and  nearly  parallel-sided. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adults  from  Santa  Cruz  River, 
Sonora:  Total  length  100  (152-170)  ;  tail  vertebrae  75  (05-80)  ;  hind 
foot  20.7  (20-21.5);  ear  from  notch  (dry)  10.4  (15.2-17.7).  Of  10 
adults  from  Oro  Grande  and  Mohave,  Calif.:  10-4  (150-174);  72 
(00-80):  19.8  (10-21).  Of  10  adults  from  Panamint  Mountains, 
Calif.:  105  (155-172)  ;  73  (04-82)  ;  20.2  (19-21).  Of  10  adults  from 
Vallecitos  and  Hanson  Lagoon.  Lower  California  (exclusive  of  type 
of  P.  oresterus):  105.8  (158-173);  76.6  ■  (71-82)  ;  hind  foot  20.8 
(19.5-22). 

Type  'specimen. — No.  jV/g  U.  S.  National  Museum.  Immature. 
Sex?  1851.  J.  II.  Clarke.  Skin  in  grayish  plumbeous  first  coat; 
in  fairly  good  condition,  being  made  in  proper  form  like  a  mod- 
ern skin,  evidently  having,  been  renovated  after  being  originally 
preserved  in  alcohol.  Pelage  somewhat  greasy  and  stained,  but  color 
not  materially  different  from  recent  specimens  in  same  pelage.  The 
skull  has  been  broken  through  the  interorbital  constriction  and  glued 
together.  The  braincase,  audital  bullae,  and  posterior  parts  of  the 
skull  are  nearly  perfect;  the  anterior  parts  are  also  in  fair  condition, 
although  the  boundaries  of  the  long  palatine  slits  are  slightly  broken. 
The  teeth  are  intact,  except  the  last  left  upper  molar,  which  is  absent. 
Left  mandible  perfect;  right  mandible  with  processes  broken  off. 


1009.]  MANICULATUS    GROUP SONORIENSIS.  91 

That  this  specimen  is  actually  the  typo  of  sonoriensis  is  vouched 
for  by  Baird  (Mamm.  X.  Am.,  p.  475.  1857),  who  states  that  it  was  the 
basis  of  LeConte's  name  and  description.  Its  immaturity  makes  the 
skin  practically  worthless  for  distinguishing-  it  from  arizonae,  which 
occurs  in  the  same  region,  but  the  characters  of  its  skull,  particularly 
the  small  comparatively  narrow  braincase,  are  conclusive. 

Remark*. — The  name  sonoriensis  as  applied  to  some  form  of  white- 
footed  mouse  is  well  known,  perhaps  almost  as  well  as  the  name 
leucopus.  It  was  recognized  by  Baird  in  1857,  and  although  placed  as  a 
synonym  of  leucojAis  by  Cones  in  1877,  it  has  had  some  sort  of  recog- 
nition for  more  than  fifty  years.  Fortunately  the  name  may  now  be 
applied  in  a  general  way  to  the  same  form  with  which  it  has  always 
been  associated.  To  distinguish  it  from  nebrascensis,  rufinus,  gam- 
h<l i,  and  other  forms  with  which  it  intergrades  will  doubtless  always 
be  difficult,  but  its  short,  well-haired,  and  sharply  bicolor  tail  will 
separate  it  from  most  forms  from  which  it  is  specifically  distinct.  It 
may  possibly  be  confused  with  arizonae  when  both  are  found  at  the 
same  or  neighboring  localities,  for  although  sonoriensis  and  arizonae 
are  unequivocally  distinct  species  respectively  representing"  large 
groups,  in  certain  pelages  many  specimens  might  be  misidentified  by 
one  not  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  characters  of  the  two  groups. 
The  most  important  characters  of  sonoriensis  as  contrasted  with  ari- 
zonae are  as  follows:  Size  smaller;  tail  shorter,  more  hairy,  and 
more  sharply  bicolor;  white  subauricular  spots  usually  well  devel- 
oped; skull  smaller;  braincase  decidedly  narrower  and  relatively 
deeper;  palatine  slits  relatively  longer  and  more  nearly  parallel- 
sided;  mandibles  more  slender. 

P.  m.  sonoriensis  ranges  in  general  throughout  the  Great  Basin 
region  and  prefers  relatively  arid  country,  although  apparently  it 
is  absent  from  the  hottest  parts  of  the  lower  Sonoran  zone,  Avhere 
P.  eremicus  thrives.  It  intergrades  with  the  large  number  of  forms 
which  range  to  the  borders  of  the  Great  Basin,  including  nebrascen- 
sis,  rufinus,  artemisiae,  hi  and  us,  and  gambeli.  The  differences  sepa- 
rating all  these  forms,  although  undeniably  sufficient,  are  at  most 
differences  in  shade  of  color  or  in  average  size  and  proportions. 
Frequently  the  average  difference  in  color  is  enough  to  be  appreciated 
by  any  amateur,  while  nevertheless  absolutely  bridged  by  individual 
variation.  It  may  be  easily  seen  therefore  that  the  certain  identifi- 
cation of  single  specimens  or  even  small  series  from  border  regions 
or  intergrading  areas  is  next  to  impossible.  However,  the  attempt 
has  been  made  to  allocate  specimens  as  nearly  as  possible  with  the 
forms  which  they  seem  to  resemble  most.  Along  the  east  slope  of 
the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains,  in  the  Tejon  Pass  region,  and  thence 
south  along  the  eastern  side  of  the  San  Bernardino  Mountains  and  to 
the  east  of  the  San  Pedro  Martir  Mountains,  sonoriensis  intergrades 


92  NORTH    AMERICAN     FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Willi  the  (linker  and  smaller  gambeli;  it  meets  artemisiae  in  central 
rdaho,  where  specimens  occur  that  are  colored  like  sonoriensis',  but 
attain  almost  the  size  of  artemisiae;  in  southwestern  Wyoming  and 
northern  Utah  it  apparently  intergrades  with  nebrascensis ;  in  the 
mountains  of  central  and  western  Nevada  and  also  in  Utah  it  shows 
tendencies  toward  rufinus;  and  in  southeastern  Arizona,  southwestern 
New  Mexico,  and  adjacent  parts  of  Mexico  it  connects  with  bland  us; 
in  northern  and  central  Lower  California  it  merges  with  coolidgei. 
The  predominating  color  is  ochraceous  buff,  practically  like  that 
of  nebrascensis ;  in  slightly  worn  pelage  it  becomes  very  bright,  with 
little  or  no  dusky.  The  bright  slightly  worn  specimens  are  usual  in 
spring  and  early  summer,  but  the  sequence  of  pelages  conforms  less 
with  season  than  in  the  more  northern  forms,  and  worn  specimens 
are  often  taken  in  midwinter.  The  existence  of  twTo  phases  of  color, 
one  darker  and  somewhat  vinaceous  and  the  other  paler  and  more 
yellowish,  seems  to  be  beyond  question,  but  the  pale  phase  is  much 
the  more  prevalent  and  the  difference  between  the  two  is  not  nearly 
so  marked  as  in  P.  m.  blandus.  Specimens  from  the  Mohave  Desert 
and  other  parts  of  southeastern  California  seem  to  average  very 
slightly  smaller  than  typical  sonoriensis ;  others  from  northeastern 
Lower  California  average  slightly  larger;  in  neither  case,  however, 
is  the  difference  sufficiently  marked  or  constant  to  warrant  recogni- 
tion by  name,  particularly  since  series  that  measure  slightly  larger 
or  smaller  are  found  throughout  the  entire  range.  Hesperomys  I. 
deserticolus  and  Sitomys  insolatus,  both  from  the  same  vicinity  in 
the  Mohave  Desert,  and  Peromyscus  oresterus,  from  northern  Lower 
California,  are  therefore  considered  as  synonyms  of  sonoriensis. 
The  type  of  P.  oresterus  is  evidently  abnormally  long-tailed,  since 
the  average  of  a  series  of  topotypes  is  much  smaller,  being  almost 
exactly  the  same  as  that  of  a  series  of  typical  sonoriensis. 

Specimens    examined. — Total    number,    1,923,    from    localities    as 
follows: 

Arizona:  Adonde,  Yuma  County,  3;  Head  of  Barbacornori  Creek,  San 
Pedro  Valley,  1;  Calabasas,  ">;  Dos  Cabesos,  1;  Ebrenberg,  1;  Fair- 
bank,  5;  Fort  Huachuca,  3;  Fort  Mohave,  4;  Gila  City,  1;  Grand 
Canyon,  1;  Ilolbrook,  32:  Huachuca  Mountains,  S;  Locbiel,  Pima 
County,  G;  Mohave  County,  opposite  Needles,  19;  Oracle,  1  ;  Painted 
Desert,  11;  Phoenix,  S;  San  Pedro  River,  5;  Sonora,  Pima  County,  1  ; 
Willcox,  1  ;  Yuma,  7. 
California:  Adobe  Station,  2;«  Amedee,  10;°  Ash  Creek,  20;  Bakersfield, 
1;°  Banning,  4;  Baregas  Spring,  2;  Barstow,  3;  Bear  Valley,  San 
Bernardino  County,  10 ;"  Bennett  Wells,  3;  Big  Pine  Mountain,  9:° 
Bishop  Creek,  3;  Blue  Lake,  G;a  Bridgeport,  1 ;°  Cabezon.  1  ;  Cameron, 
2 ;  Cameron  Lake,  1 :  Carrizo  Plains,  3  ;°  Casa  Diabolo,  Mono  County, 
2;a  Coahuila  Mountain,  1;  Colorado  Desert,  3;  Coso,  32;  Coso 
Mountains,  2;  Cuyama  Valley,  3;a  Death  Valley,  8;  Fort  Tejon,  20;° 
Furnace  Creek,  11  :  Granite  Springs,  2;  Grapevine  Springs,  1  ;  Haway 

"  Approaching  gambeli. 


1909.]  MANICULATUS    GROUP-     SONORIENSIS.  93 

Meadows,  6;  Honey  Lake,  4  ;'7  Hope  Valley,  2;"  Hot  Springs,  Mono 
County,  2:  Hot  Springs  Valley,  1;  Independence  Creek,  2;  Indian 
Canyon,  4;"  Inyo  Mountains,  16;  Keeler,  5;  South  Fork  Kern  River, 
25  miles  above  Kernville,  18;  Kernville,  r> :  Leavett  Meadows,  Mono 
County,  1;  Little  Bear  Valley,  San  Bernardino  Mountains,  14  ;a  Liille 
Owens  Lake,  3;  Lone  Pine,  28;  Long  Valley,  Mono  County,  24  \a  Lytle 
Creek,  1;  Mammoth,  1;  Markleeville,  3;"  Maturango  Spring,  4;  Men- 
ache  Meadows,  6 ;  Mesquite  Valley,  1 ;  Mohave,  13  ;  Mohave  Desert,  1  ;& 
Mohave  River,  7;  Mono  Flats,  Santa  Barbara  County,  3;°  Mono 
Lake,  38;°  Mono  Fass,  5;a  Morongo  Pass,  13;  Mount  Pinos,  6;° 
Mount  Whitney,  48;  Needles,  26;  Neenach,  4;  Olancha,  11;  Olancha 
Peak,  1 ;  Onyx,  11 ;  Oro  Grande,  12 ;  near  Owens  Lake,  6 ;  head  of 
Owens  River,  1;  Owens  Valley,  12;  Painted  Rock,  SE.  of  Kinnnler, 
1  ;a  Palm  Springs,  4;  Panamint,  5;  Panamint  Mountains,  62;  Pana- 
mint  Valley,  3;  Pine  City,  1;  Pine  Creek,  4;  Reche  Canyon,  near 
San  Bernardino,  10  \a  Resting  Springs,  2;  Round  Valley,  1;  San 
Antonio  Mountains,  2;  San  Bernardino,  7;  San  Bernardino  Moun- 
tains, 19;°  San  Bernardino  Valley,  21  ;  San  Emigdio,  6;"  San  Emigdio 
Canyon,  8;°  San  Felipe  Valley,  6;  San  Gorgonio  Pass,  1  ;  San  Jacinto 
Mountains,  41;"  San  Rafael  Mountains,  Santa  Barbara  County,  14;° 
Santiago  Springs,  1;"  Saratoga  Springs,  7:  Squirrel  Inn,  6;  Susan- 
ville,  3;a  Tehachapi,  50  ;a  near  Tejon  Pass,  2;a  Vallecito,  Colorado 
Desert,  1 ;  Victor,  1  ;  Walker  Basin,  3 ;  Walker  River.  Mono  County, 
2;°  Walker  Pass,  5;  Walters,  Colorado  Desert,  2;  White  Mountains, 
3;  Whitewater,  4;  Woodford,  Alpine  County,  53;  Yuma,  2. 

Idaho:''  Arco.  1;  Big  Butte,  2:  Big  Lost  River,  16;  Birch  Creek,  13; 
Blackfoot,  16;  Crow  Creek,  1;  Lemhi,  S;  Montpelier  Creek.  1;  Pah- 
simeroi,  2  ;  Sawtooth,  4  ;  Sawtooth  Lake,  12  ;  Shoshone  Falls,  5. 

Lower  California:  Aguaje  de  las  Fresas,  4;  Cocopah  Mountains,  6;  Han- 
son Lagoon,  17;  Hardy  River,  near  Volcano  Lake,  4;  head  of  Hardy 
River,  1;  La  Grulla,  19;  Poso  Vicente,  1;  San  Matins  Spring,  1; 
Seven  Wells,  9 ;  Vallecitos,  20. 

Nevada:  Anderson  Ranch,  Douglas  County,  10:  Arc  Dome,  1  :  Ash  Mead- 
ows, 10;  30  miles.  SW.  of  Austin,  3;  Bijou,  2;a  Bull  Run  Mountains 
2;d  Carson,  3  ;a  Carson  River,  6;a  Carson  Sink,  near  Timber  Lake 
3;  Charleston  Mountains,  11;   Cloverdale,  1;  Cottonwood  Range,  8 
Edgewood,  4;   Elko,  1;   Genoa,  1;   Gardnerville,  12;   Granite  Creek 
6;ffl  Grapevine  Mountains,  30;  Halleck,  5;  Holbrook,  3;   East  Hum 
boldt  Mountains,  1;   Indian  Creek,  1;   Lovelocks,  1;   McDermitt,  1 
Monitor  Valley,   2;   Mount   Siege],  228;  Mount   Sugar,  7;   Mountain 
City,  39;d  Oasis  Valley,    1:  Osobb   Valley,   1:   Pahranagat  Valley.  4 
Pahrump  Valley,  1;   Palisade,  4;    Rabbit  Dole   Mountains,   2;   head 
of  Reese  River,  35;  Reno,  6;a  Ruby  Mountains,  3  ;d  Ruby  Valley,  1 
near  Stillwater,  14;   Summit  Lake,  1;  Thorp  Mill,  3;  Vegas  Valley 
11;   Verdi,  8 ;«  Wadsworth,  1;   Washoe,  3;a  White  Rock  Valley,  3 
Winnemucca,  1;  Winter's  Mine,  Douglas  County,  17. 

Sonora:  Cienega  Well,  5;  Colonia  Lerdo,  1;  Colorado  River,  20  miles  S. 
of  U.  S.  Boundary,  2;  opposite  mouth  of  Hardy  River,  19;  Santa 
Cruz,  4;  Santa  Cruz  River,  2'.):  Sierra  de  Ios  Patogones,  1. 

"Approaching  gambeli. 
6  Type  of  dcserticolus. 

c  Nearly    all    Idaho    specimens    referable   to    sonoriensis    show    approach    to 
artemisiae. 

d  Approaching  rufinus. 


94  NOBTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

United  States  and  Mexican  Boundary:  Colorado  River,  at  Boundary 
Monument  No.  204,  17;   S;m  Luis  Springs,  Aniums  Valley,  4. 

Utah:"  Beaver  Mountains  (Puffer  Lake),  4;  Beaver  Valley,  4;  Browns 
Park,  2;  Clear  Creek,  1;  Diamond  Peak,  2:  Fairfield,  !> :  Fish  Lake 
Plateau,  2;  Glenwood,  3 ;  Hanksville,  1;  Henry  .Mountains  (Mount 
Ellen),  (5;  Kelton,  2;  Laketown,  3;  Loa,  4;  Manti,  2:  Marysvale,  5; 
Nephi,  11:  Ogden,  4:  Panguitch,  2;  Panguitch  Lake,  2;  Parawan 
Mountains  (Brian  Head),  2;  Provo,  0;  St.  George,  4;  Salt  Lake 
City,  13;  Santa  Clara,  3;  Santa  Clara  Creek,  1;  Uncouipahgre  Indian 
Reservation,  11. 

PJ}ROMYSCUS   MANICULATUS   CQOLIDGEI   Thomas. 

Peromyscus  leucopus  coolidgei  Thomas,  Ann.  &  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  ser.  7,  I,  p. 
45,  Jan.  1898. 

Type  local  it;/. — Santa  Anita,  Lower  California,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Greater  part  of  the  peninsula  of  Lower 
California  from  Cape  St.  Lucas  northward  to  the  vicinity  of  the 
southern  base  of  the  San  Pedro  Martir  Mountains. 

Characters. — Size  slightly  larger  than  in  P.  m.  gambeli,  about  as  in 
P.  m.  sonoriensis;  color  decidedly  paler  and  mere  ochraceous  than  in 
gambeli,  paler  even  than  in  sonoriensis ;  subterminal  zone  of  hairs  of 
upperparts  very  pale  and  usually  considerably  exposed  in  worn  pel- 
ages; color  somewhat  dimorphic  as  in.  P.  n>.  blandus. 

Color. — Similar  to  that  of  sonoriensis  but  averaging  slightly  paler, 
especially  in  worn  pelage.  Unworn  pelage,  buff  phase :  Upperparts, 
head,  and  sides  ochraceous  buff  lightly  and  uniformly  mixed  with 
dusky,  producing  a  general  effect  very  near  to  clay  color;  lateral  line 
scarcely  evident;  ears  broadty  whitish  distally,  white  spots  at  anterior 
bases  conspicuous;  underparts  pure  white;  feet,  forelegs,  and  tarsal 
joints  white;  tail  sharply  bicolor,  grayish  brown  above,  white  below. 
Worn  pelage,  buff  phase:  Upperparts  bright  ochraceous  buff  very 
lightly  mixed  wTith  cinnamon  on  back  and  rump,  becoming  pinkish 
buff  on  shoulders  wdiere  the  pale  subterminal  zone  of  the  hairs  is 
more  exposed ;  face  and  nose  usually  pale,  varying  from  pinkish  buff 
to  ochraceous  buff;  white  spots  in  front  of  ears  slight  or  obsolete. 
Unwrorn  pelage,  gray  phase:  Upperparts  pale  salmon  buff  to  pinkish 
buff  mixed  with  dusky,  producing  a  general  effect  approaching  ecru 
drab;  otherwise  about  as  in  buff  phase.  Worn  pelage,  gray  phase: 
General  effect  of  upperparts  pale  whitish  ecru  drab  lightly. touched 
with  cinnamon;  pale  whitish  buff  subterminal  zone  of  hairs  variously 
exposed. 

iSkull. — Rather  variable,  but  not  definitely  distinguishable  from 
that  of  sonoriensis;  possibly  averaging  slightly  smaller. 

Measurements. — Average  of  7  adults  from  Santa  Anita,  San  Jose 
del  Cabo,  and  Cape  St.  Lucas,  Lower  California:  Total  length,  171 

°  Mostly  approaching  ruflnus. 


190U.]  MANICULATUS   (IROUP MAEGARITAB.  95 

(162-178)  ;  tail  vertebrae,  82  (79-86)  ;  hind  foot,  21  ;  ear  from  notch 
(dry),  1G.3  (15.4-18).  Average  of  ten  adults  from  Santo  Domingo, 
Lower  California:  Total  length,  104  (158-171);  tail  vertebrae,  75 
(70-78)  ;  hind  foot,  21.9  (21.5-22). 

Type  specimen. — In  British  Museum.  Collected  May  21,  1896,  by 
Dane  Coolidge.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — Considering  its  distribution,  it  is  perhaps  strange  that 
this  form  is  not  more  decidedly  different  from  P.  m.  sonoriensis. 
The  most  that  can  be  said  is  that  it  averages  paler.  Many  specimens 
are  almost  indistinguishable,  particularly  from  the  sonoriensis 
found  in  southeastern  California.  These,  which  have  received  the 
name  ldeserticolus,'>  may  perhaps  be  regarded  as  in  a  slight  degree 
intermediate  between  true  sonoriensis  and  coolidgei.  In  worn  pelage, 
coolidgei  is  very  pale  and  the  head  and  shoulders  are  usually  of  a. 
whitish  cast  never  seen  in  sonoriensis.  Intergradation  with  sonorien- 
sis and  gambeli  apparently  takes  place  in  the  San  Pedro  Martir 
region.  In  this  region,  specimens  partake  of  the  characters  of  all 
three  of  the  surrounding  forms,  gambeli,  sonoriensis,  and  coolidgei. 
Unfortunately,  two  names,  '  thurberi^  and  '  oresterusj  were  based  on 
specimens  from  this  region,  and  as  neither  can  be  characterized  they 
are  synonymized  with  the  forms  they  resemble  most  closely.  The 
series  representing  '  thurberi^  seems  to  average  more  like  gambeli 
while  that  representing  '  oresterus  '  is  practically  indistinguishable 
from  sonoriensis.  They  are  from  localities  not  far  apart,  and  when 
specimens  in  all  pelages  are  available,  they  may  prove  to  be  alike,  but 
at  present  the  only  course  seems  to  be  to  dispose  of  them  as  above. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  114,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows : 

Lower  California:  Agua  Dulce,  1;  Calamahue,  9;  Cape  St.  Lucas,  8; 
La  Paz,  9;  riaya  Maria  Bay,  9;  Pozo  San  Augustin,  7;  Rosario,  1 
(approaching  sonoriensis?);  San  Andres,  6;  San  Fernando,  3  (ap- 
proaching sonoriensis);  San  Francisquito,  4;  San  Ignacid,  4;  20 
miles  west  of  San  Ignacio,  1  ;  San  Jose  del  Cabo,  11;  Santa  Anita.  4: 
Santa  Rosalia  Bay,  15;  Santo  Domingo,  14;  Turtle  Bay  (=San  Bar- 
tolome  Bay),  8. 

PEROMYSCUS    MANICULATUS    MARGARITAB    subsp.    nov. 

Type  from  Margarita  Island,  off  west  coast  of  southern  Lower  California, 
Mexico.  No.  146958,  IT.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological  Survey  Collection. 
$  adult.     Dec.  1,  1905.     E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A.  Goldman. 

Geographic  distribution. — Known  only  from  Margarita  Island. 

Characters. — Size  and  general  characters  about  as  in  P.m. coolidgei, 
color  decidedly  paler,  upperparts  chiefly  pale  pinkish  bnti":  skull 
short  and  broad. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  Upperparts,  sides,  and  head  pinkish 
buff  lightly  lined  with  dusky,  the  latter  scarcely  modifying  the  gen- 


96  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

eral  effect;  sides  of  face,  including-  base  of  whiskers,  nearly  clear 
pinkish  buff;  eyelids  very  slightly  dusky;  ears  thinly  clothed  basally 
and  more  thickly  distally  with  whitish  hairs,  membranous  part  of 
ears  whitish  basally  and  dusky  distally;  white  spots  at  anterior  bases 
conspicuous;  underparts,  nose,  feet,  and  fore  and  hind  legs  white; 
hairs  of  throat  white  to  roots,  those  of  remainder  of  underparts  with 
slaty  basal  zone  relatively  narrow;  tail  sharply  bicolor,  narrowly 
dusky  above,  white  below.  Worn  pelage:  General  effect  of  upper- 
parts  very  pale  pinkish  buff;  head  and  shoulders  distinctly  whitish, 
produced  by  the  exposure  of  the  subterminal  zone  of  the  hairs;  upper 
side  of  tail  sometimes  whitish  all  around  on  distal  third. 

Skull. — Similar  in  general  to  that  of  P.  m.  coolidgei,  but  averaging 
shorter  and  wider;  nasals  rather  short  and  very  wide. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotvpes:  Total  length  163 
(157-168);  tail  vertebra?  77  (74-81);  hind  foot  21.3  (20-22);  ear 
from  notch  (dry)   16.5   (14.6-17.5). 

Remarks. — This  mouse  wTas  found  by  Nelson  and  Goldman  only  on 
a  strip  of  light-colored  sand  beach  on  the  west  side  of  Margarita 
Island.  It  was  not  obtained  on  other  parts  of  the  island  where 
trapping  was  done.  In  color  it  is  almost  identical  with  P.  nivei- 
ventris,  which  is  found  on  similar  beaches  on  the  coast  of  Florida, 
and  thus  affords  an  excellent  example  of  the  development  of  like 
characters  under  like  conditions.  Although  quite  isolated  and  well 
characterized,  this  form  seems  best  treated  as  a  subspecies,  since  it 
is  obviously  derived  from  the  mainland  coolidgei,  in  which  variation 
in  the  direction  of  margaritm  is  considerable. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  19,  all  from  the  type  locality. 

PEROMYSCUS   MANICULATUS   CLEMBNTIS   Mearns. 

Peromyscus    texamus    dementis    Mearns,    Proc.    IT.    S.    Nat.    Mus.,    XVI II,    pp, 
44C.-i47,   Mar.   25,  1900. 

Type  locality. — San  Clemente  Island,  off  coast  of  southern  Cali- 
fornia. 

Geographic  distribution. — Outer  islands  of  the  Santa  Barbara 
group,  off  the  coast  of  southern  California,  including  San  Clemente, 
Santa  Barbara,  San  Nicolas,  Santa  Ivosa.  and  San  Miguel  islands. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  m.  gambeli,  but  averaging  slightly 
larger  and  darker. 

Color. — Similar  to  that  of  P.  m.  gambeli,  but  averaging  slightly 
darker;  ochraceous  buff  lateral  line  more  distinctly  marked;  unworn 
pelage  slightly  darker,  more  vinaceous,  and  more  mixed  with  dusky; 
worn  pelage  slightly  deeper,  more  reddish  colored. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  P.  m.  gambeli.  but  averaging  slightly 
larger,  and  a  trifle  more  elongate;  teeth  slightly  heavier. 


1909.]  MANICULATUS    GROUP CATALINAE.  97 

Measurement*. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes:  Total  length  164 
(156-172);  tail  vertebrae  74  (68-78);  hind  foot  20.6  (20-21.5);  ear 
from  crown  15.2  (14.5-16)  ;  ear  from  notch   (dry)   15.3   (14-17). 

Type  specimen. — No.  < >  1 1 1 7  U.  S.  National  Museum.  $  adult. 
Aug.  27.  L894.    E.  A.  Mearns.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — This  form,  which  occupies  the  outermost  of  the  Santa 
Barbara  Islands,  is  more  closely  similar  to  gambeli,  1  he  mainland 
form,  than  is  catalinae,  which  occupies  the  nearer  islands.  The 
slight  characters  which  distinguish  it  from  gambeli,  though  not 
evident  in  every  specimen,  are  observable  in  the  majority  of  every 
series.  Such  exceedingly  slight  peculiarities  as  are  found  in  each 
of  the  series  from  individual  islands  are  scarcely  tangible,  so  the 
most  satisfactory  arrangement  seems  to  be  the  reference  of  all  from 
the  outer  islands  to  one  form. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  136,  from  localities  as  follows: 

California:    San  Clem  en  te  Island,  54;   San  Miguel  Island,  25;   San  Nico- 
las Island,  22;  Santa  Barbara   Island,  2'»;  Santa  Rosa  Island,  15. 

PEROMYSCUS   MANICULATUS   CATALINAE    Elliot. 

Peromyscus  catalinae  Elliot,  Field  Col.  Mus.,  Chicago,  Zool.   Sit.,  Ill,  p.  160, 
April,  1903. 

Type  locality. — Santa  Catalina  Island.  Santa  Barbara  group,  off 
the  coast  of  southern  California. 

Geographic  distribution. — Santa  Catalina  and  Santa  Cruz  islands, 
Santa  Barbara  group,  off  the  coast  of  southern  California. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  m.  dementis,  but  larger;  ears  larger; 
tail  longer  and  coarser;  skull  larger  and  heavier. 

Color. — About  as  in  P.  m.  dementis;  slightly  darker  and  more 
vinaceous  than  in  P.  m.  gambeli. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  /'.  m.  dementis,  but  decidedly  larger 
and  heavier;  zygomata  very  heavy  and  deeply  notched  anteriorly; 
nasals  very  broad  and  slightly  concave  anteriorly;  audital  bullae 
actually  and  relatively  larger:  molar  teeth  large. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length  176:  tail  vertebra3  92;  hind 
foot  23;  ear  from  notch  18.  Average  of  ten  adults  from  Santa  Cruz 
Island:  196  (185-214);  96  (88-105):  22  (21-23);  15.7   (15-16.8). 

Type  specimen. — No.  11017  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
Chicago.  $  adult.  Feb.  6,  1903.  J.  Rowley.  Skin  in  good  con- 
dition ;  skull  with  vault  of  cranium  broken. 

Remarks. — This  form  differs  decidedly  from  P.  m.  gambeli,  and 
fully  adult  specimens  almost  equal  P.  boylei  in  size  and  length  of 
tail.  Most  of  the  specimens  available  are  in  ragged  worn  pelage, 
so  that  it  is  difficult  to  ascertain  to  what  degree  the  form  may  be 
characterized  by  color,  but  apparently  it  does  not  differ  greatly,  if 

66268— No.  28—09 7 


98  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

at  all,  from  P.  m.  dementis.  Specimens  from  Santa  Catalina  and 
Santa  Cruz  islands  appear  to  be  practically  identical,  notwithstand- 
ing the  fact  that  both  islands  are  nearer  to  islands  inhabited  by 
P.  m.  dementis  than  to  each  other.  The  Santa  Cruz  Island  speci- 
mens appear  to  have  slightly  smaller  ears  than  those  from  Santa 
Catalina. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  50,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows : 

California:    Santa  Catalina  Island,  25;   Santa  Cruz  Island,  25. 

PEROMYSCUS  MANICULATUS  DUBIUS  Allen. 

Peromtyscus  dublus  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  X,  pp.  157-158,  April 
12,  1S9S. 

Type  locality. — Todos  Santos  Island,  off  west  coast  of  northern 
Lower  California,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Known  from  Todos  Santos  and  Coro- 
nados  islands  off  west  coast  of  northern  Lower  California,  Mexico. 

Oharacters. — Size  large,  decidedly  larger  than  P.  m.  gambeli;  hind 
foot  equaling  that  of  P.  m.  catalinae,  tail  and  ears  relatively  shorter; 
color  dark. 

Color.- — Similar  in  general  to  that  of  gambeli,  catalinae,  and  geroni- 
mensis  but  darker  and  richer.  Worn  pelage:  General  effect  of  sides 
and  rump  rich  russet,  becoming  nearly  Mars  brown  in  middle  of 
back ;  head  and  shoulders  cinnamon  to  russet,  slightly  grizzled  with 
dusky;  ears  dusky  brownish,  rather  broadly  edged  with  whitish; 
underparts  buffy  white;  tail  sharply  bicolor. 

Skull. — Large  and  heavy,  nearly  or  quite  equaling  that  of  catcdinae 
and  decidedly  exceeding  that  of  gambeli;  posterior  palatine  fora- 
mina very  large;  zygomata  slightly  notched  anteriorly;  teeth  rela- 
tively large. 

Measurements. — Average  of  5  adult  topotypes:  Total  length,  186 
(176-195)  ;  tail  vertebra?,  81  (77-02)  ;  hind  foot,  21  (20-22)  ;  ear  from 
notch- (dry),  15.5  (14.6-17.4). 

Type  specimen. — No.  y-ff  f  f  American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
New  York.  $  adult.  Mar.  11,  1897.  A.  W.  Anthony.  Specimen 
in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — The  mice  of  the  maniculatus  group  on  the  islands  off 
the  west  coast  of  southern  and  Lower  California  are  all  of  one  gen- 
eral type  and  all  differ  from  the  mainland  form  gambeli  in  being 
larger  and  more  robust.  The  distinctions  separating  the  various 
forms  in  this  insular  series  are  slight.  Beginning  at  the  north,  cata- 
Unae  is  distinguished  chiefly  by  its  long  tail  and  ears;  next  comes 
dubhis,  in  which  the  tail  is  slightly  shorter  and  the  color  darkest 
of  all ;  then  follows  geronimensis,  which  is  very  like  dubius  except 


1909.]  MANICULATUS   GROUP GERONIMENSIS.  99 

in  its  paler  color,  .and  then  cineritius,  which  is  the  palest  form.  Any 
one  of  these  forms  may  be  separated  from  gambeli  by  larger  size. 
Specimens  from  the  Coronados  Islands  are  exactly  like  topotypes 
of  dubius  in  color,  and  their  skulls  differ  only  in  having  the  zygo- 
mata slightly  less  notched  anteriorly. 

/Specimens  examined. — Total  number  68,  from  localities  as  follows: 
Lower  California:   Coronados  Islands.  45;  Todos  Santos  Island,  23. 

PBROMYSCUS   MANICULATUS   GERONIMENSIS   Ai.lkx. 

Peromyscus  geronimensis  Allen.  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  X,  p.  156,  Apr. 
12,  1898. 

Peromysous  exiguus  Allen,  supra  cit.  i>.  157 — San  Martin  Island,  Lower  Cali- 
fornia. 

Type  locality. — San  Geronimo  Island,  off  west  coast  of  Lower 
California,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Known  from  various  islands  off  the 
west  coast  of  the  northern  half  of  Lower  California,  including  San 
Martin,  San  Geronimo,  and  Natividad  islands. 

Characters. — Similar  in  size  and  general  characters  to  P.  m.  dubius, 
but  color  paler;  similar  in  color  to  P.  m.  grambeli,  but  size  decidedly 
larger. 

Color. — About  as  in  gambeli,  possibly  averaging  slightly  paler, 
thus  approaching  the  color  of  sonoriensis;  upperparts,  head,  and 
sides  ochraceous  buff,  lightly  and  uniformly  mixed  with  dusky;  ears 
extensively  whitish  distally,  brownish  dusky  proximally;  white  spot 
at  anterior  bases  usually  prominent ;  underparts  creamy  white ;  feet 
white,  without  dusky  markings  on  tarsal  joint ;  tail  sharply  bicolor. 

Skull. — Rather  variable,  but  averaging  practically  as  in  P.  m. 
dubius. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes:  Total  length,  178 
(170-182)  ;  tail  vertebra?,  81  (79-85)  ;  hind  foot,  22.1  (21-23)  ;  ear 
from  notch  (dry),  16  (14.5-17.3).  Average  of  10  adults  from  San 
Martin  Island:  Total  length,  170  (163-181);  tail  vertebra?,  78.5 
(70-82). 

Type  specimen. — No.  Iffio  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
New  York.  $  adult.  March  17,  1897.  A.W.Anthony.  The  above 
is  the  number  originally  published  as  that  of  the  type  but  the  speci- 
men now  bearing  a  type  label  does  not  have  this  number. 

Remarks. — This  form  agrees  with  dubius  and  cineritius  in  size 
and  proportions  but  differs  in  color,  being  paler  than  dubius  and 
decidedly  less  grayish  and  more  ochraceous  than  cineritius.  Speci- 
mens from  San  Geronimo  Island  have  skulls  with  nasals  averaging 
slightly  more  slender  than  in  those  from  San  Martin  Island,  but 
variation  is  so  great  that  there  seems  to  be  no  safe  basis  for  separa- 


100  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

lino;  them.     Specimens  from  Natividad  differ  only  in  a  slight  ap- 
proach toward  the  paleness  of  cineritius. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  220,  from  localities  as  follows : 

Lower  California:   Natividad  Island,  21  ;  San  Geronimo  Island,  142;  San 
Martin   Island.  57. 

PEROMYSCUS  MANICULATUS  CINERITIUS  Allen. 

Peromyscus  cineritius  Allen,  Bull.  Ann  Mns.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y..  X,  p.  155,  April 

12,  1S9S. 

Type  locality. — San  Roque  Island,  off  Lower  California,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Confined  to  San  Koque  Island. 

Characters. — Size,  proportions,  and  cranial  characters  about  as  in 
geronimensis;  color  slightly  less  dusky  and  general  effect  much 
grayer;  buffy  ochraceous  tints  minimized. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  General  effect  of  upperparts  pale  drab 
(Ridg.  PL  III,  No.  18)  ;  ground  color  pale  ecru  drab  uniformly  mixed 
with  dusky;  lateral  line  scarcely  evident  except  in  interfemoral 
region  about  the  base  of  the  tail,  where  it  is  fairly  well  marked  and 
of  a  rather  lively  pinkish  buff  color;  a  very  small  dusky  spot  at 
base  of  whiskers;  orbital  ring  scarcely  evident,  or,  at  most,  confined 
to  the  eyelids;  ears  dusky  rather  broadly  edged  with  whitish;  under- 
pays yellowish  white;  tail  sharply  bicolor,  dusky  brownish  above, 
white  below;  feet  white  with  a  dusky  marking  on  the  tarsal  joint. 

Skull. — Practically  as  in  geronimensis;  braincase  apparently 
slightly  lower  and  flatter;  zygomata  possibly  more  angular  an- 
teriorly. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length  191;  tail  vertebrae  83;  hind 
foot  (dry)  21.8.  Average  of  three  adult  topotypes:  Total  length  175 
(171-184)  tail  vertebra?  76  (75-78). 

Type  specimen. — No.  yfill?  American  Museum  of  Natural  His- 
tory, New  York.  $  adult.  June  21,  1897.  A.  W.  Anthony.  Skin 
in  fair  condition.  Skull  in  good  condition  but  molariform  teeth 
absent  except  right  ml  and  left  nil  and  m2. 

Remarks. — This  is  one  of  the  best  marked  of  the  Pacific  Coast  in- 
sular forms.  It  is  readily  distinguishable  from  all  others  known,  by 
its  pale  grayish-drab  color.  The  color  is  somewhat  similar  to  that 
of  adolescents  of  other  forms,  but  no  specimens  are  at  hand  that  are 
exactly  like  it.  It  may  possibly  possess  certain  average  cranial  char- 
acters, but  with  a  very  limited  representation  of  it,  this  can  not  now 
be  determined. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  9,  all  from  the  type  locality. 


1909.]  MANICULATUS   GROUP SITKENSTS.  101 

PEROMYSCUS    MANICULATUS    MAGDALENAE    subsp.    nov. 

Type  from  Magdalena  Island,  off  west  coast  of  southern  Lower  California, 
Mexico.  No.  146971  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological  Survey  Collection. 
$    old.    Dec.  3,  1905.     E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A.  Goldman. 

Geographic  distribution. — Magdalena  Island  and  a  narrow  strip 
of  the  adjacent  mainland  of  the  peninsula  of  Lower  California. 

Characters. — Most  similar  to  P.  m.  geronimensis,  but  larger  and 
with  a  slightly  longer  tail;  color  slightly  darker  and  more  tawny; 
decidedly  larger  and  darker  than  in  coolidgei  and  margaritae. 

Color. — Similar  to  that  of  P.  m.  geronimensis,  but  averaging 
slightly  darker  and  more  tawny.  No.  14(3972,  slightly  worn  pelage: 
Upperparts  between  ochraceons  buff  and  vinaceons  cinnamon  lightly 
mixed  with  dusky,  the  latter  somewhat  heavier  on  dorsum ;  face  and 
head  very  slightly  paler  than  sides;  eyelids  dusky;  ears  dusky 
broadly  edged  with  white;  underparts  creamy  white. 

Skull. — Practically  as  in  P.  m.  geronimensis ;  braincase  averaging 
slightly  broader;  zygomata  not  so  deeply  notched  anteriorly. 

Measurements.— Average  of  7  adult  topotypes:  Total  length  181 
(175-200)  ;  tail  vertebrae  88  (82-96)  :  hind  foot  22.8  (22-23)  ;  ear 
from  notch  (dry)  16.6  (15.5-17.8). 

Remarks. — Although  the  characters  are  slight,  the  isolation  of 
this  form  seems  to  warrant  recognition.  The  form  is  apparently 
surrounded  by  P.  m.  coolidgei,  from  which  it  is  quite  distinct,  while 
it  is  very  similar  to  the  isolated  and  geographically  distant  geroni- 
mensis. It  occurs  on  the  mainland  of  the  peninsula  as  well  as  on  the 
island,  and  quite  probably  intergrades  with  coolidgei.  The  island 
is  but  narrowly  separated  from  the  peninsula  and  at  low  tide  the 
amount  of  intervening  water  is  said  to  be  so  little  at  some  points 
as  to  be  easily   fordable. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  19,  from  localities  as  follows: 

Lower   California:  Magdalena   Island,  9;   Matancita,  2;    San  Jorge,   7; 
San  Juanico  Bay,  1. 

PEROMYSCUS   SITKENSIS  Merriam. 

(PI.  II,  fig.  7.) 

Peromyscus  sitkensis  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.  NT,  p.  223,  July  15,  1S97. 

Type  locality. — Sitka,  Baranof  Island,  Alaska. 

Geographic  distribution. — Baranof  and  Chichagof  islands,  Alaska. 

Characters. — Similar  in  color  and  general  characters  to  hylaeus 
and  macrorhinus  but  decidedly  larger  than  either,  though  exceeding 
macrorhinus  much  less  than  hylaeus;  skull  very  large  and  heavy, 
larger  than  that  of  any  other  species  of  the  subgenus  Peromyscus 
found  north  of  Mexico. 


102  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Color. — Much  as  in  macrorhinus,  hylaeus,  keeni,  etc.  Worn  pe- 
lage :  Sides  rich  russet  or  Mars  brown,  shading  on  dorsum  to  Prout 
brown  and  sometimes  burnt  umber;  dusk}'  markings  about  face,  fore- 
arms, and  ankles  well  developed ;  very  little  or  no  white  at  anterior 
bases  of  ears.  Adolescent  pelage:  General  effect  on  sides  isabella 
color  lightly  tinged  with  dusky ;  dorsum  usually  darker  than  sides. 

Skull. — Most  similar  to  that  of  macrorhinus,  from  which  it  differs 
chiefly  in  larger  size;  nasals  and  rostrum  very  long;  zygomata  some- 
what compressed  anteriorly;  teeth  rather  large;  audital  bullae  rela- 
tively small. 

Measurements. — Average  of  ten  adult  topotypes:  Total  length 
224;  tail  vertebras  113.G;  hind  foot  2G.5;  ear  from  notch  (dry)  16.5 
(14.9-17.8). 

Type  specimen. — No.  73809  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  collection.  $  adult.  July  30,  1895.  C.  P.  Streator.  Speci- 
men in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — P.  sitkensis  is  closely  allied  to  the  species  maniculatus, 
and  though  apparently  distinct,  extremes  of  variation  show  a  marked 
approach  to  macrorhinus.  From  present  material,  however,  it  seems 
that  the  ranges  of  macrorhinus  and  sitkensis  are  not  continuous,  and 
it  is  therefore  probable  that  if  sitkensis  intergrades  with  any  member 
of  the  group  it  is  with  hylaeus.  P.  m.  sitkensis  is  decidedly  the  lar- 
gest member  of  the  maniculatus  group,  and  in  other  groups 
found  north  of  Mexico  it  has  no  rival  in  size  except  P.  californicusi 
with  which  close  comparison  is  not  necessary.  Specimens  from 
Chichagof  Island  are  almost  identical  with  topotypes,  merely  aver- 
aging a  trifle  smaller. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  54,  from  localities  as  follows: 

Alaska:   Sitka,  Baranof  Island,  35;  Tenakee  Inlet,  Chichagof  Island,  19. 
PEROMYSCUS    SITKENSIS   PREVOSTENSIS   Osgood. 

Peromyscus  prevostensis  Osgood,  N.  Am.  Fauna  No.  21,  pp.  29-30,  Sept.  1901. 

Type  locality. — Prevost  Island,  Queen  Charlotte  Group,  British 
Columbia. 

Geographic  distribution? — Prevost  Island. 

Characters. — Similar  to  sitkensis,  but  with  slightly  shorter  tail  and 
slight  cranial  characters.  Somewhat  similar  to  macrorhinus,  but 
hind  foot  longer  and  tail  shorter;  skull  decidedly  larger  and  heavier. 

Color. — Similar  iositkensis  and  macrorhinus, but  averaging  slightly 
darker.  Sides  rich  Mars  brown  shading  into  a  broad  irregular  area 
of  mummy  brown  on  dorsum:  dusky  orbital  ring  and  spot  at  base 
of  whiskers  very  broad  and  scarcely  separated,  sometimes  contiu- 


IflOn.l  MANICULATUS   GROP POLIONOTUS.  103 

ent ;  ears  dusky,  narrowly  edged  with  whitish,  no  white  at  anterior 
bases;  underparts  grayish  white,  occasionally  with  a  faint  wash  of 
pinkish  buff  on  middle  of  breast ;  forearms  to  wrist  same  color  as 
sides,  hands  white ;  '  ankles '  dusky  brownish  posteriorly  or  some- 
times all  around;  hind  feet  usually  white,  lightly  washed  with  dusky 
brownish  to  bases  of  toes;  tail  dark  brown  above,  white  below. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  sitkensis,  but  slightly  heavier;  nasals 
averaging  shorter  and  not  so  attenuate  posteriorly;  posterior  pala- 
tine foramina  nearly  or  fully  twice  as  long  as  in  sitkt  nsis,  forming 
distinct  slits  rather  than  nearly  round  punctures. 

Measurements. — Average  of  47  adult  topotypes:  Total  length  217 
(205-230)  ;  tail  vertebne  104  (97-llC>)  ;  hind  foot  26  (25-27)  ;  ear 
from  notch  (dry)  15.6  (14.4-10.4). 

Type  specimen. — No.  100818  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  collection.  2  adult.  July  5,  11)00.  W.  H.  Osgood  and 
E.  Heller.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — Since  this  form  was  described,  2  specimens  referable  to 
it  have  been  received  from  Forrester  Island,  Alaska,  a  small  islet  off 
the  southwest  coast  of  Prince  of  "Wales  Island.  Specimens  of  typical 
sitkensis  also  have  been  obtained  from  Chichagof  Island,  Alaska. 
The  known  distribution  of  sitkensis  and  its  one  closely  allied  sub- 
species is  therefore  curiously  interrupted  and  quite  independent  of  its 
nearest  relatives  (macrorhinus,  hylaeus,  and  keeni),  although  so  far 
as  yet  known  sitkensis  wherever  found  occurs  alone.  Thus  in  the 
long  distance  from  Baranof  and  Chichagof  islands  to  Forrester 
Island  are  several  islands  inhabited  apparently  by  hylaeus  alone.  In 
the  same  way  the  large  islands  of  the  Queen  Charlotte  group  (Gra- 
ham and  Moresby)  inhabited  only  by  P.  m.  keeni  intervene  between 
Forrester  Island  and  Prevost  Island. 

Specimen*  examined. — Total  number  49,  from  localities  as  follows: 

Alaska:   Forrester  Island,  2. 

British  Columbia:  Provost  Island,  Queen  Charlotte  Islands,  47. 

Key  to  subspecies  of  Peromyscus  polionotus. 

a.  Hairs  of  underparts  chiefly  white  to  roots. 

b.   Size  smaller;   total  length  usually   loss  than   130;   color  slightly  darker.      Western 
Florida. 

1.  Nose  with  a  white  stripe;  or  it*  not,  thighs  white  all  around P.  p.  albifrons 

2.  Nose  without  white  stripe;   thighs  fulvous  on  inner  side /'.  p.   rhoadsi 

bb.   Size   larger;   total    length   usually   more   than    130;   color  slightly    paler.      Eastern 

Florida. 

c.  Color  very  pale;  white  of   underparts  usually  reaching   lower  border  of  eye; 

white  spots  above  eyes  conspicuous.     Anastasia   Island--/'.  />.  phasma 

cc.  Color  not  so  pale;  white  of  underparts  usually  not   reaching  lower  border  of 

eye;  white  spots  above  eyes   usually  obsolete.      Mainland   of   Florida. 

/'.  p.  niveiventris 
aa.   Hairs  of  underparts  chiefly  slaty  at  bases P.  polionotus 


104  NOKTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

PEROMYSCUS  POLIONOTUS  (Wagner). 

(PL  II,  flg.  11.) 

Mus  polionotus  Wagner,  ArcMv.  f.  Naturg.  v.  Wieg.,  II,  i>.  52,  1.s4.°,. 

Sitomys   niveiventris  subgriseus  Chapman,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y., 

V.  p.  341,  Dec.  22,  1893. 
Peromyscus  subgriseus  subgriseus  Bangs,  Proc.  Post.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XXVIII, 

p.  200,  March,  1898. 
Peromyscus  subgriseus  arenarius  Bangs,  supra  cit.,  pp.  202-203,  1S98 — Hursman 

Lake,  Scriven  County,  Georgia — not  /'.  eremicus  arenarius  Mearns  1896. 
Peromyscus  subgriseus  baliolus  Bangs,  Science,  N.  S.,  VIII,  pp.  214-215,  Aug. 

19,  189S — new  name  for  /'.  s.  arenarius  Bangs,  preoccupied. 
Peromyscus  polionotus  Osgood,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XX,  p.  4!>,  1907. 

Type  locality. — Georgia. 

Geographic  distribution. — Open  fields  of  the  interior  of  northern 
Florida  and  southern  Georgia. 

Characters. — Similar  in  general  to  P.  m.  pallescens  and  P.  rn. 
bairdi,  but  even  smaller — much  smaller  than  any  other  species  of  the 
Atlantic  States.  Hairs  of  underparts  slaty  gray  at  base  except  on 
chin  and  throat  where  they  are  white  to  roots;  tail  definitely  bicolor. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  Upperparts  nearly  uniform  brownish 
fawn;  ground  color  dark  fawn  finely  mixed  with  brownish  dusky 
which  is  slightly  concentrated  on  dorsum;  sides  of  face  and  orbital 
region  inclining  to  brighter  fawn;  narrow7  orbital  ring  dusky;  ears 
dusky,  whitish  edged,  decidedly  darker  than  in  niveiventris;  sub- 
auricular  tufts  fawn  and  whitish  or  entirely  like  rest  of  upperparts; 
feet  and  forelegs  white;  underparts  creamy  white,  hairs  white  to 
bases  on  chin  and  throat,  slaty  gray  at  bases  elsewhere ;  tail  decidedly 
bicolor,  dusky  brown  above,  white  below.  Worn  pelage :  Sides  be- 
tween fawn  and  cinnamon,  rather  brighter  than  either;  back  darker, 
almost  Prout  brown ;  otherwise  similar  to  unworn  pelage.  Ado- 
lescent pelage :  Sides  broccoli  brown  tinged  with  fawn,  nearly  like 
ecru  drab,  middle  of  back  much  darker,  blackish  hair  brown. 

Skull. — Similar  in  general  to  that  of  P.  m.  bairdi,  but  slightly 
shorter;  palatine  slits  in  particular,  shorter;  audital  bulla?  slightly 
larger;  skull  incomparably  smaller  than  that  of  P.  gossypinus  or 
any  other  species  of  the  Atlantic  coast  region. 

Measurements. — Average  of  5  adults  from  Gainesville,  Fla. :  Total 
length,  130  (125-137);  tail  vertebrae,  47  (41-52);  hind  foot  (dry), 
16.6  (15.6-17.7)  ;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  13  (12-13.4).  Average  of  10 
adults  from  Hursman  Lake,  Georgia:  126;  46.5;  16.5. 

Type  specimen. — Wagner's  original  type  of  this  species,  as  else- 
where stated  (Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XX,  p.  49,  1907),  is  still 
mounted  and  on  exhibition  in  the  museum  of  the  Polytechnic  in 
Zurich,  Switzerland.  Considering  its  long  exposure,  it  is  fairly  well 
preserved,  and  its  identity  with  the  mouse  that  has  been  currently 
known  as  subgriseus  is  obvious.     The  color  is  not  greatly  changed, 


1909.]  MANICULATUS    GROUP NTVEIVENTRIS.  105 

the  back  being  dull  brownish  and  the  sides  tinged  with  fawn,  while 
the  narrow  whitish  edgings  on  the  ears  are  still  evident,  and  the 
underparts  are  white.  The  skull  is  contained  in  the  skin,  and  the 
ungrooved  upper  incisors  are  plainly  visible.  The  tail  vertebrae  also 
are  present.  The  rough  measurements  of  the  mounted  specimen  are: 
Head  and  body.  55.5;  tail  vertebra-.  33;  hind  foot,  17.0;  ear  from 
notch,  10.  On  the  stand  are  several  labels  pasted  one  upon  another. 
The  outer  and  most  recent  one  is  inscribed  "  Mus  polionotus.  Grau- 
riickige  Maus.  X.  Amerika."  On  removing  this  the  next  was  ex- 
posed as  follows:  "  Mus  polionotus.  Die  grauriickige  Maus.  Xor- 
damerika.  Georgien."  This  was  in  the  hand  of  a  museum  director, 
who  I  was  informed  had  died  in  1865.  The  undermost  label  was 
not  fully  legible,  but  the  following  in  the  hand  of  Schinz  could  be 
seen:  "Mus  poliono-  Nordamer."  It  would  seem  therefore  that  this 
specimen  must  be  the  one  examined  and  named  by  Wagner  in  1843. 
A  few  lines  by  Schinz"  bearing  on  the  question  are  as  follows: 
"  Diese  kleine  Maus  ist  neu.  Wagner  benannte  sie  nach  dem  im 
Zurcher  Museum  befindlichen  Exemplar." 

Remarks. — P.  polionotus  is  the  representative  of  a  small  group  of 
closely  allied  forms,  all  of  very  small  size  and  of  limited  distribu- 
tion in  Florida  and  Georgia.  As  a  group  it  is  so  distinct  from  all 
its  congeners  of  the  Atlantic  slope  as  not  to  require  close  comparison. 
Its  relationship  seems  to  be  with  the  maniculatus  group,  as  repre- 
sented b}'  bairdi  and  pallescens.  P.  polionotus  is  very  similar  to 
pallescens,  and  if  their  ranges  were  continuous  intergradation  might 
well  be  expected. 

Although  niveiventris  and  phasma  are  slightly  larger  and  ap- 
parently isolated  from  the  smaller  polionotus  and  rhoadsi,  the  rela- 
tionship of  all  four  is  so  close  that  it  seems  best  to  treat,  them  as 
subspecies.  Specimens  from  Gainesville,  Fla.  {subgriseus) ,  are  in- 
termediate in  color  between  niveiventris  and  polionotus,  and  the  dif- 
ference in  size  is  so  slight  and  so  nearly  bridged  by  individual  varia- 
tion that  it  seems  very  probable  that  intergradation  to  the  last  de- 
gree will  yet  be  found. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  108,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows : 

Florida:   Bliteh  Ferry.  1  ;  Gainesville,  45. 

Georgia:   Butler,  24;  'Georgien,'  1    (type)  :  Hursman  Lake,  .°>7. 

PEROYIYSCUS  POLIONOTUS   NIVEIVENTRIS    (Chapman). 

Hespcrmiijix  niveiventris  Chapman,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist..  N.  Y.,  II,  p.  117, 

June,  1889. 
PeromijsvH.s  niveiventris  Bangs,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  X,  p.  122,  1896. 

Type  locality. — East  Peninsula,  opposite  Micco,  Fla. 
aSyn.  Mamm.,  II,  p.  177,  1845. 


106  NOETH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Geographic  distribution. — Sandy  beach  region  of  the  eastern 
coast  of  Florida. 

Characters. — General  characters  much  as  in  polionotus  but  size 
slightly  larger  and  color  paler;  color  of  upperparts  chiefly  pale 
ochraceous  buff,  underparts  creamy  white  to  roots  of  hairs. 

Color.— Unworn  pelage:  Ground  color  of  upperparts  pale  ochra- 
ceous buff,  brighter  on  head  and  back  and  paler  across  shoulders 
and  nape;  upperparts  with  a  fine  delicate  mixture  of  brownish 
dusky  throughout  but  not  greatly  modifying  the  buffy  which  domi- 
nates the  general  effect;  underparts  pure  creamy  white  to  roots  of 
hairs;  white  of  underparts  extending  well  up  on  sides,  sometimes 
produced  so  as  to  reach  the  lower  edge  of  the  eye;  white  of  sides 
near  lateral  line  not  extending  to  roots  of  hairs  which  are  slaty 
gray  at  base  like  those  of  the  upperparts;  ear  conch  dusky,  thinly 
clothed  with  buffy  white  hairs;  subauricular  tufts  chiefly  buffy,  but 
with  a  few  dusky  and  a  few  white  hairs;  feet  and  fore  legs  white; 
hind  legs  white  except  a  pale  buffy  area  from  'ankle1  to  body;  tail 
indistinctly  bicolor,  buffy  white  below  and  on  sides,  pale  brownish 
buff  on  top.  Worn  pelage:  Similar  to  unworn  pelage  but  brighter 
with  dusky  tone  entirely  eliminated,  hairs  tipped  with  rusty,  tail 
very  indistinctly  bicolor.  Young  in  first  coat:  General  effect  of 
upperparts  smoke  gray  produced  by  slate  gray  underfur  overcast 
by  buffy  white.  Adolescents:  Darker  and  more  grayish  than  adults, 
otherwise  similar. 

Skull. — Essentially  as  in  P.  polionotus,  but  larger;  molar  teeth 
larger. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes:  Total  length,  130 
(128-153)  ;  tail  vertebra,  52  (50-00)  ;  hind  foot,  18.1  (17-19)  ;  ear 
from  notch  (dry).  12.4  (11.6-13.5). 

Type  specimen. — No.  |^f|  American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
New  York.  $  adult.  March  3,  1889.  F.  M.  Chapman.  Skin  in 
fair  condition;  skull  with  right  zygoma  somewhat  broken  but  re- 
paired so  that  no  parts  are  missing. 

Remarks. — The  range  of  niveiventris  as  worked  out  by  Bangs  is 
very  limited,  including  only  the  narrow  strip  of  beach  on  the  eastern 
coast  of  Florida  where  sea  oats  (Uniola)  grow.  This,  however, 
does  not  of  necessity  preclude  the  possibility  of  intergradation  with 
polionotus.  the  range  of  which  is  often  interrupted,  as  is  that  of 
bairdi.  which  covers  a  wide  area,  but  only  on  prairies  and  ivplands, 
so  that  many  small  colonies  are  considerably  isolated. 

The  color  of  the  underparts  in  niveiventris,  phasma,  albifrons, 
and  rhoadsi — white  to  the  roots  of  the  hairs — is  unique  within  the 
genus  with  one  exception.  This  is  P.  I.  ammodi/tes  from  Monomoy 
Island,  Massachusetts,  which  also  lives  on  sandy  beaches  near  salt 
water.     P.  m.  margaritae  from  Lower  California  also  shows  much 


1909.]  MANICTJLATUS   GROUP RHOADSI.  107 

superficial  resemblance  to  it.  Such  parallel  development  from  the 
same  apparent  causes  suggests  that  purely  physical  processes  may 
have   determined    it. 

Specimen*  examined. — Total  number  188,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows : 

Florida:  Canaveral,  8;  Hillsboro  Inlet.  Dade  County,  2:  Jupiter  Island, 
22:   Lake  Worth,  3;  <>ak  Lodge,  opposite  Micco,  149 ;   Palm  Beach,  4. 

PEROMYSCUS   POLIONOTUS   PHASMA   Bancs. 

Peromyscus  phasma  Bangs,  Proo.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist..  XXVIII,  pp.  199-200, 
March,  1898. 

Type  locality. — Point  Romo,  Anastasia  Island,  Florida. 

Characters. — Similar  in  size  to  niveiventris,  but  pallid  color  much 
accentuated;  white  markings  more  extensive;  nose  and  spots  over  the 
eyes  and  at  base  of  ears  pure  white  and  very  conspicuous. 

Color. — Upperparts  pinkish  butt'  with  a  grayish  tinge  in  the  middle 
of  the  back;  nose,  a  spot  above  the  eye,  and  a  spot  at  the  base  of  the 
ear  white;  underparts  pure  white  to  the  roots  of  the  hairs,  the  white 
extending  farther  up  on  the  sides  than  in  niveiventris ;  feet  and  both 
fore  and  hind  legs  pure  white  all  around;  tail  white,  unicolor,  or 
with  faint  traces  of  dusky  on  the  upper  side;  ears  grayish  white 
within  and  without. 

Skull. — As  in  P.  p.  niveiventris. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes:  Total  length  138.5; 
tail  vertebrae  53.5;  hind  foot  18.7;  ear  from  notch  14. 

Type  specimen. — Xo.  7l7?>  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology,  Cam- 
bridge, Mass. ;  formerly  in  collection  of  E.  A.  and  O.  Bangs.  £  adult. 
Feb.  11,  1897.  ().  Bangs.  Skin  practically  perfect;  skull  without 
first  upper  molar,  otherwise  perfect. 

Remark*. — -This  form  shows  an  extreme  of  paleness.  It  is  thus 
quite  the  antithesis  of  polionotus.  In  general  terms,  therefore 
niveiventris  is  intermediate  in  color  between  phasma  and  polionotus. 
Although  individual  variation  in  niveiventris  does  not  reach  the  nor- 
mal type  of  phasma,  variation  in  that  direction  is  not  infrequent,  as 
shown  by  certain  specimens  with  incipient  white  superciliary  spots 
and  the  white  of  the  underparts  extending  to  the  lower  margin  of 
the  eye. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  54,  all  from  the  type 
locality. 

PEROMYSOTS    POLIONOTUS    RHOADSI    Bangs. 

Peromyscus  subgriseus  rhoadsi  Bangs,  Proc.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XXVII,  pp. 
201-202,  March,  1S98. 

Type  locality.— Head  of  the  Anclote  Eiver,  Hillsboro  County,  Fla. 
Geographic  distribution. — West  central  Florida,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Tampa  Bay. 


108  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  niveiventris,  but  size  smaller;  color 
averaging  slightly  darker;  hairs  of  underparts  white  to  roots  or  very 
slightly  slaty  at  bases. 

Color. — Similar  in  general  to  that  of  niveiventris,  but  averaging 
darker,  thus  being  intermediate  between  niveiventris  and  polionotux. 
Type  in  slightly  worn  pelage  (May)  :  Upperparts,  sides,  head,  cheek-, 
etc.,  rather  dark  ochraceous  buff  (slightly  deeper  colored  than  in 
niveiventris),  sparingly  mixed  with  dusky;  underparts  creamy  white, 
locally  with  traces  of  pale  slaty  at  bases  of  hairs;  ears  rather  darker 
than  in  niveiventris;  feet  white;  tail  white  above  and  below  distally, 
narrowly  brownish  buffy  above  proximally  for  about  half  its  length.* 
Unworn  pelage  (as  partially  indicated  by  available  material)  :  Simi- 
lar to  that  of  niveiventris,  but  slightly  darker  and  more  grayish. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  niveiventris  and  polionotus,  but  smaller 
than  in  either. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length  124.5;  tail  vertebrae  4G;  hind 
foot  10.5.  Average  of  10  adults  from  Tarpon  Springs,  Fla.,  and 
vicinity:   120;  47;  17. 

Type  specimen. — No.  0980  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology,  Cam- 
bridge, Mass.,  formerly  in  collection  of  E.  A.  and  O.  Bangs.  $  adult, 
old.  May  23,  1895.  W.S.Dickinson.  Skin  in  fair  condition.  Skull 
perfect,  except  for  a  slight  break  in  the  left  audital  bulla;  crowns  of 
molars  greatly  worn. 

Remarks. — As  suggested  by  Bangs,  this  form  may  range  through- 
out southwestern  Florida.  Its  relationship  to  polionotus  is  close,  and 
specimens  having  some  slaty  gray  at  the  bases  of  the  hairs  of  the 
underparts  are  not  uncommon  even  among  those  from  the  vicinity 
of  the  type  locality.  Except  for  its  small  size,  its  characters  are  inter- 
mediate between  those  of  niveiventris  and  polionotus.  Specimens 
from  Citronelle,  although  strongly  approaching  polionotus,  seem 
better  referable  to  rhoadsi. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  23,  from  localities  as  follows : 

Florida:   Head  of  Auclote  River,  6;  Citronelle,  2;  Cootie  River,  4;  Tar- 
pon Springs,  11. 

PEROMYSCUS  POLIONOTUS  ALBIFRONS  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Whitfield,  Fla.    No.  1297  Carnegie  Museum,  rittsburg,  Pa.      $  adult. 
Apr.  17,  1903.     W.  E.  Clyde  Todd. 

Geographic  distribution. — Coast  of  western  Florida  and  Alabama. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.   p.  rhoadsi.  but   white  of  underparts 

more  extensive;  end  of  nose  and  narrow  stripe  extending  nearly  to 

°  Specimens  having  the  tail  entirely  unieolor  are  to  be  found  as  in  niveiven- 
tris; in  the  type  of  rhoadsi  the  upper  and  lower  sides  of  the  tail  were  reversed 
in  preparing  the  specimen  and  the  color  of  the  natural  upper  side  is  easily 
overlooked. 


1909.]  MANICULATUS   GROUP MELANOTIS.  109 

interorbital  region  white  or  whitish:  white  of  underparts  reaching 
lower  border  of  eye;  thighs  whitish  with  little  or  no  extension  of 
body  color  on  inner  sides. 

Color. — General  color  of  upperparts  much  as  in  P.  p.  rhoadsi; 
back  and  sides  in  slightly  worn  pelage  (April)  grayish  fawn;  hairs 
of  underparts  white  to  roots  or  very  slightly  plumbeous  at  bases;  end 
of  nose  white  and  thence  narrowly  white  or  whitish  on  median  line 
to  the  lower  forehead  between  the  eyes;  white  of  underparts  extend- 
ing to  lower  border  of  eye;  feet  and  legs  white  all  around,  thighs 
without  extension  of  body  color;  ears  broadly  edged  with  white  and 
with  a  few  white  hairs  at  bases;  tail  white  all  around  except  basal 
third  or  fourth,  the  upper  side  of  which  is  pale  grayish  brown. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  /'.  [>.  r/toadsi,  but  slightly  larger;  molar 
teeth  slightly  larger. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes:  Total  length  130 
(122-130)  ;  tail  vertebra'  19  (11-53)  ;  hind  foot  17.5  (17-19). 

Remarks. — So  little  mammal  collecting  has  been  done  in  the  eastern 
Gulf  States,  except  in  peninsular  Florida,  that  the  discovery  of  this 
well-marked  form  in'  the  western  or  '  panhandle '  part  of  Florida  is 
not  surprising.  It  Avas  first  received  from  W.  E.  Clyde  Todd,  As- 
sistant Curator,  Section  of  Vertebrate  Zoolog}^,  Carnegie  Museum, 
who  collected  the  type  series.  Later,  specimens  were  secured  on  the 
coast  of  Alabama  by  A.  II.  Howell  of  the  Biological  Survey. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  19,  from  localities  as  follows: 

Alabama:  Bon  Secour,  6." 
Florida:   Whitfield,  13. 

PEROMYSCUS  MELANOTIS  Allen   and  Chapman. 

Peromyscus  melanotic  Allen  and  Chapman,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y., 

IX,  p.  203,  June  16,  1897. 
Peromyscus    cecilii    Thomas,    Ann.    &    Mag.    Nat.    Hist.,    Lond.,    Ser.    7,    XI, 

pp.  486-487,   May,   1903 — Santa  Barbara   Camp,    S.   sloi>e   Mount  Orizaba, 

Puebla,  Mexico. 
Peromyscus   melanotis  zamelas   Osgood,   Proc.  Biol.   Soc.   Wash.,  XVII,   p.  59, 

Mar.  21,  1904 — Colonia  Garcia,  Chihuahua,  Mexico. 

Type  locality. — Las  Vigas,  Veracruz,  Mexico.    Altitude,  8,000  feet. 

Geographic  distribution. — Higher  slopes  of  the  principal  moun- 
tains of  Mexico  north  of  the  States  of  Guerrero  and  Oaxaca.  Ex- 
tending along  the  Cordillera  of  Veracruz;  westward  from  Mount 
Popocatepetl  to  the  Sierra  Nevada  de  Colima,  and  northward  into 
the  Sierra  Madre  of  Durango  and  Chihuahua.  Transition  and  Cana- 
dian zones,  from  7,000  feet  to  12,000  feet  altitude. 

°  Received  too  late  for  use  in  connection  with  the  distribution  map  (Plate  I). 


no 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.    2S. 


Characters. — Size  small;  tail  very  short ;  pelage  usually  very  long 
and  lax.  Most  similar  to  P.  m.  labecula,  but  slightly  smaller;  brain- 
case  broader  and  more  rounded ;  rostrum  decidedly  longer  and  more 
slender. 

Color. — Winter  pelage:  Sides  and  most  of  upperparts  tawny 
ochraceous  lightly  lined  with  dusky;  median  dorsal  area  between 
shoulders  and  rump  distinctly  darker  than  rest  of  upperparts,  but 
always  mixed  dusky  and  tawny;  lower  cheeks  and  narrow  lateral 
line  tawny  ochraceous;  a  very  narrow  dusky  orbital  ring;  ears 
dusky  brownish  with  whitish  edgings;  ear  tufts  not  prominent,  same 


Fig.  l. — Distribution  of  Peromyscus  melanotis. 

color  as  surrounding  parts;  a  very  small  dusky  spot  at  base  of 
whiskers;  underparts  pure  white;  hands  and  feet  white;  outer  side  of 
"ankles'  dusky  brownish;  tail  very  sharply  bicolor,  sooty  brownish 
above,  white  below.  Summer  pelage:  Sides  tawny  ochraceous, 
clouded  with  sooty;  middle  of  back,  from  shoulders  to  base  of  tail, 
nearly  black,  with  only  slight  mixture  of  tawny;  dusky  markings 
more  extensive  than  in  winter  pelage,  otherwise  similar.  Young: 
Sides  pale  hair  brown  overlaying  deep  slate  color;  middle  of  back 
blackish  slate ;  underparts  washed  with  white. 

Skull. — About  the  size  of  that  of  P.  m.  sonoriensis;  characterized 
chiefly  by  long,  slender  rostrum  and  nasals,  decidedly  longer  than 


1009.]  MANICULATUS   GROUP MELANOTIS.  Ill 

in  P.  m.  fulvus  or  P.  m.  labecula;  nasals  more  compressed  poste- 
riorly; braincase  more  rounded;  interorbital  space  narrower; 
prezygomatic  notch  less  prominent;  audital  bullae  slightly  smaller; 
teeth  about  as  in  P.  m.  fulvus,  smaller  than  in  labecula. 

Measurements. — Adult  $,  topotype:  Total  length,  1-18;  tail  verte- 
bras, 58;  hind  foot,  21.  Average  of  G  adults  from  Perote  and  Cofre 
de  Perote,  Veracruz:  155  (132-168);  64  (58-66);  20.7  (20-21.5); 
ear  from  notch  (dry),  18  (17-19.2).  Of  5  from  Mount  Orizaba: 
161.4  (155-172);  71.8  (64-79);  21.7  (21-23).  Of  10  from  Mount 
Tancitaro,  Michoacan:    167  (160-175) ;  77.5  (71-81)  ;  21.5  (21-22). 

Type  specimen. — No.  {fill  American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
New  York.  $  adult.  April  30,  1897.  F.  M.  Chapman.  Specimen 
in  good  condition.  Skin  in  "  left  over  "  winter  pelage,  quite  pale, 
with  very  little  black  on  dorsum. 

Remarks. — The  small  size  and  short  tail  of  P.  melanotis  distinguish 
it  from  all  other  Mexican  species  except  those  of  the  maniculatus  and 
leu co pus  groups.  From  the  species  of  both  of  these  groups  it  differs 
in  cranial  characters,  particularly  in  the  length  and  slenderness  of 
the  rostrum.  Its  long  full  pelage  and  short,  sharply  bicolor  tail 
readily  distinguish  it  from  te Minus,  mesomelas,  etc.  It  does  not 
have  the  conspicuous  ear  tufts  of  labecula  and  fulvus,  and  its  ears 
are  larger  and  darker  than  in  either  of  these.  Nevertheless,  speci- 
mens in  certain  pelages  are  not  always  distinguishable  by  external 
characters  except  size.  It  is  found  at  high  altitudes  on  most  of  the 
loftier  mountains  of  central  Mexico,  and,  though  absolutely  isolated 
in  many  such  places,  it  shows  remarkably  little  deviation  from  one 
general  type.  The  variation  is  so  slight  that  there  seems  to  be  no 
logical  basis  for  the  separation  of  local  forms.  The  species  shows 
considerable  seasonal  variation,  however.  In  most  Mexican  species 
change  of  pelage  seems  to  be  irrespective  of  season.  In  this  moun- 
tain species,  however,  distinct  winter  and  summer  pelages  occur. 
As  no  specimens  taken  at  one  locality  at  different  seasons  are  avail- 
able, it  is  difficult  to  be  sure  that  there  are  two  yearly  molts  in  this 
species,  but  the  present  material  seems  to  indicate  two.  At  any  rate, 
all  the  winter  specimens  are  in  a  relatively  light-colored  pelage  and 
all  the  summer  ones  are  in  a  darker  pelage.  Moreover,  spring  (May) 
specimens  from  Cofre  de  Perote,  Veracruz,  are  changing  from  a 
worn,  light-colored  pelage  to  a  fresh  dark  state,  while  fall  (October) 
specimens  from  Salazar,  Mexico,  show  a  worn,  dark  pelage,  which 
is  being  replaced  by  a  fresh,  light-colored  one.  P.  cecilii  was  based 
on  specimens  of  P.  melanotis  in  summer  pelage.  Specimens  taken  in 
April  on  the  west  slope  of  Mount  Orizaba  at  an  elevation  of  9,500 
feet  are  in  somewhat  worn  winter  pelage,  and  show  very  little  black. 
They  do  not  differ  from  ordinary  melanotis  from  numerous  localities. 
There  is  only  slight  variation  in  cranial  characters.     Specimens  from 


112  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Mount  Tancitaro  are  a  trifle  larger  and  have  rather  wider  nasals  than 
usual.  Similar  specimens  may  be  found  in  any  good  series  from 
elsewhere.  The  molar  teeth  are  somewhat  larger  than  usual  in  series 
from  Ajuseo  and  Salazar,  Mexico.  The  specimens  representing  the 
supposed  form  '  zamelas '  are  very  extensively  black  and  are  from  a 
region  greatly  removed  from  the  type  localit}^  of  melanotic,  but  prob- 
ably represent  the  extreme  phase  of  the  ordinary  summer  pelage. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  203,  from  localities  in  Mexico, 
as  follows: 

Chihuahua:   Colonia  Garcia.  8;  Sierra  Madre  near  Guadalupe  y  Calvo,  18. 

Durango:  Coyotes,  8;  near  El  Salto,  5;  near  Guanacevi,  3. 

Hidalgo:   Sierra  de  Pachuca,  3;  Tulancingo,  1. 

Jalisco:    Sierra  Nevada  de  Colima   (12,000  feet),  8. 

Mexico:  Ajuseo,  14;  southwest  slope  Mount  Iztaccihuatl  (13,500  feet),  3; 

north  slope  Mount  Popocatepetl  (11,500  feet),  12;  Salazar,  28;  north 

slope  Yolcan  Toluca,  15. 
Michoacan:   Mount  Tancitaro  (12,000  feet),  27. 
Morelos:  Huitzilac,  6. 

Puebla:   West  slope  Mount  Orizaba  (0.500  feet),  7:  Mount  Orizaba,  15. 
Tamaulipas:  Miquihuana,  1. 
Veracruz:   Cofre  de  Perote   (12,500  feet),   10;   Las  Vigas,  3;   Perote,  1; 

Santa  Barbara   Camp,  Mount  Orizaba,  3. 
Zacatecas:    Valparaiso   Mountains,   4. 

Key  to  subspecies  of  Peromyscus  leucopus. 

a.   Habitat  north  of  Mexico. 

b.  Hairs  of  underparts  chiefly  white  basally.     Monomoy  Island,  Massachusetts. 

P.  /.  atnmodytes 
bb.   Hairs  of  underparts  chiefly  slaty  basally. 

c.   Color  largely  tawny  or  ochraceous  buff.     Chiefly  eastern  and  northern. 

d.  Size  large  :  hind  foot  22-24  ;  greatest  length  of  skull  usually  more  than  27  ; 
rostrum  and  nasals  longer.     Marthas  Vineyard,  Massachusetts. 

P.  I.  fusus 
dd.  Size  smaller  ;  hind  foot  20-28  ;  greatest  length  of  skull  usually  less  than  27  ; 
rostrum  and  nasals  shorter. 
C.  Color   darker,    usually   with   a    well-differentiated    dorsal    stripe.      Chiefly 
east  of  the  100th  meridian. 

1.  Color  darker;  size  smaller.     Southern P. leucopus 

2.  Color  paler;   size  larger.      Northern P.  I.  tioveboracensis 

re.  Color  paler,  usually  with  dorsal  stripe  only  slightly  developed  or  absent. 

Chiefly  west  of  the  100th  meridian. 

1.  A  slight  dorsal  stripe  usually  evident P.  /.  aridulus 

2.  No  dorsal  stripe  evident P.   I.  oehraceus 

cc.  Color   largely   fawn  or  vinaceous  cinnamon.     Chiefly   Texas,    New   Mexico,   and 

Arizona. 
d.  Size  larger  ;  hind  foot  21-24  ;  molars  larger ;  maxillary  toothrow  about  4. 

e.  Color  paler P.  1.  tornillo 

cr.  Color  slightly  darker P.   /.   arizona 

dd.   Size   smaller ;    hind   foot   20-23 ;    molars   smaller ;    maxillary    toothrow   less 

than  4 P.  1.  texanus 

aa.   Habitat  Mexico. 

b.  Color  chiefly  pale  fawn  with  relatively  little  dusky  mixture. 

c.  Habitat  south  of  lat.  20°  north P.l.afflnis 

cc.  Habitat  north  of  lat.   20°  north. 

d.  Size    larger :    molars   heavier ;    maxillary    toothrow   about   4.     Chiefly    north- 
western. 

1.  Color  paler =. P.    1.  tornillo 

2.  Color  slightly  darker P.   I.  arizonw 


1909.]  LEUCOPUS   GROUP LEUCOPUS.  113 

dd.  Size    smaller ;    molars    weaker ;    maxillary    toothrow    less    than    4.     Chiefly 

northeastern p.  I.   texanua 

66.  Color  chiefly  dusky  or  rich  dark  fawn  largely  mixed  with  dusky. 

c.  Color  slightly  paler  ;  adolescents  not  very  blackish  above.     Peninsula  of  Yucatan 
and  adjacent  islands. 

1.  Size  larger;  skull  and  teeth  heavier.     Cozumel  Island P.  I.  cozumelm 

2.  Size  smaller.     Mainland  of  Peninsula  of  Yucatan P.  1.  castaneus 

cc  Color    slightly    darker ;    adolescents    with    blackish    dorsum.       Veracruz    and 

Puebla p.  1.  mesomelas 

PEROMYSCUS    LEUCOPUS    (Rafinesque). 
(PL  VI,   fig.  4.) 

Musculus  a  leucopus  Rafinesque.  Am.  Monthly  Mag.,  Ill,  p.  446,  October,  1818. 

Mus  leucopus  Desmarest,  Mammalogie,  II,  p.  307,  1822. 

Hesperomys  leucopus  Le  Conte,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p.  413,  1852. 

Hesperomys  (Vesperimus)  leucopus  Coues,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p.  178, 
1874. 

Vesperimus  americanus  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist,  N.  T.,  Ill,  p.  297, 
June  30,  1891  (part). 

Peromyscus  leucopus  Thomas,  Ann.  &  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  ser.  6,  XV,  p.  192,  foot- 
note, February,  1895. 

Type  locality. — Western  Kentucky ;  assumed  to  be  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Ohio  River.  . 

Geographic  distribution. — Western  Kentucky  south  to  southern 
Louisiana,  west  to  Indian  Territory,  and  east  around  the  southern 
end  of  the  Allegheny  Mountains  to  eastern  Virginia.  Lower  Austral 
zone. 

Characters. — Size  medium  (hind  foot  about  20)  ;  tail  usually 
shorter  than  head  and  body  (rarely  exceeding  80)  ;  tail  evenly  clothed 
with  short  hairs,  decidedly  less  hairy  than  in  P.  in.  gracilis;  proximal 
two-fifths  of  hind  foot  hairy;  ears  medium  (about  14  from  notch) 
and  thinly  haired. 

Color. — No.  132230,  Mer  Rouge,  La.,  February  12,  in  new  pelage: 
General  color  of  upperparts  Mars  brown  rather  coarsely  mixed  with 
dusky ;  middle  of  back  only  slightly  darker  than  remainder  of  upper- 
parts;  ears  dusky,  very  narrowly  margined  with  whitish,  no  white 
spots  at  bases;  face  like  sides,  no  definite  orbital  ring,  whiskers  black- 
ish above,  white  below;  tail  dusky  brownish  above,  white  below; 
hands  and  feet  white,  upper  side  of  forearm  dusky,  '  ankles '  brown- 
ish ;  underparts  white  somewhat  modified  by  a  slaty  undercolor.  No. 
70984,  Avery,  La.,  March  10,  pelage  beginning  to  wear:  Ground  color 
of  upperparts  much  as  in  No.  132230  but  slightly  more  reddish ;  dusky 
mixture  stronger  and  dark  dorsal  area  more  definitely  different  from 

0  The  generic  name  Musculus  was  at  one  time  mentioned  by  Coues  (Monogr. 
N.  Am.  Rodentia,  p.  46,  1S77)  as  having  claims  for  recognition  instead  of 
Hesperomys,  then  in  use.  It  antedates  Peromyscus,  but  since  it  is  merely  an 
emended  form  of  Mus  and  was  definitely  stated  to  be  such  by  Rafinesque,  it 
has  no  standing. 

66268— No.  28—09 8 


114 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.  28. 


sides.  No.  71(507,  Hickman,  Ky.,  April  20,  pelage  much  worn:  Sides 
and  head  rather  dark  cinnamon  rufous  without  mixture  of  dusky, 
but  with  occasional  brownish  hairs;  middle  of  back  darker,  nearty 
russet,    brownish    hairs    more    numerous.      Adolescent,    No.    33978, 


Houma,  La.,  May  14:  Upperparts  Prout  brown  heavily  mixed  with 
dusky. 

Skull. — Averaging  slightly  smaller  than  in  P.  1.  noveboracensis / 
decidedly  smaller  than  in  P.  gossypinus;  molar  teeth  and  audita! 
bulla?  smaller;  zygoma  less  deeply  notched  by  infraorbital  foramen; 


1909.]  LEUCOPUS   GROUP LEUCOPUS.  115 

palatine  slits  usually  narrower  at  either  end  than  in  the  middle,  thus 
together  being  elongate  fusiform  in  shape;  palatine  slits  usually  ending 
well  in  advance  of  the  plane  of  the  front  of  first  upper  molar;  pre- 
maxillae  somewhat  swollen  laterally  in  front  of  infraorbital  foramina; 
interparietal  moderate,  about  three  times  as  long  transversely  as 
longitudinally. 

Measurement*. — Two  specimens  from  Big  Sandy,  Tennessee:  Total 
length,  180,  175;  tail  vertebra?,  78,  73;  hind  foot,  22,  20;  ratio  of  tail 
vertebrae  to  total  length,  0.433,  0.417.  Average  of  6  adults  from 
Houma,  La.:  166.5  (158-177) ;  77  (73-80);  20.5  (20-21);  ear  from 
notch  (dry)  13.7  (13.4-14).  One  adult  from  Hickman,  Ky. :  168; 
73;  19, 

Type  specimen. — Not  known  to  be  in  existence. 

Remarks. — The  species  Peromyscus  leucopus,  considered  as  a 
group,  is  naturally  divisible  into  three  subspecies  in  the  northeast 
and  several  others  (texanus,  etc.)  in  the  soutlmest.  The  three 
forms  of  the  northeast  are  well  characterized  at  the  extreme  points 
of  their  range,  which  may  be  said  to  represent  the  apices  of  a  tri- 
angle. They  range  without  interruption  from  one  to  the  other  with 
complete  intergradation.  If  these  forms  could  be  redescribed  and 
new  types  designated,  we  should  take  the  type  of  one  from  central 
New7  England,  another  from  eastern  Montana,  and  the  third  from 
southern  Louisiana.  The  actual  type  locality  of  leucopus,  however,  is 
between  the  extremes,  and  the  name  must  be  used  for  one  of  two 
forms  neither  of  which  is  well  developed  at  this  locality.  With  a 
rather  meager  representation  of  specimens  from  the  type  region  of 
leucopus,  it  has  seemed  best  to  apply  the  name  to  the  dark  southern 
form,  which  is  well  developed  in  southern  Louisiana  and  ranges 
north  to  western  Tennessee  and  Kentucky,  where  it  begins  to  show 
tendencies  toward  P.  I.  noveboracensis.  Eafinesque  does  not  give  an 
exact  locality  in  proposing  the  name  leucopus,  but  in  prefacing  a 
number  of  descriptions,  including  that  of  Musculus  leucopus,  says: 

I  have  visited  since  the  lower  parts  of  the  Ohio,  the  Wabash,  Green  River, 
Barrens,  Prairies,  and  the  States  of  Indiana,  Illinois,  etc.,  where  I  have  added 
much  to  my  former  discoveries. 

One  of  the  species  (?)  {Gerbillus  megalops)  named  on  the  same 
page  with  Musculus  leucopus,  is  said  to  be  found  "in  the  barrens  of 
Kentucky."'  No  other  mention  of  locality  is  made.  Recent  authors 
have  in  several  instances  considered  the  '  pine  barrens  of  Kentucky  ' 
as  the  type  locality.  Since,  however,  the  original  locality  mentioned 
was  inclusive,  it  seems  permissible  to  select  a  definite  locality  from 
among  those  known  to  have  been  visited  by  Rafinesque  on  the  trip 
mentioned  above.  Apparently  the  most  southern  locality  visited  by 
him  was  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  River,  and  as  it  is  desirable  to  apply 
the  name  leucopus  to  the  southern  form  of  the  group,  this  may  be 


116  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

considered  the  type  locality.  The  only  specimens  I  have  seen  from 
this  region  are  those  of  a  small  series  from  Hickman,  Ky.  These, 
while  evidently  somewhat  intermediate,  are  nearer  to  the  dark 
southern  form,  and  therefore  the  name  leucopus  is  applied  to  this 
form  rather  than  to  the  northern  one,  for  which  the  name  nove- 
boracensis is  available. 

The  long  use  of  the  name  leucopus  warrants  its  retention,  even  if 
it  be  necessary  to  construe  its  author  liberally.  The  applicability 
of  Rafinesque's  description,  however,  is  scarcely  to  be  doubted, 
although  he  describes  absolutely  impossible'  species  (?)  on  the 
same  page.     The  entire  description  is  as  follows: 

7.  Musculus  leucopus  R.  (White  feet  mouse.)  Body  brownish,  fallow  above, 
white  beneath,  head  fallow,  ears  large,  blackish,  tail  as  long  as  the  body,  pale 
brown  above,  gray  beneath,  legs  and  feet  white.     Length  5  inches. 

The  difference  between  leucopus  and  noveboracensis  is  not  suf- 
ficiently marked  so  that  individual  specimens  can  be  invariably 
identified.  Still,  specimens  in  absolutely  comparable  pelages  are 
usually  noticeably  different.  The  character  of.  leucopus  consists  in 
a  sort  of  saturate  or  intensified  color.  As  usual  in  such  cases,  there 
is  a  tendency  toward  the  extension  of  the  dark  body  color  to  parts 
which  are  white  in  paler  forms.  Thus,  a  tawny  pectoral  spot  is 
found  frequently  in  leucopus,  but  rarely  or  never  occurs  in  novebora- 
censis.  The  color  of  the  upperparts  extends  also  to  the  upper  side 
of  the  forearm  in  leucopus,  and  to  a  less  degree  or  not  at  all  in  nove- 
boracensis. The  pelage  of  leucopus  is  shorter  and  possibly  harsher 
than  that  of  its  northern  representative.  The  winter  pelage  is  not 
so  long  and  full,  and  the  period  is  shorter  during  which  it  does  not 
show  marked  effects  of  abrasion.  P.  leucopus  intergrades  with  nove- 
boracensis on  the  north  and  probably  with  texanus  on  the  west. 
Specimens  from  intermediate  points  have  been  referred,  sometimes 
rather  arbitrarily,  to  the  form  they  appear  to  resemble  most.  A 
series  from  the  Dismal  Swamp, Virginia,  is  thus  placed  with  leucopus, 
although  it  shows  decided  tendencies  toward  noveboracensis.  Speci- 
mens from  the  border  region  between  the  Upper  and  Lower  Austral 
zones  are  more  or  less  intermediate.  The  only  species  of  Peromyseus 
found  within  the  range  of  leucopus  which  is  at  all  likely  to  be  con- 
fused with  it  is  P.  gossypinus.  which  may  be  distinguished  chiefly 
by  its  larger  size  and  usually  by  its  more  dusky  coloration.  The 
skull  of  leucopus  is  smaller  and  less  massive  than  that  of  gossypinus. 
and  the  molar  teeth  are  decidedly  smaller. 

Specimens  exam  hied. — Total  number  309,  from  localities  as  follows : 

Alabama:   Greensboro,  S. 

Georgia:  Chickamauga  Park,  2  (doubtfully  referred). 

Kentucky:  Hickman,  8:  Mammoth  Cave,  2  (not  typical). 

Louisiana:  Avery,  1 ;  Houma,  17  ;  Lafayette,  2 ;  Mer  Rouge,  4 ;  Tallulab,  5. 

Mississippi:   Washington,  2. 


1909.]  LEUCOPUS   GROUP NOVEBORACENSIS.  117 

North  Carolina:  Apex,  6;   Chapanoke,  14;   Currituck,  14;   Raleigh,  52; 

Raleigh   County,   8 ;    Old   Richmond,   1 ;    Roanoke   Rapids,   5 ;    Rural 

Hall,  2. 
Oklahoma:  Fort  Gibson,  1;  Hartshorn,  2;  Orlando,  1;  Red  Oak,  6. 
South  Carolina:   Calhoun  Falls,  4;  Catawba,  3. 
Tennessee:   Arlington,  3;    Big   Sandy,  10;   Briceville,    1;   Clarksville,  4; 

Danville,  1;   Dunbar  Cave,  1;   Nashville,  5;    Samburg,  5;   Watauga 

Valley,  5. 
Virginia:   Cappahosic,  4;  Dismal  Swamp,  chiefly  from  Lake  Drummond, 

79  ;  Hampton,  9 ;  Newport,  3 ;  Suffolk,  4 ;  Tazewell,  5. 

PEROMYSCUS  LEUCOPUS  NOVEBORACENSIS  (Fischer.) 

(PL  V,  fig.  9;  PI.  VI,  figs.  ,8-Sa;  PI.  VII,  fig.  3;  PI.  VIII,  figs.  2,  2a,  2b,  2c.) 

Mus  agrarius  americanus  Kerr,  Anirn.  Kingd.,  p.  231,  1792;  not  Mus  americanus 

Kerr,  1.  c,  p.  227. 
Mus  sylvaticus  5  noveboracensis  Fischer,  Synopsis  Mamm.,  p.  318,  1829. 
Gricetus  myoides  Gapper,  Zool.  Journ.,  V,  p.  204,  PI.  N,  1830 — Between  York 

and  Lake  Simcoe.  Ontario. 
Arvicola  emmonsi  DeKay  in  Emmons,  Rept.  Quad.  Mass.,  p.  61,  1S40 — Massa- 
chusetts. 
Peromyscus  arborcus  Gloger,  Hand  u.  Hilfsbuch  Naturgesch.,  I,  p.  95,  1841. 
Mus    michiganehsis   Audubon    and    Bachman,    Journ.    Acad.    Nat.    Sci..    Phila., 

pp.  304-306,  1S42— Erie  Co.,  Mich.    (—Ohio). 
Hesperomys  campestris  Le  Conte,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  VI    (1852-53), 

p.  413,  1853— New  Jersey. 
Vesperimus  americanus  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  Ill,  p.  2'.)T, 

June  30,  1891    (part). 
Sitomys  americanus  Miller,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  VIII,  p.  55,  June  20,  1893. 
Peromyscus    leucopus    noveboracensis    Miller,    Proc.    Boston    Soc.    Nat.    Hist., 

XXVIII,  p.  22,  April  30,  1897. 
Peromyscus    leucdpus    minnesotce   Mearns,    Proc.    Biol.    Soc.   Wash.,   XIV,    pp. 

154-155,  August  9,  1901— Fort  Snelling,  Minn. 

Type  locality. — New  York. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  leucopus,  but  averaging  paler  and 
slightly  larger;  pelage  longer  and  softer;  tail  more  thickly  clothed 
with  hair. 

Geographic  distribution. — Upper  Austral  and  Transition  zones  of 
the  eastern  United  States  and  Canada.  Extending  from  Nova  Scotia 
to  central  Minnesota,  thence  south  through  the  humid  parts  of  east- 
ern Nebraska  and  Kansas  and  eastward  to  the  Atlantic  coast,  fol- 
lowing quite  closely  the  boundary  between  the  Lower  and  Upper 
Austral  zones  on  the  south  and  that  between  the  Transition  and 
Qanadian  on  the  north. 

Color. — Similar  to  that  of  P.  leucopus,  but  lighter  and  brighter; 
underparts  usually  pure  white,  entirely  concealing  undercolor;  tail 
less  distinctly  bicolor.  No.  G9902.  $  adult,  November  25,  Ossipee. 
N.  H.,  new  winter  pelage:  Upperparts  cinnamon  rufous,  lightly 
mixed  with  dusky  lines  on  sides,  more  heavily  on  middle  of  back; 
underparts  creamy  white ;  hands,  feet,  and  forearms  white ;  '  ankles  ' 


118  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

slightly  brownish;  ears  dusky  brownish  with  pale  whitish  edges; 
tail  white  below,  dusky  above.  No.  126310,  $  adult,  April,  New- 
burgh,  N.  Y.,  pelage  slightly  worn:  Similar  to  No.  69902,  but  sides 
brighter,  less  mixed  with  dusky;  dark  dorsal  area  more  contrasted 
with  sides.  No.  98776,  $  adult,  June  10,  Eliot,  Me.,  pelage  much 
worn:  General  color  of  upperparts  bright  tawny,  shading  to  dark 
cinnamon  rufous  in  middle  of  back;  sides  nearly  pure  tawny  with 
very  few  dusky  tipped  hairs  and  few  brownish  tipped  ones.  No. 
76386,  adolescent  9  ,  Ossipee,  N.  H.,  Dec.  30 :  Sides,  face,  etc.,  fawn 
color  lightly  mixed  with  dusky;  middle  of  back  decidedly  darker. 

Skull. — Practically  as  in  P.  leucopus;  averaging  very  slightly 
larger. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adults  from  Montauk  Point,  New 
York:  Total  length,  173.4  (163-188);  tail  vertebra-,  77.5  (73-83); 
hind  foot,  21.4  (21-22)  ;  ratio  of  tail  vertebrae  to  total  length,  43.5; 
ear  from  notch  (dry)  14.3  (13.6-14.7).  Of  10  adults  from  Ossipee, 
N.  H.:  166.4  (159-182)  ;  79  (75-88)  ;  21  (20-22).  Of  10  adults  from 
Fort  Snelling,  Minn.:  181.7  (175-187)  ;  77.5  (72-80)  ;  21.4  (20.5-22). 

Type  specimen. — Not  known  to  be  extant. 

Semarks. — By  restricting  the  name  leucopus  to  the  Lower  Austral 
form,  the  subspecies  of  the  northern  and  eastern  United  States  which 
has  usually  been  known  as  lcu<-<>j>us.  will  be  called  noveboracensis.  It 
is  perhaps  the  best  known  of  the  white- footed  mice,  as  it  ranges  over 
the  most  thickly  populated  part  of  the  United  States.  Within  its 
range  at  least  two  other  species  are  found — P.  gracilis'^  which  is 
longer  tailed  and  duller  colored,  and  P.  bairdi,  which  is  decidedly 
smaller  and  usually  more  dusky  in  color.  The  name  c  deer  mouse  ' 
seems  to  have  been  given  it  because  of  its  supposed  seasonal  change  of 
color,  corresponding  to  that  of  the  Virginia  deer.  Adult  mice,  how- 
ever, do  not  show  such  marked  seasonal  difference  in  color  as  the 
deer.  The  gray  and  the  'red'  coats  of  the  deer  are  those  of  winter 
and  summer,  but  those  of  the  mice  are  of  the  adolescent  and  the  fully 
mature,  regardless  of  season.  The  pelage  of  the  adult  is  almost  con- 
tinually changing,  although  it  appears  to  be  entirely  renewed  only 
once  a  year.  The  entire  new  pelage  is  acquired  in  late  summer  or 
fall,  varying  from  June  to  November,  usually  but  not  always  earlier 
in  southern  latitudes  and  later  in  northern.  At  first  the  new  coat 
is  rather  short,  particularly  if  the  change  has  occurred  in  midsummer. 
and  the  color  very  uniform,  with  little  or  no  contrast  between  sides 
and  back.  This  coat  gradually  fills  out  and  black  or  dusky  hairs 
become  more  numerous  in  the  mid-dorsal  region,  until  it  is  somewhat 
darker  than  the  sides.  The  dusky,  however,  is  still  somewhat  mixed 
with  tawny,  and  the  amount  of  dusky  varies  in  different  individuals. 
This  condition  remains  practically  unchanged  for  the  greater  part 
of  the  winter.     In   spring    (March   to  May.)    the  pelage   becomes 


1009.]  LEUCOPUS   GROUP — NOVEBORACENSIS.  119 

roughened  by  abrasion  and  the  contrast  between  back  and  sides  is 
heightened.  The  sides  become  brighter,  more  tawny,  and  the  tips  of 
the  hairs  in  the  middle  of  the  back  wear  oft',  exposing  more  or  less 
of  the  basal  color,  which  is  deep  blackish  slate.  As  abrasion  con- 
tinues the  tawny  hairs  become  deeper  colored,  and  the  dusky  fades 
to  cinnamon  or  tawny,  and  when  the  pelage  is  quite  short  new  hairs 
begin  to  come  in  on  the  anterior  parts.  The  pelage  of  the  middle  of 
the  rump  is  the  last  to  be  renewed,  and  specimens  may  often  be  found 
in  which  the  pelage  is  entirely  new  except  a  small  patch  of  tawny 
or  cinnamon  rufous  on  the  rump.  In  a  general  way  it  may  be  said 
that  the  new  fall  and  winter  conditions  of  pelage  are  paler  and  more 
yellowish,  while  the  partially  abraded  conditions  of  spring  and 
summer  are  brighter  and  more  reddish. 

The  name -americanus  is  the  earliest  one  for  this  species,  but  being 
preoccupied  can  not  be  used.  Cricetus  myoides  also  undoubtedly 
refers  to  this  mouse.  Arvicola  emmonsi  and  Hesperomys  <-<tih ipes- 
tri.s"  are  from  localities  inhabited  only  by  this  species,  so  there  is  no 
question  of  the  propriety  of  placing  them  in  the  list  of  synonyms. 
The  reference  of  Mus  michiganensis  to  this  form  has  been  discussed 
under  P.  m.  bairdi  (see  p.  Si ) .  P.  1.  minnesota  does  not  seem  to  be 
sufficiently  characterized  to  be  recognized.  It  shows  some  slight 
average  tendency  toward  /'.  /.  aridulus,  but  is  much  nearer  to  typical 
Twveboracensis.  A  very  large  series  from  the  type  region  of  Minne- 
sota} contains  a  few  specimens  that  are  rather  larger  than  the  average 
noveboracensis  and  slightly  paler;  the  rest  are  indistinguishable  from 
typical  noveboracensis.  This  seems  to  indicate  a  slight  tendency 
toward  P.  1.  aridulus,  but  since  mh>iicsot(ij  is  so  much  nearer  nove- 
boracensis, and  since  there  is  not  room  for  three  forms,  it  seems  best 
to  treat  minnesotce  as  a  synonym  of  noveboracensis.  Specimens  from 
Kansas,  Nebraska,  Iowa.  etc..  are  not  typical,  tending  toward  either 
leucopus  or  aridulus  or  both.  A  few  specimens  from  Nova  Scotia 
have  lather  long  tails,  but  the  material  is  too  scanty  to  warrant  their 
separation. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  2,084,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows : 

Arkansas:    Fayetteville.  1;   Hardy,  4    (aberrant). 
Connecticut:   East    Hartford,  24;   Liberty  Hill,  12. 
District  of  Columbia:   Vicinity  of  Washington,  155.' 
Illinois:    Fox  Lake,  1:  Henderson  County,  30;  Parkersburg,  8;  Warsaw, 
3;  West  Northfield,  3. 

"The  type  of  If.  campestris  is  preserved  in  the  TT.  S.  National  Museum  (  N<>. 
4726),  but  is  in  such  poor  condition  as  to  bo  little  more  than  generically  deter- 
minable. It  has  no  skull,  and  the  distorted  skin  appears  t<>  have  been  pre- 
served originally  in  alcohol. 

6  Including  some  localities  in   Virginia  ami  Maryland. 


120  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.   28. 

Indiana:  Bascom,  4;  Du  Bois  County,  1;  Denver,  6;  Hebron,  4;  La- 
porte,  5;  Mitchell,  1;  Mount  Ayr,  2;  New  Harmony,  2  (position 
doubtful). 

Iowa:  Burlington,  57;  Council  Bluffs,  5;  Knoxville,  10;  Redfield,  1. 

Kansas:  Fort  Leavenworth,  6;  Fort  Riley,  2;  Lawrence,  24;  Manhattan, 
5;  Neosho  Falls,  2;  Onaga,  7. 

Kentucky:   Eubank,  19;  Lexington,  13  (aberrant). 

Maine:   Eliot,  3;  Oakland,  1;  Small  Point,  2. 

Maryland:  Grantsville,  3;  Hyattsville,  2;  Laurel,  9;  Plummer  Island,  2; 
Rawlings,  2;  Rockville,  1;  Swanton,  3. 

Massachusetts:  Barnstable  Neck,  17  ;a  Bedford,  11;  Belmont,  2;  Con- 
cord, 1 ;  Lexington,  6 ;  Maiden,  2 ;  Middleboro,  14 ;  Monomoy  Island, 
81;  Muskeget  Island,  17;  Nantucket  Island,  13;  Seehonk,  4;  Shef- 
field, 4 ;  South  Hanson,  4 ;  Wareham,  64 ;  West  Dedham,  5 ;  Wil- 
mington, 27. 

Michigan:  Ann  Arbor,  10;  Au  Sable  River,  Oscoda  County,  2;6  Gray- 
ling, 1  ;6  Manchester,  2;  Spring  Lake,  l.& 

Minnesota:  Elk  River,  21 ;  Farmington,  1 ;  Fort  Snelling,  88 ;  Hinckley,  1 ; 
Minneapolis,  9. 

Missouri:  Bismarck,  3;  Hunter,  10;  Kimswick,  1;  Marble  Cave,  2;  Pied- 
mont, 1;  Stotesbury,  16;  Williamsville,  2. 

Nebraska:  Havelock,  l;c  London,  1;  Neligh,  1;  South  Auburn,  4;  Verdi- 
gris, 2. 

New  Hampshire:  Antrim,  5;  Ossipee,  31;  Summit,  Mount  Washington, 
2  (introduced?)  ;  Webster,  11. 

New  Jersey:  Alpine,  Bergen  County,  11;  Bridgeton,  22;  Cape  May,  1; 
Chairville  Bog,  Burlington  County,  1;  Collingwood,  Camden  County, 
12 ;  Culver  Lake,  Sussex  County,  24 ;  Delaware  Gap,  6 ;  Fairview,  8 ; 
Fort  Lee,  1 ;  Granton,  10 ;  Greenwood  Lake,  28 ;  Hackensack  Marsh, 
1;  Haddonfield,  48;  Lake  Hopatcong,  3;  Long  Lake,  Sussex  County, 
11 ;  Mauricetown,  1 ;  Mays  Landing,  20 ;  Nordhoff,  10 ;  Pleasant  Val- 
ley, 7;  Port  Norris,  3;  Sandy  Hook,  5;  Sea  Girt,  3;  Tuckahoe,  23; 
Tuckerton,  42;  Walkill  Bottoms,  Sussex  County,  9. 

New  York:  Catskill  Mountains,  21;  Cornwall,  2;  Croton  Falls,  1;  Eliza- 
bethtown,  7 ;  Garrison,  1 ;  Hastings,  40 ;  Highland,  2 ;  Highland  Falls, 
23;  Jamaica,  Long  Island,  8;  Kiskatom,  6;  Lake  George,  38;  Lake 
Grove,  Long  Island,  3;  Lawyersville,  8;  Locust  Grove,  5;  Miller 
Place,  Long  Island,  8 ;  Montauk  Point,  27 ;  Newburgh,  2 ;  New 
Rochelle,  1 ;  Nyack,  40 ;  Ossining,  2 ;  Owego,  5 ;  Peterboro,  8 ;  Plum 
Island,  1 ;  Schernerus,  1 ;  Shelter  Island,  2  ;  Stamford,  8 ;  Syracuse,  3. 

North  Carolina:  Magnetic  City,  1;  Weaverville,  42. 

Nova  Scotia:   Digby,  3;  Newport,  3. 

Ohio:  Garrettsville,  5;  Hicksville,  9;  Madisonville,  1;  Ravenna,  6;  San- 
dusky, 2. 

Ontario:   Credit,  8;  Lome  Park,  20;  Toronto,  2;  Woodham,  1. 

Pennsylvania:  Aldan,  Delaware  County,  1;  Barren  Ridge,  2;  Bushkill 
Creek,  Monroe  County,  9 ;  Clifton,  Delaware  County,  1 ;  Cooks 
Mills,  32;  Drury  Run,  6;  Erie,  2;  Germantown,  7;  Hopewell,  Bed- 
ford County,  8 ;  Jenkintown,  1 ;  Keating,  Clinton  County,  4 ;  Kings, 
Cambria  County,  13;  Lehigh  Gap,  4;  Manoa,  7;  Marple,  4;  Markle- 
ton,  1;  Mount  Union,  18;  North  Mountain,  1;  Philadelphia   (Penny- 

0  Including  some  specimens  approaching  ammodytes. 
6  Collection  of  University  of  Michigan. 
c  Carnegie  Museum. 


1909.]  LEUCOPUS    GROUP AMMODYTES.  121 

pack  Creek),  1;  Porter  Lake,  Pike  County,  6;  Renovo,  3;  Round 
Island,  10;  Thorndale,  5:  Tinicum,  Delaware  County,  16;  Tuscarora, 
Juniata  County,  2;  Tyrone,  14;  Valley  Forge,  2;  YVaynesburg,  3; 
Westtown,  1 ;  Wynnewood,  1. 

Rhode  Island:  Block  Island,  12;  Cnepachet,  10;  Conanicut  Island,  5; 
Fort  Adams,  17 :  Lake  Worden,  101 ;  Aliddletown,  1 ;  Newport,  6. 

Vermont:   Burlington,  2;  Hartland,  12;  Rutland,  4. 

Virginia:   Peaks  of  Otter,  1. 

West  Virginia:   Franklin,  4;  White  Sulphur  Springs,  67. 

Wisconsin:   Camp  Douglas,  16;  Delavan,  7;  Milton,  2. 

PEROMYSCUS  LEUCOPIS  AM.MODYTES  Bangs. 

Peromyscus  leucopus  ammodytes  Bangs,  Proc.  New  Eng.  Zool.  Club,  IV,  pp. 
14-15,  Feb.  28,  1905. 

.    Type  locality. — Monomoy  Island,  off  coast  of  Massachusetts. 

Characters. — Upperparts  decidedly  paler  than  in  P.  I.  noveboracen- 
sis; imderparts  pure  white  to  roots  of  hairs;  otherwise  similar  to 
noveboracensis. 

Color. — December  specimens:  General  color  of  sides  pale  fawn; 
middle  of  back  darker,  but  somewhat  mixed  with  fawn;  median 
underparts  pure  creamy  white  to  roots  of  hairs,  this  sometimes  ex- 
tending laterally  almost  to  lower  sides;  hands  and  feet  white;  tail 
pale  browmish  fawn  above,  white  belowT ;  ears  pale  brownish  dusky 
thinly  clothed  with  whitish  hairs  on  the  inside  and  on  the  marginal 
part  of  the  outside. 

Skull. — Practically  as  in  P.  I.  noveboracensis. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes:  Total  length  173 
(161-190)  ;  tail  vertebrae  79  (71-88)  ;  hind  foot  20  (19.5-21)  ;  ratio 
of  tail  vertebrae  to  total  length  45.6. 

Type  specimen. — In  the  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology,  Cam- 
bridge, Mass.  Formerly  No.  828  Collection  of  E.  A.  and  O.  Bangs. 
$  adult.  Dec.  28,  1893.  O.  Bangs  and  G.  S.  Miller,  jr.  Specimen 
nearly  perfect. 

Remarks. — Monomoy  Island  is  a  low,  sandy  island  off  the  south- 
east coast  of  the  Cape  Cod  Peninsula.  It  is  periodically  connected 
with  the  mainland  by  a  long,  narrow  stretch  of  sand.  Notwithstand- 
ing this,  however,  the  island  mice  differ  more  markedly  from  those 
of  the  mainland  than  do  those  of  any  of  the  other  islands  in  the 
vicinity,  which  are  permanently  cut  off  from  the  mainland.  Typ- 
ical noveboracensis  also  occurs  on  the  island,  and  various  intermediate 
stages  between  it  and  ammodytes  are  found.  A  slight  tendency  to 
albinism  is  noticeable  in  several  specimens.  Specimens  with  nearly 
white  underparts  are  also  found  on  the  mainland  at  Barnstable  Neck. 
Bangs  (supra  cit.),  in  writing  of  this  very  interesting  mouse,  says: 

While  pale  grayish  specimens,  with  pure  white  bellies,  greatly  predominate 
on  Monomoy  Island,  there  is  still  a  wide  range  of  variation  in  color,  and  a  few 
individuals  caught  with  the  others  are  not  distinguishable  in  any  way  from 


122  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

mainland  specimens,  and  between  those  and  the  palest  examples  every  degree 
of  intermediate  occurs.  The  reason  for  this,  I  think,  is  very  simple.  Monomoy, 
though  often  in  the  course  of  its  history  an  island,  has  been  at  other  time? 
joined  to  the  mainland  by  a  long  beach.  At  such  times  skunks,  cottontail 
rabbits,  and  foxes  have  worked  their  way  to  the  island,  and  have  established 
themselves  there  for  at  leasl  a  time.  The  deer  mouse  from  the, mainland 
probably  has  come  in  the  same  way.  and  from  time  to  time  has  infused  into 
the  island  form  the  very  characters  it  was  struggling  to  eliminate. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  25",  all  from  the  type  locality. 

I'EROMYSCUS  LEUCOPUS  FUSUS  Bangs. 

Peromyscus  leucopus  fusus  Bangs,  Proc.  New  Eng.  Zool.  Club,  IV,  \>.  13,  Feb. 
28,  1905. 

Type  locality. — West  Tisbury,  island  of  Marthas  Vineyard,  off 
south  coast  of  Massachusetts. 

Geographer  distribution. — Island  of  Marthas  Vineyard,  Massa- 
chusetts. 

Characters. — Similar  in  general  to  P.  I.  noneboracensis,  but  some- 
what larger;  skull  with  slightly  elongated  rostrum. 

Color. — As  in  P.  I.  noveboracensis. 

Skull. — Larger  and  heavier  than  in  noveboracensisj  nasal  and 
rostral  region  somewhat  more  elongated ;  audital  bulla?  relatively 
rather  small. 

Measurements. — Average  of  0  adult  topotypes:  Total  length,  194.4 
(190-203)  ;  tail  vertebra?,  90.T  (85-96)  ;  hind  foot,  22.4  (21.5-23.5)  ; 
ratio  of  tail  vertebra?  to  total  length.  40. G. 

Type  specimen. — No.  9737  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology, 
Cambridge,  Mass. ;  formerly  same  number,  collection  of  E.  A.  and 
O.  Bangs.  $  adult.  June  17,  1899.  O.  Bangs.  Specimen  prac- 
tically perfect. 

Remarks. — The  mice  from  Muskeget,  Nantucket,  Block  Island, 
and  other  small  islands  off  the  southern  coast  of  New  England  are 
somewhat  more  robust  than  typical  noveboracensis,  but  none  of  them 
seem  sufficiently  characterized  for  recognition  except  those  from 
Marthas  Vineyard.  These,  however,  are  so  decidedly  larger  than 
noveboracensis  and  their  skulls  so  easily  distinguishable  by  size  and 
other  slight  peculiarities  that  they  are  well  deserving  of  separation. 

Specimens  era  mined. — Total  number  13.  all  from  the  type  locality. 

PEROMYSCTJS    LEUCOPUS    ARIDULUS    subsp.    nov. 

Type  from  Fort  Custer.   Mont.     No.  7r»T04   T".   S.   National   Museum.   Biological 
Survey  Collection.     Adult    9.     Nov.   12.   1895.     J.   A.   Loring. 

Geographic  distribution. — Upper  Sonoran  zone  of  eastern  Montana 
and  Wyoming  and  the  adjoining  western  parts  of  South  Dakota  and 
Nebraska:  probably  south  to  Oklahoma  and  west  to  eastern  Colorado. 

"Of  these,  IS  are  quite  typical  and  12  are  evidently  intermediate. 


1909.]  LEUCOPUS    GROUP ARIDULUS.  123 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  I.  noveboracensis,  but  larger  ami  paler; 
somewhat  similar  to  P.  m.  nebrascemis,  but  larger,  with  a  longer  tail ; 
skull  with  wider  brainease,  larger  audita!  bulla1,  and  larger  molar 
teeth. 

Color. — Similar  to  that  of  P.  I.  noveboracensis,  but  decidedly  paler; 
dark  dorsal  area  much  reduced;  ears  pale.  Type  :  Upperparts  ochra- 
ceous  buff  very  lightly  mixed  with  dusky;  middle  of  back  somewhat 
darker  than  sides,  but  not  sharply  contrasted;  head  and  face  nearly 
like  sides;  underparts  creamy  white. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  P.  I.  noveboracensis.  but  larger  and 
heavier;  brainease  usually  wider;  somewhat  similar  to  that  of  P.  m. 
nebrascensis,  but  brainease  larger  and  wider;  nasals  broader;  rostrum 
more  depressed;  premaxillae  less  swollen  laterally;  outer  edges  of 
palatine  slits  less  nearly  parallel;  molar  teeth  larger;  audital  bullae 
larger. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length,  177;  tail  vertebrae,  73;  hind 
foot,  22;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  14.5.  Average  of  4  topotypes:  169 
(160-177);  69  (63-73);  22  (21-23);  14.1  (13.6-15.5).  Average  of 
5  adults  from  Valentine,  Nebr. :  184  (170-196);  86  (75-90);  22.2 
(21-23).     Adult  female  from  Buffalo  Gap,  S.  Dak.:  205;  93;  22. 

Remarks. — The  range  of  this  form  is  probably  more  extensive  than 
is  indicated  by  the  specimens  now  at  hand.  It  is  probable  that  it  ex- 
tends down  through  western  Kansas  and  meets  that  of  P.  I.  texanus. 
Although  its  range  is  in  the  arid  subdivision  of  the  Upper  Austral 
zone,  it  appears  that  it  lives  chiefly  in  the  relatively  humid  parts  of 
this  region,  that  is,  along  the  watercourses  and  in  the  slightly  wooded 
places.  The  more  open  and  relatively  more  arid  parts  of  the  region 
are  inhabited  by  P.  m.  nebrascensis,  which  is  often  very  nearly  the 
same  color  as  P.  I.  aridulus.  P.  m.  nebrascensis  is  specifically  dis- 
tinct, however,  and  may  be  distinguished  from  aridulus  not  only  by  a 
combination  of  cranial  characters,  but  also  by  its  smaller  size  and 
shorter  tail,  and  by  the  presence,  in  most  cases,  of  definite  white  spots 
in  front  of  the  ears. 

Specimens  from  eastern  Nebraska  and  Kansas  are  apparently  inter- 
mediate between  noveborascensis  and  aridulus,  having  the  darker  color 
of  fwveboracensis  and  the  larger  size  of  aridulus. 

The  reference  of  specimens  from  Oklahoma  to  this  form  is  rather 
unsatisfactory.  There  seems  to  be  no  other  disposition  of  them,  how- 
ever, so  far  as  can  be  judged  by  present  material.  The  localities  from 
which  these  specimens  came  are  chiefly  near  the  boundary  between 
the  humid  and  arid  regions,  and  they  are  also  near  the  line  between 
the  Upper  and  Lower  Sonoran  zones.  If  we  suppose  that  leucopus, 
texanus,  etc.,  have  continuous  distribution  with  gradual  intergrada- 
tion  (and  no  doubt  this  is  the  case),  we  should  expect  to  find  speci- 


124  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

mens  in  central  Oklahoma  intermediate  in  character  between  aridulus 
and  texanus  on  the  one  hand  and  between  leucopus  and  texanus  on  the 
other.  Actual  specimens  meet  all  the  requirements  of  the  hypothetical 
case,  not  being  exactly  like  any  of  the  three  species  mentioned  when 
compared  with  specimens  from  the  respective  type  localities.  They 
are  more  ochraceous  than  texanus,  paler  than  leucopus,  and  slightly 
darker  and  more  vinaceous  than  aridulus,  and  still  not  the  same  as 
iioreboracensis,  although  some  are  quite  similar  to  intermediates  be- 
tween aridulus  and  novel)  or  acensis  from  eastern  Kansas  and  Nebraska. 
If  not  referred  to  aridulus,  they  should  be  placed  with  texanus. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  148,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows: 

Minnesota:  Browns  Valley,  2  (approaching  noveboracensis) . 

Montana:  Crow  Agency,  2;  Custer  Station,  2;  Fort  Custer,  11;  Little 
Bighorn  River,  1. 

Nebraska:  Cody  (10  miles  south),  4;  A^alentine,  9;  head  of  Warbonnet 
Creek,  l.« 

South  Dakota:  Buffalo  Gap,  1;  Custer,  1;  Spring  Creek,  9;  Squaw 
Creek,  6. 

Oklahoma:  Alva,  11;  Apache,  1;  Chattanooga,  3;  Kiowa  Agency  (11 
miles  southeast  of  Fort  Cobb),  1;  Lawton,  1;  17  miles  southeast  of 
Fort  Cobb,  1;  Noble,  21;  White  Horse  Spring,  16;  Wichita  Moun- 
tains (chiefly  in  vicinity  of  Mount  Scott),  44. 

PEROMYSCUS  LEUCOPUS  OCHRACEUS  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Winslow,  Ariz.     No.  53301  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological  Sur- 
vey Collection.      $    adult.     Apr.  30,  1893.     C.  P.  Streator. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  I.  tornillo  and  P.  I.  arizonce,  but  color 
ochraceous  buff  instead  of  fawn ;  no  obvious  dorsal  stripe. 

Color. — Ground  color  of  upperparts  bright  ochraceous  buff  with- 
out suggestion  of  fawn ;  entire  upperparts  lightly  lined  with  dusky, 
slightly  more  thickly  on  middle  of  back  than  on  sides,  but  not  form- 
ing a  definite  dorsal  stripe ;  ears  edged  with  creamy  white ;  no  white 
spots  at  base  of  ears ;  underparts  white  .tinged  with  ochraceous  buff ; 
tail  dusky  brownish  above,  buffy  white  below ;  feet  and  hands  buffy 
white;  wrists  marked  with  ochraceous  buff. 

Skull. — Practically  as  in  P.  I.  tornillo;  infraorbital  part  of  zygoma 
very  heavy. 

Measurements. — Type  and  one  topotype:  Total  length,  180,  173; 
tail  vertebras,  82,  82 ;  hind  foot,  22.5,  22.5. 

Remarks. — This  form  is  most  closely  similar  in  color  to  P.  I.  aridu- 
lus, differing  in  being  slightly  more  ochraceous  and  in  almost  totally 
lacking  any  dark  dorsal  stripe.  Its  color  is  very  much  the  same  as 
that  of  highly  colored  examples  of  P.  m.  nebrascensis,  from  which  it 
is  distinguished  by  the  numerous  external  and  cranial  characters  of 

0  Carnegie  Museum. 


1000.1  LEUCOPUS    GROUP TORNILLO.  125 

the  leucopus  group.     Its  real  relationship  is  probably  with  tomillo 
and  arizonce  rather  than  aridulus.     Specimens   from  Fort  Verde, 
Ariz.,  are  variable,  some  closely  resembling  arizonce  and  others  being 
deep  ochraceous,  somewhat  darker  than  the  type  of  ochraceus. 
Specimens  examined. — Total  number  9,  from  localities  as  follows: 

Arizona:  Baker  Butte,  Mogollon  Mountains,  1;   Fort  Verde,  6;   Wins- 
low,  2. 

PEROMYSCUS   LEUCOPUS    TORNILLO    (Meakns). 
(PI.  Ill,  fig.  1.) 

Peromyscus  tomillo  Mearns,  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.  XVIII,  pp.  445-446,  Mar.  25, 

1896. 
Peromyscus   texanus  flaccidus  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  XIX, 

pp.  599-600,  Nov.  14,  1903— Rio  Sestin,  Durango,  Mexico. 

Type  locality. — Rio  Grande,  6  miles  above  El  Paso,  Tex. 

Geographic  distribution. — Upper  Sonoran  zone  and  part  of  the 
Lower  Sonoran  of  western  Texas  and  eastern  New  Mexico ;  north  to 
southeastern  Colorado  and  south  to  northern  Durango;  northeast 
to  western  Oklahoma. 

Characters. — Size,  proportions,  and  cranial  characters  about  as 
in  P.  I.  aridulus;  color  very  much  paler,  more  fawn ;  back  only  slightly 
or  not  at  all  darker  than  sides;  no  white  at  base  of  ear.  Similar  to 
P.  I.  arizonm  but  averaging  paler.  Similar  to  P.  I.  texanus  but  aver- 
aging larger  and  slightly  paler;  skull  larger  and  more  angular; 
molar  teeth  heavier. 

Color.— No.  58379,  ?  adult,  February  3,  El  Paso,  Tex.,  in  full 
winter  pelage :  Ground  color  of  upperparts  fawn  color  uniformly 
mixed  with  fine  dusky  lines;  head  and  face  about  like  back  and 
sides;  no  white  spot  at  base  of  ear;  underparts  pure  creamy  white; 
hands,  feet,  and  arms  white ;  '  ankles '  white,  except  a  faint  brownish 
spot  on  outer  side;  ears  dusky,  rather  broadly  edged  with  whitish; 
tail  indistinctly  bicolor,  pale  brownish  above,  white  below.  Worn 
pelage:  Brighter  and  more  rufescent  than  winter  pelage;  general 
color  ranging  from  pale  fawn  to  vinaceous  cinnamon. 

Skull. — Practically  the  same  as  that  of  P.  I.  aridulus;  averaging 
larger  and  more  angular  than  in  P.  leucopus  or  P.  I.  texanus;  molar 
leeth  broader  and  heavier  than  in  texanus.  Compared  with  that  of 
P.  m.  bland  us  the  skull  of  tomillo  is  larger;  braincase  relatively 
wider  and  lower:  nasals  narrower,  more  convex,  and  more  com- 
pressed posteriorly;  premaxilla?  more  swollen  laterally;  palatine 
slits  relatively  shorter  and  with  more  lateral  convexity;  mandibles 
relatively  shorter  and  thicker ;  lateral  protuberance  at  base  of  lower 
incisor  more  prominent;  angle  below  mandibular  condyle  shallower 
and  more  obtuse. 


126  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adults  from  the  vicinity  of  El  Paso, 
Tex.:  Total  length,  182  (171-202)  ;  tail  vertebra',  82.6  (75-97)  ;  hind 
foot,  2^.5  (21-24)  ;  ratio  of  length  of  tail  vertebra1  to  total  length, 
45.4;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  14.5  (13.9-15.3). 

Type  specinien-. — No.  fHff  U.  S.  National  Museum.  Adult  S  . 
Feb.  18,  1893.  E.  A.  Mearns  and  F.  X.  Holzner.  Specimen  in  good 
condition. 

Remarks. — This  subspecies  occupies  a  considerable  range  in  west- 
ern Texas,  northeastern  Mexico,  and  nearly  all  of  New  Mexico, 
maintaining  its  characters  with  great  constancy  throughout.  It  inter- 
grades  on  the  west  with  P.  1.  arizonce  and  on  the  southeast  with  P.  I. 
texanus.  Its  relationship  to  leucopus  is  shown  by  specimens  from 
central  Oklahoma,  which  are  evidently  intermediate  in  color,  and 
which  have  been  referred  tentatively  to  a rhinitis.  Specimens  from 
the  "Panhandle"  of  Texas  and  from  northeastern  New  Mexico 
(Clayton),  while  distinctly  referable  to  tornUlo,  may  be  considered 
slightly  intermediate  between  tornUlo  and  aridulus;  two  immature 
examples  from  Canyon  City,  Colo.,  also  approach  aridulus. 

The  only  s3monym  is  P.  flaccidus  from  northwestern  Durango  de- 
scribed by  Allen  who  did  not  consider  its  relationship  to  tornUlo, 
but  compared  it  only  with  arizonce,  mentioning  the  characters  which 
distinguish  tornUlo  and  arizonce. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  219,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows: 

Chihuahua:   Casas  Grandes,  7;  Chihuahua,  13;  near  Fort  Bliss,  Tex.,  1; 

Juarez,  15. 
Colorado:   Canyon  City,  2;  Gaume  Ranch,  Baca  County,  1  ;a  Lamar,  1;° 

Mouou,  1.° 
Durango:   Rancho  Santuario,  4;  Rio  Sestin,  29;  Rio  del  Bocas,  3;  Ro- 

sario,  4 ;  San  Gabriel,  4. 
New  Mexico:   Cabra  Spring,  1;  Chamberino,  1;  Clapham,  7;  Clayton,  5 

Corona,   1 ;    Eddy,   1 ;    Fort   Sumner,   1 ;    Jarilla,   1 ;    Laguna,   1 ;    La 

Mesa,    8;    Manzano    Mountains,  .4 ;    Mesa    Jumanes,    2;    Mesilla,    3 

Organ  Mountains.  6;  Rio  Puerco,  7;  near  Roswell,  1;   San  Andres 

Mountains,  3 ;    Sandia  Mountains,  5 ;   Santa  Fe,  1 ;   Santa  Rosa,  1 

Tularosa,  10. 
Texas:   Altuda,   2;    Canadian,  3;    near   El   Paso,   22;    Fort  Hancock,   1 

Franklin  Mountains,  7;  Lipscomb,  11;  Miami,  3;  Mobeetie,  2;  Pai- 

sano,  1  ;  Sierra  Blanea,  10. 
"United  States  and  Mexican  Boundary:   100  m.  west  of  El  Paso,  2. 

PEROMYSCUS   LEUCOPUS   ARIZONAE    (Allen). 

Sitomys  americanus  arizonce  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N,  Y.,  VI,  p.  321, 

November  7,  1894. 
Peroiinjscitx  texanus  arizonae  Miller  and  Rebu,  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist., 

XXX,  p.  84,  December,  1901. 

Type  locality. — Fairbank,  Cochise  County,  Ariz. 
a  Collection  of  E.  R.  Warren. 


1809.]  LEUCOPUS   GROUP TEXANUS.  127 

Geographic  distribution. — Southeastern  Arizona  and  adjacent 
parts  of  Mexico  and  New  Mexico. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  I.  tomitto,but  averaging  slightly  darker. 

Color. — As  in  texanus,  but  usually  slightly  darker  and  with  a 
greater  amount  of  dusky  admixture: 

Skull. — Practically  as  in  P.  1.  tomillo. 

Measurements. — Average  of  5  adults  from  Santa  Cruz,  Sonora, 
Mexico:  Total  length,  186  (178-198);  tail  vertebrae,  82.6  (78-85); 
hind  foot,  22. 6  v 22-24).  Two  adults  from  San  Pedro  River,  Arizona  : 
B02;  94;  23.5—189;  87;  22.3. 

Type  specimen. — No.  f-fjf  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Adolescent  $  .  March  13,  1894.  W.  W.  Price  and  B.  C.  Condit, 
Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — Many  specimens  of  arizonce  and  tomillo  arc  absolutely 
indistinguishable.  Large  series,  however,  appear  somewhat  different 
when  viewed  as  a  whole.  Some  specimens  of  arizonce  are  darker  than 
any  of  tomillo,  and  conversely  some  tomillo  are  paler  than  any 
arizonce.  Darker  color,  then,  may  fairly  be  called  an  'average  char- 
acter '  of  arizonae.  It  may  be  distinguished  from  sonoriensis,  with 
which  it  is  often  found,  by  its  larger  size,  longer  and  less  distinctly 
bicolor  tail,  by  the  absence  of  prominent  white  spots  in  front  of  the 
ears  and  by  the  same  cranial  characters  which  distinguish  tomillo 
from  blandus. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  103,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows : 

Arizona:  Calabasas,  1:  Fairbank,  ."SI  :  Fort  Lowell,  1;  San  Pedro  River 
at  Mexican  boundary,  0;  Tucson,  6:  Turkey  Tanks,  1. 

New  Mexico:   Deining,  4:  Gila,  (i:  Glenwood,  1:  Bedrock,  1. 

Sonora:  San  Bernardino  Kancb,  4:  Santa  Cruz.  26;  Santa  Cruz  River,  S; 
Tubae,  ."» :  Mission  of  Tumacaeori,  near  Tubac,   1. 

PBROMYSCUS  LEUCOPUS  TEXANUS   (Woodhouse). 
(PI.   111.  fig.  12.) 

Hesperomys  tcxana   Woodhouse,   Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila..  VI    (1852-3),  p. 

242,  1853. 
Vesperimus  mearnsii  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mns.  Nat.  Hist,  N.  Y.,  Ill,  pp.  300-302, 

June,  1891. — Brownsville,  Tex. 
Peremyscus  canus  Mearns,  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mns..  XVIII,  p.  44o.  March  2."..  L896. 

Fort  Clark,  Tex. 
Peromyscus  tenants  Mearns,  Bull.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mns.  No.  r><>,  pp.  404-406,  L907. 

Type  locality. — Originally  stated  (probably  erroneously)  as  the 
"  Rio  Grande,  near  El  Paso,"  Texas.  Assumed  to  be  the  vicinity  of 
Mason,  Mason  County,  Tex.  (See  Remarks  p.  121) ). 

Geographic  distribution. — Southern  Texas  and  eastern  Mexico, 
chiefly  in  the  States  of  Tamaulipas  and  Nuevo  Leon:  extending  west 
(o  the  vicinity  of  the  mouth  of  the  Pecos  River,  north  to  about  lati 


128  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

tude  33°  north,  east  to  west  side  of  Galveston  Bay,  and  south  to 
State  of  San  Luis  Potosi.     Lower  Sonoran  zone. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  I.  tornillo,  but  slightly  smaller  and 
darker;  pelage  usually  shorter  and  more  subject  to  abrasion;  tail 
more  scantily  haired ;  skull  smaller ;  molar  teeth  smaller. 

Volor.—No.  58580  from  Brownsville,  Tex.  $  adult,  Feb.  19. 
unworn  pelage:  Similar  in  general  to  P.  I.  tornillo,  but  ground  color 
slightly  deeper  darker  fawn,  and  mixture  of  dusky  more  copious; 
ears  darker;  tail  slightly  darker  above.  No.  30856,  August  31,  worn 
pelage :  Upperparts  pale  fawn  lightly  mixed  with  cinnamon  brown. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  P.  I.  tornillo,  but  averaging  decidedly 
smaller;  molar  teeth  particularly  small  and  narrow. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adults  from  Brownsville,  Tex. : 
Total  length,  180  (170-190);  tail  vertebra?,  84.8  (81-95);  hind  foot, 
20;  ear  from  notch  (dry).  14.8  (14.1-15.6).  -Average  of  10  adults 
from  Fort  Clark,  Tex. :  Total  length,  178  (160-195)  ;  tail  vertebra?,  77 
(68-91)  ;  hind  foot,  21.5  (20.5-22.8). 

Type  specimen. — No  type  was  designated  by  the  original  describer, 
but  two  of  his  specimens,  supposed  to  have  been  the  basis  of  the  name, 
are  still  in  the  U.  S.  National  Museum,  No.  VsW?  a  skin  in  alcohol, 
and  No.  VtW  •>  a  dry  skin.  The  first  of  these  was  examined  by 
Baird  and  enumerated  in  his  list  of  specimens  (Mamm.  N.  Am.,  p. 
464,  1857).  Later,  Coues  gives  Hesperomys  texana  in  synonymy 
under  //.  leucopus  (Mon.  N.  Am.  Rodentia,  p.  51,  1877),  and  in 
parenthesis  after  the  reference  says:  "(El  Paso,  Tex.;  type,  No. 
2559,  Mus.  Smiths.)"  The  same  specimen  was  again  mentioned  by 
Mearns  (Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  XVIII,  p.  446,  footnote,  Mar.,  1896), 
who  says:  "Two  of  Doctor  Woodhouse's  specimens  are  still  in  the 
U.  S.  National  Museum.  One  of  these,  the  type,  is  alcoholic,  and 
the  other  a  skin."  These  references  doubtless  account  for  the  fact 
that  No.  VAV ,  the  alcoholic,  now  bears  a  red  type  label,  while  the 
other  existing  specimen,  No.  VtVs5  j  does  n°t-  Besides  the  recent  red 
type  label,  this  specimen  bears  four  others— a  metal  tag  with  the 
number  2559;  a  paper  label,  possibly  the  original  collector's,  with 
only  the  faintest  indication  of  writing;  another  with  the  printed 
legend:  "Monograph  of  American  Muridae.  Dr.  Elliot  Coues, 
U.  S.  A.,"  and  under  it  "  Type  of,"  followed  by  the  written  words 
aHesp.  texanus  TToodh.  West.  Texas.  S.  W.  Woodhouse."  On 'the 
back  of  this  label  we  find  u=leucopus."  Still  another  label,  com- 
paratively fresh  and  in  an  unknown  hand,  repeats  the  ordinary  data 
and  gives  a  new  name,  from  which  it  is  to  be  inferred  that  someone 
considered  naming  the  specimen  in  honor  of  Doctor  Woodhouse. 
This  specimen  then  is  practically  the  type,  although  it  might  be 
argued  that  No.  VtW"  is  a  cotype  of  equal  importance.  Fortunately, 
the  two  specimens  appear  to  be  conspecific,  and  the  choice  between 


1909.]  LEUCOPUS   GROUP TEXANUS.  129 

them  is  of  no  importance.  The  skin  of  No.  VoV  is  evidently  so 
much  shrunken  that  none  of  its  dimensions  can  be  relied  upon.  Its 
original  color  also  has  been  altered  beyond  recognition.  At  present  it 
is  dark  cinnamon  above  and  dark  dirty  clay  color  below.  The  skull 
consists  of  seven  separate  fragments.  The  largest  of  these  contains 
the  nasals,  part  of  the  premaxillse,  and  both  upper  incisors.  Both 
mandibles  are  present,  and  only  slightly  broken,  all  the  teeth  being 
intact.  Three  small  bits  of  the  maxillaries  hold  five  of  the  upper 
molars.  The  braincase,  bulhe,  palate,  etc.,  are  entirely  absent.  The 
skin  of  No.  VtW  nas  been  taken  from  alcohol  and  remodeled  and 
dried.  In  color  it  is  slightly  lighter  below  and  more  reddish  brown 
above  than  the  other  specimen,  but  it  plainly  shows  the  effect  of  a 
long  immersion  in  alcohol.  Its  skull  is  slightly  more  complete, 
although  very  much  shattered.  The  mandibles  are  perfect,  and  both 
upper  and  lower  teeth  are  all  present.  It  comprises  19  distinct 
fragments. 

Remarks. — Waterhouse,  in  the  original  description  of  Hesperomys 
texcma,  says,  "  Habitat. — Western  Texas,"  and  in  the  same  signature, 
under  "  Observations ?1 : 

I  procured  this  little  animal  on  the  Rio  Grande  near  El  Paso,  while  attached 
to  the  party  under  the  command  of  Capt.  L.  Sitgreaves,  U.  S.  Topographical 
Engineers,  on  our  way  to  explore  the  Zuni  and  Colorado  rivers. 

In  the  introduction  to  his  complete  report,0  he  says: 

The  party  left  San  Antonio  on  the  7th  of  May  passing  over  the  road  laid 
out  under  the  direction  of  Bvt.  Lieut.  Col.  J.  E.  Johnston,  U.  S.  Topographical 
Engineers,  in  the  year  1849,  from  San  Antonio  to  El  Paso,  along  which  I  made 
collections  of  considerable  interest  in  the  different  departments  of  natural 
history. 

The  route  laid  out  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Johnston  we  find  was  as 
follows:  6 

From  San  Antonio  northwest  to  the  San  Saba  River,  via  Fredericksburg, 
then  westward  to  its  source,  from  which  he  passed  over  to  the  Pecos. at  Live 
Oak  Creek.  He  then  proceeded  to  the  Lirupia  River,  and  made  his  way  to  the 
Rio  Grande  by  the  road  which  strikes  it  about  latitude  30°  38',  thence  he 
traveled  to  El  Paso. 

This  exact  definition  of  the  route  is  of  considerable  importance  in 
determining  Woodhouse's  material. 

Among  several  forms  of  Peromyscus  found  in  western  Texas  are 
three  having  relatively  short  tails,  two  of  them  belonging  with  the 
leucopus  series  and  the  third  an  eastern  relative  of  sonoriensis.  By 
the  original  description  alone  it  would  be  extremely  difficult  to  deter- 
mine to  which  the  name  was  applied,  but  fortunately  the  existence  of 

°  Sitgreave's  Exped.  Zuni  and  Colo.  Rivers,  p.  33,  1853. 
b  Pac.  R.  R.  Reports,  XI,  p.  60,  1855. 

66268— No.  28—09 9 


130  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

specimens  supposed  to  be  cotypes  renders  possible  a  fairly  satisfac- 
tory conclusion.  Although  in  a  poor  state  of  preservation,  these 
specimens  are  identifiable  by  means  of  numerous  slight  but  convincing 
cranial  characters  with  the  forms  (mearnsi  and  tornillo  of  authors) 
related  to  /< mcopus  rather  than  with  the  one  belonging  to  the 
maniculatus  group  (P.  m.  bland  us).  The  most  important  of  these 
characters  are  found  in  the  rostrum  and  the  mandible.  In  Xo.  *■£-$%%*- 
the  rostral  part  of  the  skull  is  fairly  well  preserved  and  extremely 
characteristic,  having  the  narrow  nasals  and  laterally  swollen  pre- 
maxilhe never  found  inP.  ///.  blandus,  hut  usually  present  in  the  forms 
represented  by  the  names  mearnsi  and  tornillo;  the  mandibles  are 
relatively  short  and  broad,  unlike  the  slender  ones  of  blandus,  but  ex- 
actly matching  in  proportions  those  of  the  two  other  forms.  These 
characters  alone  are  amply  sufficient  to  eliminate  blandus  from  the 
possibilities,  and  it  therefore  remains  to  decide  to  which  of  the  other 
two  the  name  shall  be  applied.  The  color  and  measurements  of  the 
cotypes  are  of  almost  no  value  on  account  of  the  immaturity  of  the 
specimens  and  the  length  of  time  they  have  remained  in  alcohol. 
Also,  Woodhouse's  original  description  and  measurements  were  evi- 
dently taken  from  the  alcoholics  and  not  from  the  fresh  specimens. 
so  these  otter  little  or  no  assistance,  at  least  none  in  determining 
between  two  forms  which  have  all  general  characters  in  common. 

One  of  the  two  forms  under  consideration  (tornillo)  occurs  on 
the  ''Rio  Grande  near  El  Paso."  while  the  other  occurs  south  and 
east  of  the  Pecos  River.  The  chief  distinguishing  character  is  the 
size  of  the  molar  teeth,  which  are  larger  and  broader  in  tornillo.  The 
cotypes  have  small,  narrow  teeth,  exactly  like  those  of  the  southern 
form  and  decidedly  different  from  thoM>  of  the  majority  of  speci- 
mens of  tornillo.  There  is  some  variation  in  the  size  of  the  teeth  in 
both  forms,  and  it  was  at  first  thought  that  the  cotypes  were  excep- 
tionally small  individuals  of  the  northern  form,  but  careful  search 
and  comparison  among  a  considerable  series  from  the  "  Rio  Grande 
near  El  Paso"  fails  to  reveal  a  single  specimen  of  any  age  with  teeth 
so  small  and  narrow  as  those  of  the  cotypes.  while  they  may  be 
matched  with  ease  by  specimens  from  any  part  of  the  range  of  the 
southern  form.  Therefore,  there  seems  to  be  no  alternative  but  to 
apply  the  name  to  the  form  with  which  the  cotypes  agree  and  conse- 
quently to  assume  that  Woodhouse  was  mistaken  as  to  the  locality 
from  which  they  came.  Considering  the  known  laxity  in  such  mat- 
ters on  the  early  expeditions,  it  is  not  difficult  to  believe  that  a  slight 
error  in  labeling  was  made.  The  view  is  somewhat  strengthened  by 
the  fact  that  only  a  few  days  before  he  reached  the  "  Rio  Grande 
near  El  Paso  "  Woodhouse  passed  through  country  (San  Antonio  to 
San  Saba  River)  in  which  we  now  find  specimens  matching  his  co- 


1900.1  LEUCOPUS   GROUP TEXANTJS.  131 

types.  For  example,  specimens  from  Mason,  Tex.  (practically  Fort 
McKavett),  agree  with  them  and  the  locality  is  on  the  route,  so  if  a 
new  type  locality  is  necessary,  this  may  be  chosen. 

The  average  difference  between  P.  I.  texanus  and  P.  I.  tornillo  is 
fairly  marked,  but  certain  individuals  may  be  found  that  are  indis- 
tinguishable. As  a  rule,  however,  the  small  size  of  the  teeth  in  tex- 
anus serves  to  distinguish  it.  Specimens  from  the  vicinity  of  the 
mouth  of  the  Pecos  River  are  intermediate  between  texanus  and 
tornillo,  but  the  majority  are  nearer  texanus,  having  small  teeth  and 
averaging  darker  than  tornillo.  Among  specimens  of  this  class  are 
those  from  Fort  Clark  which  have  been  called  '  canus?  On  the  south 
intergradation  with  P.  I.  mesomelas  is  indicated  by  specimens  from 
Rio  Verde  and  Valles,  San  Luis  Potosi,  Mexico.  These  also,  however, 
are  nearer  texanus.  Certain  specimens  in  full  winter  pelage  are 
somewhat  more  grayish  than  others,  possibly  representing  a  slight 
color  phase.  In  general  the  pelage  differences  are  more  marked  than 
in  tornillo,  and  summer  specimens  are  usually  very  short-haired.  The 
gap  between  the  easternmost  localities  for  texanus  (vicinity  of  Galves- 
ton Bay)  and  the  most  southwestern  localities  for  leucopus  (southern 
Louisiana)  is  not  very  wide,  and  intermediate  specimens  are  to  be 
expected  from  this  region.  The  material  from  the  eastern  part  of  the 
range  is  rather  unsatisfactory,  but  the  best  adults  are  referable  to 
texanus,  although  some  tendencies  toward  leucopus  arc  exhibited. 
Three  specimens  from  north  central  Texas  (Decatur,  Benbrook,  and 
Gainesville)  are  practically  indistinguishable  from  typical  texanus. 
Another  from  Henrietta  in  the  same  general  region  apparently  is 
intermediate  between  texanus  and  f<>rnilh>. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  572,  from  localities  as  follows : 

Coahuila:    Sabinas,  3. 

Nuevo  Leon:  Cerro  de  la  Silla,  4;  15  leagues  south  of  China,  1;  Lam- 
pazos,  2;  Linares,  4;  Monteruorelos,  6;  Monterey,  28;  Rodriguez, 
2;   Santa  Catarina,  2. 

San  Luis  Potosi:   Rio  Verde,  15.;  Valles,  5. 

Tamaulipas:  Alta  Mira,  15;  near  Bagdad,  2;  Camargo,  24;  Hidalgo, 
11;  Jaumave,  3;  Matainoras,  23;  Mier,  1;  Nuevo  Laredo,  5;  Soto  la 
Marina,  11 ;  Tainpieo,  1 ;   Victoria,  38. 

Texas:  Arcadia,  1;  Austin  Bayou,  near  Alvin,  2;  Bee  County,  1;  Bee- 
ville,  1:  Benbrook,  1:  Blocker  Ranch,  1:  Brownsville,  82:  East 
Caranchua  Creek,  1  ;  Comstock,  4  ;  Concho  County,  3 ;  Corpus  Christi, 
1;  Decatur.  1;  Del  Rio,  9;  Deming  Station,  3;  Dickinson  Bayou,  2; 
Eagle  Pass,  7 ;  El  Blanco,  1  ;  Elliotts,  1 ;  Fort  Clark,  69 ;  Fort  Lan- 
caster, 5  (aberrant)  ;  Gainesville,  3;  Henrietta,  1;  Juno,  1;  Laugtry, 
2 ;  Laredo,  2 ;  35  miles  northwest  of  Laredo,  1 ;  Lomita  Ranch,  1 ; 
Mason,  7;  Matagorda,  5;  Nueces  Bay,  7;  Oconnorport,  1;  Presidio, 
County,  4;  Rio  Grande  City,  1;  Rockport,  40;  Rock  Springs,  7;  22 
miles  west  of  Rock  Springs,  2 ;  Runge,  1 ;  San  Antonio,  63 ;  San 
Diego,  3;  Santa  Tornas,  9;  Velasco,  8;  Waring,  1. 


132  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [NO.   88. 

PEROMYSCUS  LEUCOPUS  MESOMELAS   Osgood. 

(PI.   II J,  fig.  4.) 

Peromyscus   texanus    mesomelas   Osgood,   Proc.   Biol.    Soc.   Wash.,   XVII,   pp. 
57-58,  March  21,   L904. 

Type  locality. — Orizaba.  Veracruz,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Humid  tropics  of  central  Veracruz  and 
northern  Puebla,  Mexico. 

Characters. — Most  similar  to  P.  I.  texanus;  color  darker;  tail 
shorter ;  hind  foot  larger ;  a  small  pectoral  spot  present ;  adolescents 
with  an  intense  black  dorsal  stripe. 

Color. — Adult:  General  effect  of  upperparts  pale  Prout  brown, 
produced  by  fawn  ground  color  with  a  liberal  mixture  of  dusky; 
sides  practically  unicolor  with  back;  no  definite  dusky  markings 
about  head;  underparts  creamy  white,  except  a  small  but  distinct 
pectoral  spot  of  fawn  color;  ears  dusky  with  whitish  edges;  feet 
white,  'ankles'  dusky  brownish:  tail  bicolor.  Immature:  Similar 
in  general  to  adult,  but  more  sooty;  sides  dark  mouse  gray,  tinged 
with  fawn  and  bordered  by  a  narrow  fawn-colored  lateral  line;  a 
broad  stripe  in  median  dorsal  region  intense  black;  'ankles'  sooty; 
tail  indistinctly  bicolor. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  P.  I.  texanus,  but  with  braincase  averag- 
ing slightly  larger  and  wider;  nasals  rather  long  and  palatine  slits 
usually  corresponding. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length,  169;  tail  vertebras,  76;  hind 
foot,  23;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  13.5. 

Type  specimen. — No.  58210  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  adult.  Jan.  20,  1894.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.    Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — Although  this  form  is  very  well  characterized,  there 
seems  to  be  no  doubt  that  it  is  connected,  through  P.  I.  texanus, 
with  P.  1.  tornillo  and  others  of  the  same  group.  Specimens  from 
Eio  Verde,  San  Luis  Potosi,  are  quite  evidently  intermediate,  and  a 
series  from  Metlaltoyuca,  Puebla,  while  distinctly  referable  to  meso- 
melas, shows  some  tendencies  toward  texanus.  P.  mesomelas  is  also 
related  to  P.  affinis,  which  is  a  much  paler  form  and  not  apt  to  be 
confused  with  it.  Like  texanus  and  affinis,  it  has  short  and  relathTely 
harsh  pelage  somewhat  different  from  that  of  most  other  Mexican 
species. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  31,  from  localities  in  Mexico, 
as  follows : 

Puebla:  Metlaltoyuca,  15. 

Veracruz:  Mirador.  1:  "Mexico"  (Salle)  5;  Orizaba,  10;  Rio  Blanco,  2 
(not  typical)  ;  San  Andres  Tustla,  1. 


1909.]  LEUCOPTJS    GROUP AFFINIS.  133 

PEROMYSCUS   LEUCOPUS   CASTANEUS   Osgood. 

Peromyscus  texanus  castaneus  Osgood,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XVII,  pp.  58-59, 
Mar.  21,  1904. 

Type  locality. — Vicinity  of  Yohaltun,  Campeche,  Peninsula  of 
Yucatan,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Known  only  from  the  vicinity  of  the 
type  locality. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  I.  mesomelas,  but  smaller  and  more 
ferruginous ;  underparts  without  pectoral  spot ;  adolescents  without 
black  dorsal  stripe ;  skull  and  teeth  small. 

Color. — Type,  in  fresh  pelage:  General  color  of  upperparts  be- 
tween Prout  brown  and  burnt  umber,  clearer  on  sides,  darker  on 
back;  ground  color  rich  dark  fawn;  no  definite  lateral  line;  under- 
parts pure  white ;  feet  white,  '  ankles '  brownish.  Topotype  Xo. 
107982,  in  slightly  worn  pelage :  Sides  and  upperparts  nearly  uni- 
form cinnamon  rufous,  with  scarcely  any  dusky  admixture  and  only 
a  narrow  line  on  back  somewhat  deeper  colored  than  rest  of  upper- 
parts.     Immature :  As  in  adult,  but  grayer. 

/Skull. — Rather  small  and  light;  braincase  relatively  narrow; 
nasals  and  palatine  slits  short;  molar  teeth  small;  otherwise  similar 
to  P.  I.  mesomelas. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes:  Total  length,  163 
(156-169)  ;  tail  vertebra?,  73  (68-79)  ;  hind  foot,  21.5  (20-22)  ;  ear 
from  notch  (dry),  12.5  (11.3-13.6). 

Type  specimen. — No.  107980  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  adult.  December  19,  1900.  E.  W.  Nelson 
and  E.  A.  Goldman.     Specimen  practically  perfect. 

Remarks. — P.  I.  castaneus  is  slightly  darker  than  P.  I.  cozumelae, 
which  is  closely  related.  P.  cozumelae  differs  chiefly  in  larger  size 
and  heavier  teeth.  No  satisfactory  specimens  from  the  humid  trop- 
ical region  between  Orizaba  and  Yohaltun  are  at  hand,  but  castaneus 
is  not  sufficiently  different  from  mesomelas  to  warrant  full  specific 
rank.  P.  affinis  is  a  related  form  of  the  adjacent  arid  tropics,  and 
much  paler  than  either  castaneus  or  mesomelas. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  25,  all  from  the  type  locality. 

PEROMYSCUS  LEUCOPUS  AFFINIS   (Allen). 

Hesperomys  (Vesperimus)   affinis  Allen,  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  XIV,  pp.  195- 

196,  July  24,  1891. 
Peromyscus  affinis  Allen  and  Chapman,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  IX, 

p.  7,  Feb.  23,  1S97. 
Peromyscus  m usculoides  Merriam,   Proc.  Biol.   Soc.  Wash.,  XII,  p.   121,  Apr. 

30,  1S9S. — Cuicatlau,  Oaxaca,  Mexico. 


134  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Type  locality. — Barrio,"  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec,  Oaxaca,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution.- — Arid  tropical  parts  of  southern  and 
central  Oaxaca;  northeast  to  southern  Veracruz  and  parts  of  Yuca- 
tan. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  I.  texanus  and  P.  I.  mesomelas,  but 
slightly  larger-;  color  much  as  in  texanus,  decidedly  paler  than  in 
mesomelas  or  eastaneus;  skull  slightly  larger  and  heavier  than  in 
mesomelas. 

Coli))-.  Almost  exactly  as  in  P.  I.  texanus;  general  color  of  upper 
parts  fawn,  in  fresh  pelage  mixed  with  dusky,  forming  an  imperfect 
dark  dorsal  stripe,  and  in  worn  pelage  mixed  with  cinnamon ;  under- 
parts  creamy  white,  rarely  with  a  small  fawn  pectoral  spot:  feet- 
white,  '  ankles  '  pale  brownish ;  tail  brownish  fawn  above,  white  below. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  P.  I.  mesomelas.  but  somewhat  larger; 
anterior  part  of  zygoma  heavier;  infraorbital  plate  of  zygoma  wider; 
interorbital  constriction  averaging  wider. 

Measurements. — Two  adult  males  from  Tehuantepec,  Oaxaca: 
Total  length,  182,  180;  tail  vertebrae,  84,  81  :  hind  foot,  24.  22.  Aver- 
age of  10  adults  from  Cuicatlan.  Oaxaca:  185:  84.5;  22.5;  ear  from 
notch  (dry),  14.3  (13.5-15). 

Type  specimen. — No.  ff  f-f  U.  S.  National  Museum.  $  adult.  Oct. 
30,  1868.  F.  Sumichrast.  Skin  soiled  and  discolored,  particularly 
on  underparts;  right  hind  foot  broken  off  and  tied  on  with  thread: 
tail  vertebra'  not  removed.  Labeled  in  Coues's  hand  "  melanophrys?" 
and  later  "mexicanus?"  by  someone  else.  Skull  in  fair  condition, 
but  still  with  considerable  flesh  adhering  to  it ;  right  zygoma  slightly 
broken. 

Remarks. — Externally,  this  form  is  scarcely  distinguishable  from 
P.  I.  texanus.  It  averages  slightly  larger,  and  its  skull  is  more  elon- 
gate, besides  being  decidedly  heavier  in  the  infraorbital  region.  Its 
intergradation  with  P.  I.  mesomelas,  the  form  of  the  adjacent 
humid  tropics,  is  scarcely  to  be  doubted.  However,  two  specimens 
from  Otatitlan,  Veracruz,  near  the  edge  of  the  humid  region,  seem 
distinctly  referable  to  affinis. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  76,  from  localities  in  Mexico 
as  follows : 

Oaxaca:   Barrio,    3;    Cuicatlan,    1G;    Guichicovi,    1;    Huilotepec,    5;    Re- 

forina,  10;  Santa  Efigenia,  1;  Tehuantepec,  5. 
Veracruz:  Otatitlan,  2;  Pasa  Nueva,  22. 
Yucatan:  Chichenitza,  11  (approaching  eastaneus). 

«  Barrio  usually  means  a  suburb.  Sumichrast's  specimens  are  labeled  thus: 
"Tehuantepec  (Barrio)."  This  might  mean  a  suburb  of  the  city  of  Tehuante- 
pec, but  since  there  is  a  town  called  Barrio  near  the  middle  of  the  Isthmus  of 
Tehuantepec,  and  since  Sumichrast  labeled  specimens  from  other  towns  in 
Oaxaca  in  this  manner,  it  seems  pi'obable  that  the  town  of  Barrio  was  meant. 
As  the  same  species  occurs  at  both  places  the  question  is  not  important. 


1909.1  LEUCOPUS   GROUP GOSSYPINUS.  135 

PBROMYSCUS   LEUCOPUS   COZUMBLAB    (Mebbiam). 

(PI.  TIT,  fig.  3.) 

Peromyscus  eoznnielcp  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Sue.   Wash.,  XIV,  p.   103,  .Inly  11), 
1901. 

Type  locality. — Cozumel  Island,  off  coast  of  Vucalan.  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Cozumel  Island. 

Characters. — Size  about  as  in  P.  1.  affinis;  color  about  intermediate 
between  that  of  affinis  and  of  castaneus;  skull  larger  and  heavier 
than  in  castaneus;  teeth  heavier  than  in  affinis. 

Color. — Slightly  duller  and  paler  than  in  P.  1.  castaneus;  otherwise 
similar;  slightly  darker  and  more  ferruginous  than  in  P.  1.  affinis. 

Skull. — Decidedly  larger  and  heavier  than  in  P.  1.  castaneus;  teeth 
heavier;  audital  bulla^  larger;  infraorbital  region  heavier.  Most 
similar  to  that  of  /'.  /.  affinis;  teeth  averaging  slightly  larger;  brain- 
case  averaging  a  trifle  shallower;  audital  bulla^  usually  a  trifle  larger. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes:  Total  length,  184 
(163-198)  ;  tail  vertebrae,  83.8  (76-90)  ;  hind  foot,  23.3  (22-24)  ;  ear 
from  notch  (dry)  14.6  (13.7-15.7). 

Type  specimen. — No.  108449  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  adult.  Apr.  11,  1901.  E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A. 
Goldman.    Specimen  in  perfect  condition. 

Remarks. — P.  I.  cozumelae  is  so  closely  related  to  P.  I.  castaneus 
and  P.  1.  affinis  that  it  seems  best  to  treat  it  as  a  subspecies.  It  is 
most  closely  similar  to  P.  1.  affinis,  being  only  a  shade  darker  and 
having  no  constant  cranial  distinctions.  Some  skulls  of  cozumelae 
are  absolutely  indistinguishable  from  others  of  affinis. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  19,  all  from  the  type  locality. 

Key  to  subspecies  of  Peromyscus  gossypinus. 

Size  large  :  hind  foot  22—26,      i  liiefly  north  of  peninsular  Florida. 

Size  very  large  ;  color  averaging  paler.     Northern  Alabama   to  eastern  Texas. 

/'.  .</.  megacephalus. 
Size    not    so    large;    color    averaging    darker.       Southern    Virginia    to    northern 

Florida,  west  to  Louisiana P.  gossypinus. 

Size  smaller:  hind  foot  20-22.      Chiefly  peninsular  Florida  and  adjacent  islands. 

Darker.    Mainland P.  .'/•  palmarius. 

Paler.      Insular.- P    .'/•  anastasae. 

PEROMYSCUS    COSSYPINUS    (Le    Conte).     Cotton    Mofse. 
(PI.  Ill,  fig.  2.) 

Hyp  [udaeus]  gossipinus  Le  Conte,  McMurtrie's  Cuvier's  Animal   Kingdom.   I. 

append.,  p.  434,  18.31 — nomen   nudum. 
fMus  carolmensis  Aud.  &  Bach..  Jour.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  pp.  306-307,  L841. 

South  Carolina.     (Indeterminate.) 
Hesperomys  gossypinus  Le  Conte,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  VI,  pp.  411-412, 

1S53. 


136 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.  28. 


Hesperomys  cognatus  Le  Conte,   Proc.   Acad.   Nat.   Sci.   Phila.,   p.  442,  1855. 

Georgia. 
Perom.yscti8  gossypinus  Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p.  L89,  1896. 
Peromyscus  gossypinus  nigrieulus  Bangs,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  X.  pp.  124- 

125,  Nov.  5,  1896. — Burbridge,  Plaquemines  Parish,  Louisiana. 

Type    locality. — Le    Conte    Plantation,    near    Rieeboro,    Liberty 

County,  ( ia. 

Geographic  distribution. — Lowlands   of  the  southeastern   United 

States  from  the  Dismal  Swamp,  Virginia,  to  northern  Florida  and 

west  to  Louisiana.     Lower  Austral  zone. 

Characters. —  Size  medium  or  rather  large  (hind  foot  22-24)  ;  tail 

shorter  than  head  and  body,  not  very  sharply  bicolor,  clothed  with 

rather  short  hairs;  color  rather  dark,  in  most  pelages  with  an  ex- 
tensive dark  dorsal 
area.  Most  similar 
in  general  appear- 
ance and  character 
of  pelage  to  P.  leu- 
copus,  hut  larger 
and  darker. 

Color. — Unworn 
pelage :  Ground  col- 
or of  upperparts 
bright  rufescent 
cinnamon  between 
the  cinnamon  and 
cinnamon  rufous  of 
R  i  d  g  w  a  y ;  entire 
upperparts  heavily 
mixed  with  blackish 


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-Distribution    of    Peromyscus    gossypinus    and 
species. 


appearing  as  coarse 
lines  which,  al- 
though close  together,  do  not  blend  with  the  ground  color ;  dusky  mix- 
ture predominating  on  middle  of  back,  appearing  as  a  broad  stripe 
from  the  shoulders  to  the  base  of  the  tail ;  top  of  head  and  shoulders 
somewhat  grayer  than  sides;  a  narrow  orbital  ring  slightly  widened 
anteriorly  and  posteriorly:  cars  dusky  brownish,  scarcely  or  not  at  all 
edged  with  whitish ;  underparts  white  or  creamy  white  usually  with 
a  very  strong  creamy  tinge  in  pectoral  region;  feet  white;  forearm 
often  dusky  or  slightly  rufescent  and  dusky:  tail  blackish  brown 
above,  white  below.  Worn  pelage:  Sides  bright  cinnamon  rufous  or 
deep  russet  slightly  toned  down  by  a  thin  mixture  of  darker  pale- 
brownish  hairs:  middle  of  back  darker,  varying  from  russet  to  Prout 
brown.  Adolescent  pelage :  Ground  color  of  upperparts  pale  cinna- 
mon or  isabella  color  thickly  mixed  with  blackish  which  predominates 
on  dorsum  and  is  rather  sharply  contrasted  with  the  sides. 


1909.]  LEUCOPUS   GROUP GOSSYPINUS.  137 

Skull. — Rather  large  and  heavy;  zygomata  heavy  anteriorly;  pre- 
maxillae  slightly  expanded  laterally;  palatine  slits  rather  broadly 
open,  their  outer  sides  not  parallel;  interpterygoid  fossa  broad  and 
square  anteriorly.  Similar  in  general  to  that  of  leucopus,  but  larger 
throughout;  teeth  decidedly  longer. 

Measurements. — Two  adult  topotypes:  Total  length,  160,  171;  tail 
vertebrae,  72,  71;  hind  foot,  21,  23;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  15.7. 
Average  of  12  adults  from  St.  Marys,  Ga. :  177.6;  70;  22A  Of  10 
adults  from  Dismal  Swamp,  Virginia:  181.6  (175-190);  81  (70- 
88);  22.9  (22-24).  Of  5  adults  from  Belair,  La.:  178  (170-184); 
74.6  (71-78);  22.7  (22-23). 

Type  .specimen. — Xo  type  was  designated  in  the  original  descrip- 
tion. Several  specimens  collected  in  Georgia  by  Le  Conte  have  been 
in  the  IT.  S.  National  Museum.  Xo.  4704  remains  there  still  and  may 
perhaps  be  regarded  as  a  cotype,  though  there  is  no  positive  evi- 
dence that  it  was  in  Le  Conte's  hands  at  the  time  the  description  was 
written.  It  is  in  fair  condition.  The  skull  and  tail  vertebrae  are 
inside  the  skin.  It  was  catalogued  April  3,  1861.  Xo.  752  Collec- 
tion of  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  Philadelphia,  also  has  claims. 
It  is  labeled,  "  Georgia  Dr.  Le  Conte,"  and  was  catalogued  January, 
1860.  Xo.  5275,  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology,  Cambridge,  Mass., 
is  still  another. 

Remarks. — Although  evidently  very  closely  related  to  leucopus, 
P.  gossypinus  appears  to  be  distinct.  Both  occur  at  the  same  locali- 
ties through  much  of  the  northern  part  of  the  range  of  gossypinus 
and  everywhere  seem  to  maintain  themselves  distinct.  The  only  cer- 
tain character  for  distinguishing  them  in  all  conditions  of  pelage  is 
that  of  size,  for  although  gossypinus  is  almost  always  darker  in  un- 
worn pelage,  specimens  occur  which  are  very  similar  to  leucopus  in 
certain  stages  of  worn  pelage.  The  skull  and  teeth  of  gossypinus 
are  of  the  same  general  character  as  those  of  typical  leucopus  but 
decidedly  larger,  although  if  specimens  of  the  smaller  forms  of 
gossypinus  be  compared  with  those  of  larger  forms  of  leucopus 
scarcely  any  difference  in  size  appears.  The  subspecies  of  gossypinus 
are  all  slight,  differing  mainly  by  average  characters  of  size  and 
amount  of  dusky  mixture  in  the  pelage.  Typical  gossypinus  itself 
is  the  darkest  form  and  'nigriculus  '  does  not  appear  to  differ  from  it. 
A  single  specimen  from  Bogue  Beach,  X.  C,  is  very  pale  and  may 
represent  a  slight  coast  form. 

Two  specimens  now  in  the  British  Museum  and  recently  received 
in  the  Tomes  collection  may  perhaps  be  considered  as  paratypes  of 
Le  Conte's  Hesperomys  cognatus.  On  the  old  labels  is  written 
"  From  Major  Le  Conte,  Feb.  1858.  Hesperomys  cognatus"  Both 
are  typical  examples  of  Peromyscus  gossypinus. 


138  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  450,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows: 

Alabama:  Castleberry,  •'(:  Elmore,  1  :  Mobile  liny,  10;  Montgomery,  2. 

Florida:  Amelia  Island,  1:  Burnside  Beach,  7:  Oartersville,  '.'>:  Gaines- 
ville, 58;  Jacksonville,  l:  Milton,  1:  New  Berlin,  35;  Summer 
Haven,  1  ;  Whitfield,  14." 

Georgia:  Augusta,  :!:  Barrington,  6;  Butler,  4;  Hursman  Lake,  2;  Mont- 
gomery, '.»:  Pinetucky,  22 :  Riceboro,  21  :  St.  Marys,  36;  Savannah,  2: 
Sterling,  id. 

Louisiana:  Belair,  6;  Burbridge,  5;  Gibson,  Terre  Bonne  Parish,  56; 
Lecompte,  4:  Powhatan  Plantation,  near  Gibson,  28;  Houma,  7: 
Lake  Charles,  2:  Tallulah,  5. 

Mississippi:    Pay  SI.  Louis.  7:  Washington,  13. 

North  Carolina:  Bertie  County.  :\:  Bogue  Peach.  1  (.aberrant);  Curri- 
tuck, 2. 

South  Carolina:  Columbia,  2:  Georgetown,  1:  "South  Carolina"  (Le 
Conte),  6. 

Virginia:   Dismal  Swamp,  44. 

PEROMYSCUS    GOSSYPINUS    MEGACEPHALUS    (Rhoads). 

Sitomys  megacephalus  Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  pp.  254-256,  Sept. 

2:,.  1894. 
Peromyscus  gossypinus  mississippiensis  Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila., 

p.  189,  1896. — Samburg,  Tennessee. 
Peromyscus  gossypinus  Bangs,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  X,  pp.  119-125,  Nov.  5, 

1896. 

Type  locality. — Wooctville,  Ala. 

Geographic  distribution. — Northern  Alabama  and  western  Ten- 
nessee, west  through  Arkansas  to  eastern  Oklahoma,  and  thence 
south  through  eastern  Texas  and  western  Louisiana. 

Characters. — Similar  to  gossypinus  but  averaging  larger  and  paler. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  Ground  color  of  upperparts  slightly 
lighter  than  in  gossypinus;  dusky  mixture  less  abundant  on  sides  and 
less  concentrated  in  middle  of  back;  orbital  ring  very  narrow  or 
obsolete:  underparts  creamy  white.  Worn  pelage:  Slightly  paler 
than  in  gossypinus;  sides  a  lighter  shade  of  russet;  dorsum  Mars 
brown  to  mummy  brown,  but  this  less  extensive  than  in  gossypinus. 
Adolescent  pelage:  Quite  decidedly  paler  than  in  gossypinus;  sides 
isabella  color  mixed  with  dusky,  producing  a  general  effect  of  broc- 
coli brown  tinged' with  fulvous;  dorsum  distinctly  dusky,  but  less  so 
than  in  gossypinus. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  gossypinus,  but  decidedly  larger  and 
more  elongate;  rostrum  and  nasals  longer. 

Measurements. — Average  of  6  adults  from  Tennessee:  Total  length. 
183;  tail  vertebra?,  79.5;  hind  foot,  24.5;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  15.5 


0  Carneyie  Museum. 


1909.]  LEUCOPUS   GROUP PALMARIUS.  139 

(15-16.3).  Of  6  adults  from  eastern  Texas:  196  (188-205);  84 
(78-90);  24  (23-26). 

Type  specimen. — No.  3585  Collection  of  Academy  of  Natural  Sci- 
ences, Philadelphia.  $  (?)  adult.  H.  E.  Sargent.  Specimen  in 
alcohol,  except  the  skull,  which  has  been  removed,  and  which  is  in 
fair  condition,  although  not  very  thoroughly  cleaned  and  somewhat 
broken  about  the  foramen  magnum. 

Remarks.- — The  largest  specimens  of  this  form  (and  perhaps  also 
the  palest)  come  from  eastern  Texas  and  Oklahoma.  It  would  there- 
fore be  more  satisfactory  if  the  type  had  been  obtained  from  this 
region.  However,  the  type  and  specimens  from  western  Tennessee 
are  obviously  nearer  to  the  western  form  than  to  typical  gossypinus. 
Specimens  from  central  Mississippi  appear  to  be  intermediate  be- 
tween megacephalus  and  gossypinus.  The  name  megacephalus  was 
referred  to  the  synonymy  of  gossypinus  by  Bangs  (1.  c),  although 
the  type  specimen  was  not  examined  by  him.  The  skull  of  this  type 
proves  to  be  too  large  to  belong  with  gossypinus,  and  although  the 
skin  in  alcohol  can  not  be  trusted  for  color  characters,  there  seems 
little  doubt  that  it  represents  the  form  recognized  by  Bangs  under 
the  name  mississippiensis. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  62,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows: 

Alabama:    Scottsboro,  1;   Woodville,  •"». 

Louisiana:   Chirks,   1;    Foster.   4. 

Oklahoma:   Red  Oak,  1. 

Tennessee:  Arlington,  10;   Big  Sandy.  .°» :   Clarksville,  :( :    High  Cliff.  1; 

Lawrenceburg,  1  ;  Samburg,  17. 
Texas:  Jasper.   ?> :    Jefferson,   1:    Long   Lake.   1:    Sonr   Lake,   11;    Tex- 

arkana,  1. 

PPHtOMYSCUS   GOSSYPINUS    PALMARIUS    Bangs. 

Pcromyscus  gossypinus  palmarius  Bangs,  Proo.  Biol.   Soe.   Wash..   X.   p.  124. 
Nov.  5,  1S9G. 

Type  locality. — Oak  Lodge,  east  peninsula,  opposite  Micco,  Bre- 
vard County.  Florida. 

Geographic  distribution. — Peninsular  Florida. 

Characters. — Similar  to  gossypinus,  but  averaging  smaller  and 
paler. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  Similar  to  that  of  gossypinus,  but  paler: 
ground  color  a  shade  lighter  and  dusky  mixture  more  sparse,  as  a 
rule  not  so  heavily  concentrated  in  the  middle  of  the  back;  orbital 
ring  very  narrow:  underparts  grayish  white  to  creamy  or  even  yel- 
lowish white,  rarely  with  a  small  fulvous  pectoral  spot. 


140  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [NO.   28. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  f/ossypinus,  but  averaging  decidedly 
smaller;  rostrum  and  infraorbital  region  lighter;  teeth  slightly 
smaller. 

Measurements. — Average  of  7  topotypes:0  Total  length,  178.8 
(172-183)  ;  tail  vertebrae,  74.5  (G9-78)  ;  hind  foot,  21.1  (20-22)  ;  ear 
from  notch  (dry),  14.7  (14-15).     Of  20  topotypes: h  181;  71.8;  21.5. 

Type  specimen. — No.  3224  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology, 
Cambridge,  Mass.,  formerly  in  collection  of  E.  A.  and  O.  Bangs. 
9  adult.     Feb.  23,  1895.    O.  Bangs.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — Specimens  from  various  parts  of  peninsular  Florida 
are  constantly  smaller  than  typical  gossypinus.  The  pale  color  shown. 
by  many  specimens  is  not  so  constant  and  can  be  considered  only  an 
average  character.  It  is  more  pronounced  in  specimens  from  the 
coast  beaches  than  in  those  from  the  interior,  but  on  the  whole  it- 
seems  best  to  refer  all  the  material  from  peninsular  Florida  to  one 
form. 

The  type  of  pafonarius  and  a  very  small  percentage  of  the  large 
series  of  topotypes  are  unusually  pale  and  scarcely  distinguishable 
from  comparable  specimens  of  anastasae.  If  further  study  of  local 
conditions  at  the  type  locality  should  prove  that  two  forms  occupying 
different  habitats  are  found  together  there,  it  would  then  seem  to  be 
necessary  to  use  the  name  palmarius  for  the  pale  form  now  called 
anastasae  and  supply  a  new  name  for  the  darker  and  more  widely 
distributed  form.  However,  the  great  preponderance  of  dark  speci- 
mens from  the  type  locality  tends  to  indicate  that  the  type  is  proba- 
bly an  aberrant  specimen  rather  than  the  representative  of  a  well- 
defined  form.  The  case  might  be  construed  also  to  the  effect  that 
pale  coast  forms  are  undergoing  parallel  differentiation  at  several 
points  and  that  the  same  character  (paleness)  has  been  established 
independently  on  Anastasia  and  Cumberland  islands  and  is  only  in 
its  incipiency  on  the  peninsula  opposite  Micco. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  523,  from  localities  as 
follows : 

Florida:  Anclote  River,  32  (head  30,  12  miles  up  2)  ;  Argo,  3;  Auburn- 
dale,  3 ;  Blitcli  Ferry,  Citrus  County,  21 ;  Canaveral,  18 ;  Cape  Ca- 
naveral, 2;  Catfish  Creek,  4;  Charlotte  Harbor,  2;  Citronelle,  3 
Crystal  River,  13;  Eden,  1;  Enterprise.  33;  Eau  Gallie,  2;  Flamingo 
26 ;  Fort  Kissimmee,  S ;  Glenwood,  1 ;  Georgiana,  2  ;  Gulf  Hammock,  2 
Jupiter  Island,  4 ;  Kissimmee,  9 ;  Lake  Arbuckle,  1 ;  Lake  Harney,  24 
Lake  Hatchehaw,  4 ;  Lake  Kissimmee.  3 ;  Lake  Worth,  7 ;  Miami,  51 
Miceo,  13 ;  Mullet  Lake,  25 ;  Oak  Lodge,  opposite  Micco,  161 ;  Planter 
2 ;  Port  Richey,  2 ;  Sawgrass  Island,  4  ;  Sebastian,  5 ;  Tarpon  Springs 
32. 

a  Biological  Survey  Collection. 
b  Bangs  collection. 


1909.]  LEUCOPUS    GROUP ANASTASAE.  141 

PEROMYSOUS  GOSSYPINUS  ANASTASAE    (Bangs). 

Peromyscus  anastasae  Bangs,   Proc.  Bost.   Soc.  Nat.   Hist,   XXVIII,  pp.  195- 

196,  March,  1898. 

Peromyscus    insulanus  Bangs,    supra    cit.,    pp.    196-197 — Cumberland    Island, 

Georgia. 

Type  locality. — Point  Romo,  Anastasia  Island,  Florida. 

Geographic  distribution. — Sandy  islands  (possibly  also  parts  of 
the  mainland)  of  the  eastern  coast  of  Georgia  and  Florida. 

Characters. — Size  about  as  in  palmarius;  color  paler  than  in 
gossypinus  or  palmarius. 

Color. — Upperparts  pale  ochraceous  buff  rather  lightly  mixed 
with  dusky,  which  is  slightly  or  not  at  all  concentrated  in  the  mid- 
dorsal  region ;  orbital  ring  nearly  or  quite  obsolete ;  underparts 
white  almost  entirely  concealing  undercolor ;  ears  dusky ;  tail  bicolor, 
brownish  dusky  above,  white  below.  Adolescents  paler,  more 
drabby,  than  in  palmarius. 

Skull. — Practically  as  in  palmarius,  somewhat  smaller  than  in 
gossypinus. 

Measurements. — Type :  Total  length,  165  ;  tail  vertebra?,  69.5 ;  hind 
foot,  21;  ear  from  notch,  16.5.  Average  of  6  adult  topotypes: 
167.5;  69.5;  21.4.  Average  of  3  adults  from  Cumberland  Island, 
Georgia :  171.7 ;  68 ;  21.6. 

Type  specimen. — No.  7179  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology, 
Cambridge,  Mass.,  formerly  in  collection  of  E.  A.  and  O.  Bangs. 
9    adult.     Feb.  15,  1897.     O.  Bangs.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — Although  the  pale  forms  from  Anastasia  and  Cum- 
berland islands,  respectively,  are  entirely  isolated  from  each  other 
and  from  the  mainland  forms,  they  seem  to  be  absolutely  alike  and 
also  are  not  different  from  certain  aberrant  (intermediate?)  speci- 
mens from  the  mainland.  Moreover,  the  mainland  specimens  most 
similar  to  them  are  not  from  localities  immediately  adjacent  to  the 
islands  in  question,  specimens  from  St.  Marys,  Ga.,  Burnside  Beach, 
Fla.,  etc.,  being  typical  gossypinus. 

Specimens  examined.- — Total  number  54,  from  localities  as  follows: 

Florida:  Anastasia    Island,    18. 
Georgia:   Cumberland  Island,  36. 

Key  to  subspecies  of  Peromyscus  boylei. 

a.  Habitat  western  United   States  and  northern   Lower  California. 

b.   Size  smaller;  hind  foot  21-23.     Western  Texas  to  Pacific  coast. 

1.  Color  darker.     Northern  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains  and  coast  ranges  north  of 

San   Francisco   Bay P.   boylei 

2.  Color   paler.      Coast   region   of   southern   California  to  northern   Lower  Cali- 

fornia;  east  to  Colorado  and  western  Texas P.  b.  rowleyi 

bb.  Size  larger ;  hind  foot  22-25.     Arkansas  to  central  Texas P.  b.  attwateri 

aa.  Habitat  Mexico   (except  Lower  California)    and  Guatemala. 

b.  Habitat  western  Mexico  and  adjacent  islands,  chiefly  west  of  the  102d  meridian, 
c.  Size  smaller  ;  hind  foot  21-23  ;  color  paler,  chiefly  grayish  Isabella  color  or  pale 
ochraceous   buff P.   b.    rowleyi 


142  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

cc.   Size  larger;  hind  foot  22-26;    color  darker,  chiefly   rich  tawny  or  ochraceous. 

d.  Larger.     Tres  Marias  Islands P.   b.  madrensis 

dd.  Not  so   large.     Mainland  of  Mexico. 

1.  Molars   large;    maxillary   toothrow   about  5;    hind   foot   extensively   dusky. 

Oaxaca  and  Guerrero p.  b.  evides 

2.  Molars  moderate ;   maxillary   toothrow   less  than   5  ;   hind   foot   less  exten- 

sively dusky.     Southern  Sonora   to  Jalisco P.  b.  spieilegiM 

bb.   Habitat  eastern   and   southern   Mexico   and   Guatemala,   chiefly   east  of  the   102d 
meridian, 
e.   Color   largely  rich   tawny   or  ochraceous :   hind   foot  extensively   dusky ;   molars 
large  ;  maxillary  toothrow  about    5. 

1.  Color  darker  and  richer.     Veracruz  and  Puebla P.  b.  aztecus 

2.  Color    paler.     Oaxaca    and    Guerrero P.    b.    evides 

cc.   Color   duller   and   more    mixed   with    dusky :    hind   foot    less    extensively   dusky 

(usually    white   except   tarsal   joint);   molars   smaller;   maxillary   tooth- 
row less  than  5 P.  b.  levipes 

PEROMYSCUS  BOYLEI    (Raird). 
(PI.  IV,  %.  1  :  pi.  VII.  tig.  r».) 

Hesperomys  boylii  Baird,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  VII,  pp.  335-336,  April, 

1 855. 
Sitomys  robustus  Allen,   Hull.  Am.   Mus.   Nat.   Hist.,  V,  pp.  335-330,  Dec.  16, 

1893 — Lakeport,  Lake  County,  Calif. 
Peromyscus  boylii  Mearns,  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  .Mus.,  XIN.  p.  130,  May  25,  1896. 

Type  locality. — Middle  Fork  American  River,  Eldorado  County, 
Calif.,  near  site  of  present  town  of  Auburn. 

Geographic  distribution. — West  slopes  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  moun- 
tains from  the  vicinity  of  Yosemite  north  to  Mount  Shasta,  thence 
along  the  east  slopes  of  the  coast  ranges  nearly  to  San  Francisco  Bay. 
Upper  Sonoran  and  Transition  zones. 

Characters. — Size  medium  (hind  foot  21-23),  about  as  in  truei, 
larger  than  in  gambeli;  tail  long,  equal  to  or  longer  than  head  and 
body,  somewhat  penicillate  and  rather  coarsely  hairy  throughout,  the 
annulations  usually  being  obvious;  ears  medium,  smaller  than  in 
truei  and  gilberti;  proximal  two-fifths  of  under  side  of  hind  foot 
hairy:  coloration  not  peculiar,  much  as  in  gilberti  and  gambeli; 
preauricular  tufts  without  white. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  General  effect  of  upperparts  hair  brown 
to  sepia ;  ground  color  pale  buffy  cinnamon  heavily  and  uniformly 
mixed  with  dusky  without  any  decided  concentration  in  middle  of 
back:  lower  face,  arms,  and  narrow  lateral  line  nearly  clear  pale 
ochraceous  buff;  a  narrow  blackish  orbital  ring;  ear  tufts  same  as 
upperparts,  never  containing  white  hairs,  but  often  showing  a  soft 
blackish  tuft  at  the  base  of  the  upper  margin  of  the  ear;  ears  dusky 
narrowly  edged  with  whitish:  underparts  creamy  white;  feet  white, 
'  ankles '  rather  extensively  dusky ;  tail  brownish  above,  white  below. 
Worn  pelage :  Upperparts  varying  from  Mars  brown  and  russet  to 
pale  cinnamon  uniformly  mixed  with  brownish  dusky,  which  varies 
in  amount  according  to  degree  of  wear;  orbital  ring,  dark  marking 
on  hind  legs  and  '  ankles,'  and  upper  side  of  tail  paler,  more  brown- 


1909.] 


BOYLEI    GROUP BOYLET. 


143 


ish,  than  in  unworn  pelage.  Adolescent  pelage:  General  effect  of 
upperparts  varying  from  drab  to  hair  brown  with  a  tinge  of  fawn,  a 
pale  ochraceous  buff  lateral  line  usually  evident. 

Skull. — Size  medium,  decidedly  larger  than  in  gambeli  and  rubidus 
but  somewhat  smaller  than  in  truei  and  gilberti;  rostrum  depressed 


P.  O.  madrenj-ij 
P.  O.  aztecus 


Fig.  4. — Distribution  of  Peromyscus  boylei  and  subspecies. 

anteriorly:  zygomatic  width  least  anteriorly;  infraorbital  region 
relatively  weak;  braincase  somewhat  rounded  but  smaller  and  less 
inflated  than  in  truei;  audita!  bullae  decidedly  smaller  and  less  orbi- 
cular than  in  truei;  teeth  medium,  much  larger  than  in  gambeli  and 
rubidus,  about  equaling  those  of  truei. 


144  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes :  Total  length,  197 
(183-202)  ;  tail  vertebrae,  103  (92-112)  ;  hind  foot,  22  (21-23)  ;  ear 
from  notch  (dry),  16.4  (15.3-17.5). 

Type  specimen. — No.  tVtV  U.  S.  National  Museum.  Collected  by 
Dr.  C.  C.  Boyle.  Entered  in  Museum  catalogue  in  1854.  Skin 
formerly  in  exhibition  series,  now  removed  from  stand  but  still  in 
crouching  position,  as  originally  mounted,  Avith  tail  raised  over  back. 
Color  much  faded  from  exposure  to  light,  chiefly  pale  buffy  cinna- 
mon. Tail  somewhat  cracked,  but  coarse  annulations  and  hairy 
covering  distinct.  A  large  patch  of  fur  gone  from  right  side  of 
body.  Skull  with  zygomata  somewhat  broken,  otherwise  perfect. 
Tail  vertebra;  preserved  with  skull. 

Remarks. — Typical  P.  boylei  appears  to  be  confined  to  the  State 
of  California.  There  is  no  obvious  reason  why  it  should  not  occur 
also  in  the  mountains  of  southern  Oregon,  but  considerable  collecting 
there  has  failed  to  reveal  it.  However,  although  it  sometimes  ranges 
into  the  Canadian  zone,  it  is  evidently  of  southern  extraction  and  is 
connected  with  various  intergrading  forms  which  range  throughout 
most  of  Mexico  and  even  into  Guatemala.  Although  occasionally 
found  in  the  valleys,  it  is  much  more  common  in  the  mountains. 
From  other  species  of  California,  it  may  be  recognized  usually  by 
its  coarsely  haired  penicillate  tail,  medium-sized  ears,  and  cranial 
characters.  P.  boylei  is  perhaps  most  apt  to  be  confused  with  gil- 
berti,  which  approaches  it  in  size  and  color  very  closely.  Its  ears 
average  smaller  than  in  gilberti,  its  tail  is  more  coarsely  haired,  and 
the  coarser  annulations  are  more  exposed.  If  external  characters 
fail,  it  may  be  distinguished  from  gilberti  with  certainty  by  its 
decidedly  smaller  audital  bullae. 

In  the  southern  Sierra  region  boylei  intergrades  with  the  paler 
form  rowleyi,  and  many  specimens  may  be  found  that  resemble  one 
about  as  much  as  the  other.  A  series  from  the  lava  beds  of  Fall 
River  Valley.  Shasta  County,  are  unusually  dark  colored,  but  the 
divergence  is  slight. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  254,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows : 

California:  Middle  Fork  American  River,  near  Auburn,  34;  Baird,  4; 
Bartlett  Springs,  2;  Battle  Creek,  4;  Berger  Creek,  1;  Beswick,  6; 
Bully  Choop  Mountains,  5;  Cassel,  2;  Chico  (10  miles  northeast),  9; 
Chinese,  2;  Coarsegold,  2;  Coulterville,  1;  Dana,  2:  Downieville,  3; 
Eel  River,  4;  Eel  River,  near  South  Yolla  Bolly  Mountain,  19;  Etna, 
Salmon  Mountains,  6;  Fall  Lake,  Fall  River  Valley,  6  (aberrant): 
Forest  Hill,  Placer  County.  2:  Fresno  Flat,  7:  Fyffe,  4;  Guenoc,  2; 
Hurleton,  10 ;  Lakeport,  1 :  °  Leesville,  8 ;  Lower  Lake,  14 ;  Milford, 
3 ;  Montgomery,  1 ;  Mount  Shasta,  1 ;  Mountain  House,  Butte  County, 
4;  Oroville,  2;  Quincy,  2;   Salt  Springs,  6;  Scott  Valley,  4;   Sierra 

a  Collection  of  Leland  Stanford,  jr.,  University.     Type  of  '  robustus.' 


I'.m-.i.l  BOYLEI    GROUP ROWLEYI.  145 

City,  1;  Slippery  Ford.  1i>;  Snow  Mountain,  Colusa  County.  36;  Still- 
water. 2 ;  Susanville,  1 ;  Tower  House,  1 :  Upper  Lake,  2;  Yosemite,  18. 

PEROMYSCUS  BOYLEI   ROWLEYI    (Allen). 

Sitomys  rowleyi  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  X.  Y..  V,  pp.  76-78,  Apr.  28, 

1893. 
Sitomys  major  Rhoads,  Am.  Naturalist,  XXVII,  p.  831,  Sept..  ] 893. — Squirrel 

Inn,  San  Bernardino  County,  Calif. 
Sitomys  rowleyi  pinalis  Miller,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Xat.  Hist.,  X.  Y.,  A',  pp.  331-334, 

Dee.  16,  1S93. — Granite  Gap,  Grant  County,  X.  Mex. 
Peromyscus  boylii  rowleyi  Mearns,  Proc.  U.  S.  Xat.  Mus.,  XIX.  p.    139,   May 

25,   1896. 
Peromyscus   boylii   penicillatus   Mearns,   Proc.   U.    S.   Xat.   Mus.,    XIX,    p.    139, 

May  25,  1896. — Franklin  Mountains,  near  El  Paso,  Tex. 
Peromyscus  gaurus  Elliot,  Field  Columbian  Museum,  Chicago,  Zoo!.   Ser.,    Ill, 

pp.  157-158,  Apr.,  1903. — San  Antonio,  San  Pedro  Martir  Mountains.  Lower 

California. 
Peromyscus  parasiticus  Elliot,   Field  Columbian   Museum,  Chicago,   Zool.    Ser., 

Ill,  p.  244,  Jan.,  1904.— Lone  Pine,  Calif. 
Peromyscus   metallicola   Elliot,   Field  Columbian  Museum,   Chicago,  Zool.   Ser., 

Ill,  p.  245,  Jan.,  1904. — Provideneia  Mines,  Souora,  Mexico. 

Type  locality. — Noland  Ranch,  San  Juan  River,  Utah. 

Geographic  distribution. — Mountains  of  southern  California, 
northern  Lower  California,  southern  Nevada,  Utah,  Colorado,  Ari- 
zona, New  Mexico,  western  Texas,  and  south  in  Mexico  chiefly  on  the 
eastern  slopes  of  the  Sierra  Madre  to  central -Zacatecas  and  north- 
western San  Luis  Potosi. 

Characters. — Size,  proportions,  and  cranial  characters  practically 
as  in  P.  boylei;  color  paler. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  General  effect  of  upperparts  wood  brown 
to  isabella  color;  ground  color  ochraceous  buff  uniformly  sprinkled 
with  dusky;  sides  like  back,  except  a  relatively  broad  lateral  line  of 
ochraceous  buff  unmixed  with  dusky;  nose  and  postorbital  region 
grayish;  narrow  orbital  ring  blackish;  ears  dusky,  faintly  edged 
with  whitish;  underparts  cream  white;  tail  dusky  brownish  above, 
white  below;  feet  white,  dusky  of  hind  legs  extending  to  tarsal  joints, 
but  not  sharply  contrasted.  Worn  pelage:  General  effect,  of  upper- 
parts  varying  from  clay  color  to  vinaceous  cinnamon  and  from  that 
to  cinnamon  (No.  20,  PI.  Ill,  Ridgway),  quite  decidedly  paler  than 
in  boylei. 

Skull. — Practically  as  in  boylei.  possibly  averaging  a  trifle  larger. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adults  from  Bluff  City.  San  Juan 
River,  Utah:  Total  length,  191  (180-207)  ;  tail  vertebra".  99  (91-109)  ; 
hind  foot,  21.6  (21-23)  ;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  17.2  (10.6-18). 

Type  specimen. — No.  fff$  American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
New  York.      ?    adult .     April  20.  1892.     Chas.  P.  Rowley.     Skin  in 

6620.x— No.  28—09 10 


146  NORTH    AMERICAN     FAUNA.  I  no.  28. 

fair  condition,  in  bright  slightly  worn  pelage;  end  of  tail  slightly 
injured.    Skull  in  good  condition. 

Remark*. — This  pale  form  of  boylei  has  a  wide  range  throughout 
which  it  shows  comparatively  little  variation.  Nearly  all  California 
series  of  rowleyi  are  the  merest  shade  deeper  colored  than  typical. 
thus  being  intermediate  between  boylei  and  rowleyi.  This  includes 
(specially  specimens  from  the  coast  valleys  and  low  ranges  of  moun- 
tains from  Monterey  County  to  northwestern  Lower  California. 
The  difference  is  so  slight,  however,  that  it  can  scarcely  be  detected 
in  small  series  or  individuals  and  is  apparent  only  on  comparison 
of  very  large  series.  Specimens  from  the  east  side  of  the  southern 
Sierras  and  also  those  from  the  San  Bernardino  Mountains,  includ- 
ing the  type  of  ' major,1  do  not  show  the  slightest  tendency  toward 
boylei,  but  are  practically  identical  with  rowleyi.  On  the  whole 
it  seems  best  to  include  all  southwestern  specimens  of  this  group 
under  the  name  rowleyi.  The  difference  between  typical  boylei  and 
rowleyi  is  only  in  shade  of  color,  and  the  attempt  to  recognize  an 
intermediate  shade  does  not  seem  advisable.  Intergradation  with 
attwateri  is  shown  by  specimens  from  western  Texas,  which  are  large 
but  pale  colored.  The  type  of  '  'penicillatus '  is  an  abnormally  pale 
individual,  but  a  series  from  the  Franklin  Mountains  near  the  type 
locality  does  not  differ  from  typical  rowleyi.  Specimens  from  the 
type  locality  of  ' />i/ialis*  do  not  differ  from  others  in  comparable 
condition  from  the  vicinity  of  the  type  locality  of  rowleyi. 

Most  Mexican  specimens  of  rowleyi  show  slight  tendencies  toward 
spicilegus,  being  slightly  deeper  colored.  Specimens  from  Lower 
California  ('  gaums1)  have  rather  long  tails  but  no  longer  than  are 
often  found  in  various  other  parts  of  the  range  of  the  form. 

As  boylei  is  apt  to  be  confused  with  gilberti,  so  also  is  rowleyi 
similar  to  truei.  As  a  rule,  however,  rowleyi  has  decidedly  smaller 
ears,  less  silky  pelage,  and  a  coarser  tail  than  truei  and  hence  may  be 
distinguished  without  recourse  to  the  skull,  in  which  the  audital 
bullae  are  much  smaller  than  in  truei.  It  also  much  resembles  nasu- 
tus,  which  is  a  larger  species  with  a  longer  rostrum. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  .number  1,270,  from  localities  as 
follows : 

Arizona:  Apache  County,  1:  Bradshaw  City,  13;  Chiricahua  Moun- 
tains. 30:  Fort  Bowie.  5;  Fort  Huachuca,  6;  Fort  Whipple,  1; 
Grand  Canyon,  6:  Holbrook.  1;  Huachuca  Mountains,  133:  Hualpai 
Mountains,  S ;  Xogales,  6 ;  Oracle,  1 ;  Painted  Desert,  Little  Colorado 
River,  1:  Pinal  County,  14:  Prescott,  5;  Santa  Catalina  Moun- 
tains. 8:  Show  Low.  2;  Walnut,  1  :  Warsaw.  1:  White  Mountains,  2. 

California:  Aguanga,  2;  Arroyo  Seco,  near  Paraiso  Springs,  6;  Ballena.  4  : 
Bergman,  2:  Balcon  Mountain,  1;  Camp  Badger,  4:  Carmel  River, 
40;  Carpenteria,  2;  Chihuahua  Mountains.  San  Diego  County.  2: 
Coahuila  Mountains.  Riverside  County,  1 :  east  base  Coast  Range, 
San  Diego  County.  1  :  Cone  Peak.  Monterey  County.  4:  Cuyainaea,  7; 


1909.]  BOYLEI   GROUP — ATTWATERI.  147 

Densniores,  Riverside  County,  7;  Dulzura,  2:  Eshorn  Valley,  Tulare 
County.  2:  Gaviota  Puss,  11;  Glendora,  1:  Hemet  Mountain.  .'! : 
Independence  Creek,  2;  Jacumba,  .'!:  Julian,  1  ;  Kaweah,  1;  Kaweah 
River,  2;  Kern  River,  13;  Kern  River  Lakes.  1;  Laguna  Mountains, 
San  Diego  County,  <>;  Laguna.  11;  Las  Virgines  Creek.  1:  Lone 
Pine,  18;  Milo,  2:  Mission  Santa  Ynez,  7;  Mohave,  1;  Mono  Fiats. 
Santa  Barbara  County,  4:  Morans,  1;  Mountain  Spring,  San  Diego 
County,  1:  Nellie.  2:  Nofdhoff,  6;  Oak  Grove,  1;  Olancha  ('reek,  2: 
Owens  Lake,  15;  Pine  Valley.  Monterey  County,  8;  Piute  Moun- 
tains, 2:  Pleyto,  1:  Porterville.  3:  Pozo,  10;  Providence  Moun- 
tains, 3;  San  Bernardino  Mountains,  37;  San  Emigdio  Canyon,  7; 
San  Gabriel  Mountains  (Strain  Camp),  12;  San  Jacinto  Moun- 
tains, 20:  San  Miguelito,  1:  San  Rafael  Mountains,  Santa  Barbara 
County,  18;  San  Simeon,  11;  Santa  Ana  Mountains,  2:  Santa  Lucia 
Peak,  3;  Santa  Paula,  1;  Santa  Ynez  River,  (i;  Santa  Ysabel,  27; 
Smith  Mountain,  San  Diego  County,  1:  south  fork  Kern  River,  13; 
Springville,  5;  Sur  River,  4:  Tassajara  Creek,  22;  Tehachapi,  4; 
Tejon  Canyon,  4;  Three  Rivers.  23:  Ventura  River,  14;  Walker 
Pass,  2:  Witch  Creek.  0;  Zaca  Lake,  6, 

Chihuahua:  Balleza,  3:  Colonia  Garcia,  11 ;  Colonia  Juarez,  2;  Parral,  5; 
San  Luis  Mountains,  2. 

Colorado:  Arboles,  1:  Cortez.  2:"  Coventry,  5;  Mesa  Verde,  2;  Salida,  1." 

Durango:  Arroyo  de  Bucy,  1  ;  Cienega  de  las  Yacas,  S;  Durango,  1;  La 
Boquilla,  (>:   Matalotes,  7:   Rancho   Santuario,  24:   San  Gabriel,  16. 

Lower  California:  Agua.je  de  las  Fresas,  7:  Hanson  Laguna,  10;  La 
Grulla,  3;  Naehoguero  Valley,  10;  Palomar,  3:  Rancho  San  Antonio, 
16;  San  Matias  Pass,  2;  San  Pedro  Martir  Mountains,  6. 

Nevada:   Charleston    Mountains,    5. 

New  Mexico:  Alma,  4;  Animas  Peak,  17;  Animas  Valley,  4;  Aztec,  12; 
Rig  Hatchet  Mountains,  16  :  Burro  Mountains,  6  :  Capitan  Mountains, 
23;  Clayton,  4;  Copperton,  1  :  Corona,  12:  Dry  Creek,  Socorro  Comity. 
2;  Emery  Peak,  4;  Florida  Mountains,  3;  Folsom,  6;  Fort  Wingate,  1; 
Gallo  Canyon,  2:  Gallup,  1;  Gila  National  Forest.  2;  Glenwood,  1; 
Glorieta,  1:  Granite  Gap,  1;  Jicarilla  Mountains,  23;  La  Plata,  1: 
Las  Vegas,  5:  Manzano  Mountains,  40;  Mogollon  Mountains,  2: 
Organ  City,  2:  Organ  Mountains,  8;  Raton  Range,  4;  San  Andres 
Mountains,  7;  Sandia  Mountains,  17;  San  Pedro,  3:  Santa  Rosa,  8; 
Sierra  Grande,  5 ;  Silver  City,  1 ;  Tucumcari,  1. 

San  Luis  Potosi:    Mountains  near  Jesus  Maria,  4. 

Sonora:  Huasavos  Mountains,  10;  Providencia  Mines,  7;  San  Luis  Moun- 
tains, 4;  San  Jose  Mountains.  4;  Santa  Cruz  River,  2;  Sierra 
Patagones,   20. 

Texas:''  Rig  Spring,  1 ;  Franklin  Mountains,  12 ;  Ozona,  3 ;  Rock  Springs.  1. 

Utah:   Bluff,  45;  Noland  Ranch,  10;  Ogden,  2:  Santa  Clara  Creek,  2. 

PFROMYSCFS    BOYLEI    ATTWATERI    Allen. 

Peromyscus  attwateri  Allen.   Bull.   Am.   Mus.   Nat.   Hist.,   X.   Y.,   VII,  pp.  330- 

331,  Nov.  8.  1895. 
Peromyscus  bcllii*  Bangs,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash..  X,  p.  137.  Dec.  28,  1896. — Stil- 

well,  Okla. 


"  Collection  of  E.  R.  Warren. 
''All  approaching  attwateri. 


148  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Peromy8CU8  boylei  laceyi  Bailey,  N.  Am.   Fauna   No.  25,  pp.  «>(.t-lOO,  Oct.  24, 

1905    Turtle  Creek,  Kerr  County,  Tex. 
Peromyscus  boylii  attwateri  Mearns,  Bull.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.  X<».  56,  p.  42:>,  April 

13,  1907. 

Type  locality. — Turtle  Creek,  Kerr  County,  Tex. 

Geographic  distribution. — South  central  and  parts  of  western 
Texas;  north  to  eastern  Oklahoma,  central  Missouri,  and  southern 
Kansas.     Chiefly  confined  to  rocky  cliffs  in  upper  Sonoran  zone. 

Characters. — Similar  to  rowleyi  hut  larger  (hind  foot  22-25)  ;  color 
darker  and  richer,  practically  as  in  boylei.  Similar  to  laceianus  but 
larger  and  darker  and  always  with  a  distinct  dusky  marking  on  the 
tarsal  joint ;  skull  and  molar  teeth  smaller. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  Almost  exactly  as  in  boylei;  ground  color 
of  upperparts  pale  cinnamon,  thoroughly  mixed  with  fine  lines  of 
dusky:  head,  particularly  about  nose  and  orbital  region,  somewhat 
grayish;  dusky  orbital  ring  rather  narrow:  lower  sides  of  face,  axil- 
lary region,  and  narrow  lateral  line  ochraceous  buff;  dusky  of  hind 
leg  continued  over  tarsal  joint  and  encroaching  slightly  on  upper 
side  of  hind  foot;  underparts  creamy  white,  occasionally  with  an 
ochraceous  buff  pectoral  spot.  Worn  pelage:  Upperparts  varying 
from  cinnamon  to  russet  and  pale  cinnamon  rufous,  variously  mixed 
with  dusky  or  brownish 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  boylei  and  rowleyi  but  larger;  braincase 
higher,  more  inflated;  audital  bulla1  and  molar  teeth  decidedly  larger. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  topotypes: "  Total  length,  196  (187- 
216)  ;  tail  vertebra-.  100  (90-110)  ;  hind  foot,  21  (20-23).  Hind  foot 
of  type  (dry).  23.5.  Average  of  10  adults  from  Stilwell,  Okla.: 
Total  length'.  205  (196-218)  :  tail  vertebrae,  103  (97-112)  ;  hind  foot. 
21.3  (23-25)  ;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  16.2  (15.5-17.2). 

Typt  specimen. — No.  VttV  American  Museum  of  Natural 
History.  Xew  York.  ?  adult.  Mar.  12,  1895.  H.  P.  Attwater. 
Skin  in  good  condition.  Skull  with  zygomata  and  pterygoids  slightly 
broken ;  last  left  upper  molar  missing. 

Remarks. — Although  the  wide  range  of  the  pale  form  rowleyi  is 
interposed  between  that  of  typical  boylei  and  of  attwateri,  the  latter 
two  are  very  similar.  In  general,  attwateri  has  a  somewhat  grayer 
face  than  boylei,  and  the  dusky  hairs  of  the  back  show  more  distinctly 
as  lines,  but  many  specimens  of  each  are  practically  indistinguishable 
by  color  alone.  The  large  size  and  rather  rich  color  of  attwateri  are 
most  developed  in  the  northern  part  of  its  range,  in  the  Wichita 
and  Ozark  mountains.  Specimens  from  western  Texas  in  the  Da^is 
Mountains  and  vicinity  seem  referable  to  attwateri,  but  do  not  differ 
greatly  from  others  from  Colonia  Garcia,  Chihuahua,  which  have 

0  From  original  description. 


1909.1  BOYLE!    GBOUP-    -SPICILEGUS.  149 

been  referred  to  rowleyi,  and  which  may  be  considered  as  approach- 
ing either  attwateri  or  spicilegus. 

It  does  not  seem  possible  to  recognize  'P.  beMusf  for  though  it 
may  differ  by  extremely  slight  average  characters  from  attwateri 
from  the  type  locality,  it  merely  represents  the  extreme  of  a  differen- 
tiation away  from  rowleyi  which  is  well  established  at  the  type  lo- 
cality of  attwateri  The  recognition  of  both  attwateri  and  '  Leilas  ' 
would  therefore  make  attwateri  an  extremely  slight  and  practically 
indefinable  intermediate  between  rowleyi  and  '  bellus?  The  name 
laceyi  is  a  pure  synonym  of  attwateri,  having  been  based  upon  the 
same  species  from  the  same  locality  on  the  supposition  that  the  name 
attwateri  applied  to  the  form  of  peetoralis  now  called  laceianus. 

Specimen*  examined. — Total  number  273,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows : 

Arkansas:   Batesville,  3. 

Kansas:   Cedarvale,  4. 

Oklahoma:  Dougherty,    21:    Redland,    2;    Red    Oak,    8;     Stilwell,    37; 

Wichita   Mountains    I  vicinity  of  Mount  Scott  and   Mount    Sheridan), 

110. 
Texas:   Boerne,  4;  Chinati  Mountains,  4:  Davis  Mountains,  G;  Fort  Davis, 

10;  Ingram,  1:   Kerrville,  1:  Mason,  30;  Paisano,  13;  Turtle  Creek, 

Kerr  County,  17 :  Waring.  1!. 

PEROMYSCUS  BOYLEI  SPICILEGUS   (Allen). 

(PI.  IV,  fig.  3.) 

Peromirscits  spicilegus  Allen,  Bull  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist..  N.  Y.,  IX,  pp.  50-51, 
March  15,   1897. 

Type  locality. — Mineral  San  Sebastian,  Mascota,  Jalisco,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Western  slopes  of  the  Sierra  Madre  of 
Mexico  from  southern  Sonora  south  to  southern  Jalisco. 

Characters. — Somewhat  similar  to  rowleyi.  but  size  larger  and 
color  richer;  prevailing  color  rich  tawny  ochraceous,  with  blackish 
ears  in  strong  contrast;  skull  similar  to  those  of  boylei,  rowleyi,  etc.. 
but  braincase  usually  more  expanded  anteriorly  forming  an  incipient 
supraorbital   shelf. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  Upperparts  rich  tawny,  sometimes  ap- 
proximating ochraceous  rufous;  dusky  and  dusky-tipped  hairs  uni- 
formly distributed  throughout  upperparts,  but  only  slightly  modify- 
ing the  predominating  tawny,  sometimes  slightly  concentrated  on 
dorsum,  forming  a  poorly  defined  stripe  of  blackish ;  sides  like  back, 
lateral  line  rather  broad  but  not  strongly  contrasted:  a  black  or 
nearly  black  orbital  ring  slightly  extended  posteriorly  into  a  grizzled 
area  between  the  eye  and  the  base  of  the  ear;  ears  dusky,  very  nar- 
rowly or  not  at  all  edged  with  yellowish  white;  tufts  of  partly  con- 
cealed soft  black  hairs  at  the  anterior  bases  of  the  ears:  feet  white; 


150  NORTH  AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

dusky  of  hind  leg  extending  to  and  slightly  beyond  metatarsal  joint; 
underparts  creamy  white  usually  with  a  grayish  cast  caused  by  the 
slaty  undercolor;  a  large  tawny  pectoral  spot  frequently  present;  tail 
blackish  brown  above,  white  below,  the  rather  coarse  ambulations 
usually  obvious.  Worn  pelage:  More  similar  to  unworn  pelage  than 
usual  in  the  genus;  upperparts  rather  duller,  more  nearly  ochraceous 
bull',  with  dusky  mixture  minimized  or  changed  to  pale  brownish 
which  appears  in  general  effect  like  fine  vermiculation ;  middle  of 
back  often  nearly  cinnamon.  Adolescent  pelage:  General  effect  of 
upperparts  nearly  sepia  with  a  strong  tinge  of  fawn;  lateral  line  of 
pale  ochraceous  buff  obvious. 

Skull. — Size  about  as  in  boylei;  braincase  rather  more  flattened 
anteriorly;  supraorbital  border  usually  sharp-angled  from  parieto- 
frontal suture  to  lachrymal  expansion,  almost  forming  a  shelf;  pala- 
tine slits  laterally  expanded;  interpterygoid  fossa  relatively  wide; 
audital  bullae  rather  small. 

Measurements. — Average  of  8  adult  topotypes:  Total  length.  198 
(189-210)  ;  tail  vertebra?,  101,  (95-108)  ;  hind  foot,  28.4  (23-25)  ;  ear 
from  notch  (dry),  16.3  (15.4-17.3). 

Type  specimen. — No.  fflf  American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
Xew  York.  S  adult.  Dec.  2,  1893.  Audley  C.  Buller.  Skin  in 
fair  condition;  feet  and  tail  somewhat  twisted;  pelage  smooth  and 
clean.     Skull  practically  perfect. 

Remarks. — P.  h.  spicilegus  and  its  near  relatives  levlpes.  a&tecus, 
etc.,  are  among  the  most  common  of  Mexican  mice.  As  members  of  a 
group  they  are  quite  easily  recognizable,  although  it  is  rather  difficult 
to  formulate  a  set  of  characters  peculiar  to  them,  and  the  distinguish- 
ing of  different  forms  within  the  group  is  extremely  perplexing. 
/'.  spicilegus  is  fairly  well  restricted  to  the  mountains  of  western 
Mexico,  although  within  this  range  variations  occur  that  more  or 
less  definitely  approach  rowleyi,  levipes,  simulus,  or  evides.  Its 
bright  tawny  color,  blackish  ears,  etc.,  distinguish  it  from  rowleyi; 
its  smaller  audital  bulla1  and  flattened  supraorbital  border  distinguish 
it  from  most  specimens  of  levipes;  its  larger  teeth  and  longer  nasals 
from  simulus;  and  its  smaller  teeth  and  less  extensively  duskj'  hind 
feet  from  evides.  There  is  much  local  variation  throughout  the 
group,  and  although  the  forms  mentioned  above  are  fairly  well 
marked,  the  great  majority  of  specimens  examined  combine  the  char- 
acters of  tAvo  or  more  of  them  and  have  been  referred  to  the  ones 
they  resemble  most  closely. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  232.  from  localities  as  follows: 

Chihuahua:  Sierra  Madre,  65  miles  east  of  Batopilas,  T:   Sierra  Madre, 

near  Guadalupe  y  Calvo,  5.  • 
Colima:  Hacienda  San  Antonio,  5. 
Durango:   Chacala,  10;  Coyotes,  12;  El  Salto,  11  ;  Iluasamota,  2. 


190!».1  BOYLEI  GROUP SIMULUS.  151 

Jalisco:  Aiueca,  IT;  Arroyo  de  Gabalan,  3;  Barranca  Ibarra,  0  (ap- 
proaching evides)  ;  Bolanos,  1<>:  Estancia  Jalisco,  1;  Etzatlan,  13; 
Jaeala,  2;  La  Cienega,  4;  La  Laguna,  8;  La  Laja,  •"»:  Mascota,  1; 
Sal  si  Puedes,  1:  San  Sebastian,  23:  Sierra  de  Juanacatlan,  5 ; 
Talpa,  3:  Wakenakili  Mountains,  13. 

Sinaloa:  Plomosas,  6  (approaching  evides )  ;  Sierra  de  Choix,  "><>  miles 
northeast  of  Choix,  14. 

Sonora:   Mountains  near  Alamos,  IS. 

Tepic:  Jalisco,  2:  Pedro  Pablo,  1;  Santa  Teresa,  lo  (approaching  simu- 
lus). 

Zacatecas:    Monte  Escobedo.  2:  Plateado,  4;  Sierra  Madre,  10. 

PEROMYSCUS   P.OYLEI   SIMULUS  Osgood. 
(PI.  IV.  fig.  4.) 

Peromyscus  spicilegus  simulus  Osgood,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XVII,  pp.  (i4-fi.r>. 
Mar.  21,  1904. 

Type  locality. — San  Bias,  Tepic.  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Lowlands  of  the  west  coast  of  Mexico. 
in  Sinaloa  and  Tepic. 

Characters. — Similar  to  spicilegus,  but  smaller  and  averaging  paler; 
nasals  shorter;  teeth  much  smaller. 

Color. — Almost  as  in  spicilegus,  but  averaging  slightly  paler,  as 
indicated  by  a  few  specimens  in  new  pelage  that  are  more  nearly 
ochraceous  buff  than  tawny;  tail  in  some  specimens  blackish  all 
around,  not  sharply  bicolor;  pectoral  spot  frequently  present. 

Skull. — Somewhat  similar  to  that  of  spicilegus,  but  smaller  and. 
more  angular;  nasals  and  rostral  part  of  skull  decidedly  shorter: 
parietal  narrower  and  less  shelf  like;  premaxilla?  not  exceeding 
nasals;  zygomata  relatively  heavy  and  squared  anteriorly;  molar 
teeth  very  small ;  bony  palate  short. 

Measurements. — Average  of  three  adult  topotypes:  Total  length. 
208;  tail  vertebrae,  111 ;  hind  foot,  23;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  15. 

Type  specimen. — Xo.  88088  XT.  S.  National  Museum.  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  adult.  Apr.  18,  1897.  E.  W.  Nelson.  Skin 
in  good  condkion.  Skull  with  last  right  upper  molar  missing: 
otherwise  perfect. 

Remarks. — This  is  a  well-marked  form,  a  coast  representative  of 
the  mountain  animal  spicilegus.  Specimens  from  Rosario  and  near 
Mazatlan  are  in  nearly  unworn  pelage  and  perhaps  represent  the 
extreme  of  the  form,  in  which  the  color  is  somewhat  paler  than  in 
spicilegus.  The  type  of  simulus.  which  was  selected  with  particular 
reference  to  its  cranial  characters,  is  somewhat  darker  and  nearly 
the  same  color  as  spicilegus.  It  may  therefore  be  regarded  as  slightly 
intermediate. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  45.  from  localities  as  follows: 

Sinaloa:   Escuinapa,  20;  near  Mazatlan,  6. 
Tepic:   Navarrete,  3;  Rosario,  10:  San  Bias,  6. 


152  NORTH    AMERICAN     FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

PEROMYSCUS  BOYLE1    MADRENSIS  Mkrkiam. 

Peromyscus  madrensis  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XII,  p.  l<>,  Jan.  27,  L898. 

Type  locality. — Maria  Madre  Island,  Tres  Marias  Islands,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Confined  to  the  Tres  Marias  Islands. 

Character*. — Similar  to  P.  b.  spicilegus,  but  averaging  larger  and 
paler;  ears  averaging  slightly  smaller. 

Color. — Worn  pelage:  Upperparts  chiefly  dull  ochraceous  buff 
more  or  less  k  peppered  '  and  vermiculated  with  brownish  cinnamon, 
the  latter  most  abundant  in  the  middle  of  the  back;  lateral  line 
rather  indefinite,  nearly  clear  ochraceous  buff;  ears  dusky  brownish; 
narrow  orbital  ring  and  spot  at  base  of  whiskers  blackish;  under- 
pays creamy  or  yellowish  white,  often  with  a  prominent  ochraceous 
buff  pectoral  spot;  feet  dull  white,  tarsal  joint  dusky;  tail  very  in- 
distinctly bicolor  or  almost  unicolor,  in  some  specimens  dusky  above 
and  dull  whitish  below,  in  others  nearly  uniform  dusky  all  around 
except  proximally  where  it  is  always  somewhat  paler  below. 

Skull. — Practically  as  in  spicilegus,  but  averaging  quite  decidedly 
larger;  skull  in  general  rather  more  elongate;  audita!  bulla1  and 
molar  teeth  actually  about  as  in  spicilegus,  relatively  smaller. 

Measurements. — Average  of  12  adult  topotypes:  Total  length,  224: 
tail  vertebra1,  120;  hind  foot,  26;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  15.6  (14.7- 
17.2). 

Type  specimen. — No.  89223  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  adult.  May  18,  1897.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — Although  this  is  a  well-marked  form,  it  seems  best  to 
treat  it,  as  well  as  its  near  relative  spicilegus,  as  a  subspecies  of 
boylei.  Individual  variation  in  madrensis  and  spicilegus  practically 
covers  the  difference  between  them.  Skulls  from  Maria  Cleofa  and 
Maria  Magdalena  are  somewhat  larger  than  those  from  Maria  Madre 
and  one  might  almost  consider  the  Maria  Madre  ones  as  intermedia- 
ates.  Certain  of  the  Maria  Madre  skulls  are  exactly  like  skulls  of 
spicilegus  from  the  mainland. 

The  series  from  the  islands  are  in  rather  worn  pelage,  and  when 
compared  with  unworn  specimens  of  spicilegus  appear  very  pale,  but 
are  only  slightly  paler  than  similarly  worn  examples  of  spicilegus. 

Specimen*  examined'.  Total  number  18,  from  localities  as  follows: 

Mexico:  Maria   Cleofa  Island.  3;    Maria   Madre  Island,  14;   Maria  Mag- 
dalena Island,  1. 

PEROMYSCUS  BOYLEI  EVIDES  Osgood. 

Peromyscus  spicilegus  evides  Osgood,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XVII.  p.  04,  Mar. 
21,  1904. 

Type  locality. — Juquila,  Oaxaca,  Mexico. 


I»09.] 


BOYLE]    (lliliri'     -LKVIl'KS.  153 


(Geographic  distribution. — Western  Mexico  at  lower  altitudes  than 
P.  I>.  spicilegus;  known  from  localities  in  the  States  of  Guerrero, 
Oaxaca,  and  Michoacan. 

Characters. — Color  as  in  spicilegus,  except  upper  side  of  hind  foot, 
which  usually  has  a  wedge-shaped  dusky  area  extending  from  the 
leg  across  the  tarsal  joint  nearly  to  the  base  of  the  toes;  skull  and 
teeth  decidedly  larger  and  heavier. 

Color. — Upperparts  tawny  ochraceous  slightly  mixed  with  dusky, 
this  slightly  or  scarcely  concentrated  medially;  a  narrow  black  orbital 
ring  and  spot  at  base  of  whiskers;  underparts  creamy  white  usually 
with  a  tawny  pectoral  spot;  tail  blackish  above,  white  below;  fore- 
arm sooty  to  wrist,  hands  white;  tarsal  joint  and  proximal  half  of 
hind  foot  usually  dusky  except  on  sides. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  spicilegus  but  larger  and  heavier;  supra- 
orbital border,  quite  shelf  like;  molar  teeth  larger  and  heavier;  also 
similar  to  that  of  aztecus,  but  averaging  slightly  shorter  and  broader. 

Measurements. — Average  of  5  topotypes:  Total  length,  208;  tail 
vertebra^  111;  hind  foot,  23;  ear  from  notch  (dry).  13.6  (12.6-14.5). 
Of  10  adults  from  Los  Reyes,  Michoacan:  222  (212-230);  112 
(105-122);  23.6  (23-25). 

Type  specimen. — No.  7142G  IT.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  yg.  adult.  Feb.  28,  1895.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — This  form  appears  to  be  the  western  representative  of 
aztecus,  from  which  it  differs  chiefly  in  its  paler  color.  Although  no 
unquestionable,  intergrades  between  aztecus  and  evides  are  at  hand, 
nor  any  specimens  from  intermediate  localities,  the  difference  between 
the  two  is  so  slight  and  so  nearly  bridged  by  individual  variation, 
that  the  existence  of  intergrades  is  scarcely  to  be  doubted.  Inter- 
grades between  e rides  and  spicilegus  have  been  examined  from  Plo- 
mosas.  Sinaloa  and  Barranca  Ibarra,  Jalisco,  and  even  from  San 
Sebastian,  the  type  locality  of  spicilegus. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  47.  from  localities  as  follows: 

Guerrero:   Omilteine,  11. 
Michoacan:   Los  If  eyes.  31. 
Oaxaca:   Juquila,  5. 

PEROMYSCTK  BOYLEI  LEVIPES   (Mf.rrtam). 
(PI.  IV.  fig.  2.) 

Peromyscus  levipes  Merriam,   Proc.  Biol.   Soc.  Wash..   XII.   pp.   123-124,   Apr. 

30,  1898. 
Peromyscus  beatae  Thomas,  Ann.  &  Mag.  Nat.  Hist..  London,   Ser.  T,  XI.  pp. 
485-486,  May,  1903.— Mount  Orizaba.  Mexico. 
Type  locality. — Mount  Malinche,  Tlaxcala,  Mexico. 
Geographic  distribution. — Eastern  and  southwestern  Mexico  and 
western   Guatemala,   chiefly    in    mountainous   regions    from  •  central 
Nuevo   Leon   south    through    San    Luis   Potosi.   Hidalgo.    Veracruz, 


154  NORTH    AMERICAN     FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

etc.,  to  southern  Oaxaca;  reappearing  in  the  highlands  of  Chiapas 

and  western  Guatemala. 

Characters. — Similar  to  spicilegus,  but  somewhat  Larger  and  darker 
colored;  dusky  mixture  in  upperparts  more  copious;  pelage  usually 
longer  and  softer;  skull  usually  broader;  supraorbital  border  not  so 
sharp-angled;  audital  bullae  larger.  Similar  to  aztecus,  but  color 
much  duller  and  more  dusky. 

(  'olor. — Unworn  pelage :  Ground  color  of  upperparts  varying  from 
rich  ochraceous  bun"  to  tawny  always  strongly  modified  by  dusky, 
producing  a  general  effect  that  varies  from  russet  to  Prout  brown ; 
sides  with  tawny  rather  predominating;  lateral  line  not  sharply 
marked;  back  with  dusky  usually  predominating,  sometimes  forming 
a  blackish  diffuse  stripe,  often  taking  the  form  of  close  lines;  orbital 
ling  blackish,  slightly  produced  posteriorly  toward  a  grizzled  area 
between  the  eye  and  the  base  of  the  ear;  ears  dusky,  scarcely  edged 
with  whitish ;  a  tuft  of  soft  blackish  slate  hairs  at  the  anterior  base 
of  the  ear;  underparts  creamy  white,  never  thoroughly  concealing  the 
slaty  undercolor:  a  pectoral  spot  sometimes  present;  feet  white,  tarsal 
joint  sharply  marked  with  dusky;  tail  bicolor,  brownish  dusky  above, 
white  below,  under  side  sometimes  flecked  with  dusky.  Worn  pelage: 
General  effect  of  sides  and  upperparts  bright  cinnamon  or  ochraceous 
buff  to  tawny  usually  with  a  darker  middorsal  area  of  russet  or  Prout 
brown;  dusky  markings  reduced  throughout  and  more  brownish  than 
blackish. 

Skull. — Quite  variable;  usually  larger,  shorter,  broader,  and  with 
larger  audital  bullae  and  molar  teeth  than  in  spicilegus;  supraorbital 
border  not  so  sharp-angled  and  seldom  showing  much  tendency  to  the 
development  of  a  shelf;  infraorbital  notch  slight  or  scarcely  evident. 
Similar  to  that  of  aztecus  but  usually  shorter  and  broader;  audital 
bulla^  averaging  larger;  supraorbital  border  not  so  sharp-angled. 

Measurements. — Type  and  1  topotype,  respectively:  Total  length, 
200,  184;  tail  vertebrae,  102,  93;  hind  foot,  2-3.5:  22.  Two  adults  from 
Maltrata,  Veracruz:  212,  192;  114,  102;  25,  22.  Average  of  ten 
adults  from  Encarnacion,  Hidalgo:  208  (198-234)  ;  108  (97-123)  ;  24 
(23-25)  ;  ear  from  notch  (dry)  16.2  (15.6-16.7).  Average  of  seven 
adults  from  Zunil,  Guatemala,  212  (204-227)  ;  110  (103-123)  ;  28.1) 
(23.5-25). 

Type  specimen. — No.  53673  U.  S.  National  Museum.  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  adult,  old.  May  12,  1893.  E.  W.  Nelson 
and  E.  A.  Goldman.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — This  is  a  common  and  widely  distributed  form  through- 
out most  of  the  mountainous  parts  of  eastern,  central,  and  southern 
Mexico  and  Guatemala.  Although  doubtless  many  mountain  colo- 
nies are  quite  isolated,  there  is  comparatively  little  local  variation. 
Thus,  those  of  the  highlands  of  Chiapas  and  Guatemala  are  sepa- 
rated from  those  of  more  northern  localities  bv  the  low  and  relatively 


1909.]  BOYLET    GROUP LEVI  PES.  155 

arid  region  of  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec.  Vet  series  from  Guate- 
mala do  not  differ  from  comparable  scries  from  Hidalgo,  for  exam- 
ple; or  if  there  is  any  difference  between  selected  specimens  it  is  no 
greater  and  is  usually  less  than  individual  variation  in  each  of  the 
scries  concerned.  Individual  variation  is  relatively  great,  especially 
in  size  and  cranial  characters.  The.  size  of  the  audital  bulla1,  while 
averaging  greater  than  in  spicilegus,  aztecus,  etc..  is  extremely  varia- 
ble, and  often  each  specimen  of  a  considerable  series  from  one  local- 
ity has  slightly  peculiar  bulla?.  The  size  of  the  molar  teeth  also  varies. 
and  in  some  cases  to  such  an  extent  that  suspicion  arises  that  two  dis- 
tinct species  are  being  confused.  Nevertheless,  it  does  not  seem  pos- 
sible to  prove  this.  Color  variation  runs  from  specimens  as  bright 
as  spicilegus  to  others  almost  as  dark  as  lepturus. 

Certain  individuals  in  almost  every  series  can  scarcely  be  dupli- 
cated elsewhere,  and  even  the  type  of  levipes  is  not  exactly  like  any 
of  several  topotypes.  Under  these  circumstances,  the  only  logical 
course  seems  to  be  to  unite  all  of  one  general  type  under  the  name 
levipes.  Specimens  from  Nuevo  Leon  average  rather  smaller  than 
usual  and  show  much  resemblance  to  spicilegus  in  color,  but  they  may 
he  exactly  matched  among  specimens  from  the  general  vicinity  of  the 
type  locality.  At  other  localities  the  average  size  may  be  large,  but 
this  again  is  nearly  or  quite  covered  by  individual  variation.  '/'. 
Uc(it(ic\  described  from  Mount  Orizaba,  relatively  very  near  Mount 
Malinche,  is  an  undoubted  synonym,  being  well  within  the  range  of 
variation  ordinarily  found  in  the  boylei  group.  Mr.  Thomas  had  no 
specimens  of  levipes  and  attempted  no  comparisons  with  it  at  the 
time  he  proposed  the  name  beatae. 

Specimens  examined:  Total  number  402.  from  localities  as  follows: 

Chiapas:  Canjob,  4;  Comitan,  16;  mountains  near  Comitan,  3;  Valley  of 

Comitan,  18;  San  Cristobal,  22:  Teopisca  (20  in.  southeast),  G. 
Guatemala:   Calel,  <">;   Hacienda   Chancol,   21:   Todos  Santos.   4:    Volcan 

Santa  Maria,  18;  Zunil,  23. 
Guerrero:  Ayusinapa,  4  (approaching  spicilegus?)  :  mountains  near  Chil- 

pancingo,  38. 
Hidalgo:   El  Chieo,  17;  Encarnacion,  25;  Pinal  tie  Amoles,  10;   Heal  del 

Monte.  7:  Tulancingo,  4. 
Jalisco:  Ocotlan,  1  :  Zapotlan,  1. 
Mexico:   Tlalpam,  1. 
Michoacan:   Patzcuaro.  1. 

Morelos:   Cuernavaca,  1  :  Tetela  del  Volcan,  3  (aberrant). 
Nuevo  Leon:   Cerro  de  la  Silla,  18;  Monterey,  37  i  aberrant). 
Oaxaca:  Cerro  San  Felipe.  4:  Mount  Zempoaltepec,  3;  mountains  west 

of  Oaxaca,  8;  mountains  near  Ozolotepec,  11  :  Reyes,  20;  San  Miguel, 

5;  Tamazulapam,  1. 
Puebla:  Atlixco,  2;  San  Martin,  1  ;  Tochimilco,  4  (aberrant). 
San  Luis  Potosi:   Villar,  11. 
Tlaxcala:   Mount  Malinche,  4. 
Veracruz:  Maltrata,  6;   Orizaba.   2;   Perote.  4;   Xometla    Camp,    .Mount 

Orizaba,  6 ;  Xuchil,  6. 


150  NORTH    AMERICAN     FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

PEROMYSCUS  BOYLE!  AZTECUS   (Sattssttbe). 
(PI.  IV.  flg.  5.) 

FFcsperomys  aztccus  Saussure,  Rev.  <*t  Mag.  de  Zool.,   Paris,  XII,  pp.  105-106, 

pi.  IX,  Qg.  4,  Mar.,   I860. 
P\eromyscv8]   astecus  Thomas,  Ann.  &  Mag.   Nat.   Hist..  s<-r.  <;,  xi\'.  p.  :;(;:,. 

Nov..    I  sill. 

Type  locality. — Mexico;  probably  the  vicinity  of  Mirador,  Vera- 
cruz. 

Geographic  distribution. — Lower  austral  zone  (and  possibly  part 
of  humid  tropical)  of  parts  of  the  States  of  Veracruz  and  Puebla. 

Characters. — Size  medium  (hind  foot  23-20) ,  slightly  larger  than 
levipes,  smaller  than  mexicanus  and  oaxacensis;  tail  about  equal  to 
head  and  body,  rather  coarsely  hairy  and  usually  decidedly  bicolor; 
ears  moderate,  very  thinly  haired;  color  very  rich,  chiefly  deep 
tawny;  most  similar  to  P.  b.  evides  but  size  slightly  larger;  ears 
larger,  and  color  richer;  skull  with  supraorbital  border  sharp-angled 
but  not  definitely  beaded. 

Color. —  Upperparts  deep  rich  tawny  with  light  mixture  of  blackish 
on  sides  and  heavier  on  dorsum  forming  a  poorly  defined  blackish 
dorsal  area;  black  orbital  ring  and  spot  at  base  of  whiskers  sharply 
defined  against  tawny  check;  toes  and  distal  part  of  feet  white;  front 
side  of  forearm  tawny  and  dusky  nearly  or  quite  to  wrist;  outer  side 
of  hind  leg,  tarsal  joint,  and  median  proximal  half  of  upper  side  of 
hind  foot  blackish  brown;  ears  dusky  without  definite  pale  edgings, 
a  tuft  of  partly  concealed  blackish  hairs  at  their  anterior  bases;  tail 
blackish  brown  above,  white  or  white  lightly  sprinkled  with  brownish 
below;  underparts  creamy  white,  occasionally  with  a  small  tawny 
pectoral  spot.  Worn  pelage:  Very  similar  to  unworn  pelage  but 
slightly  duller  and  with  tawny  still  more  largely  predominating  over 
the  dusky  mixture;  dorsum  but  little  different  from  sides. 

Skull. — Size  medium;  teeth  relatively  large;  braincase  rather  deep 
and  slightly  elongate;  interparietal  large;  supraorbital  border  sharp- 
angled,  but  not  beaded;  zygomata  quite  distinctly  notched  anteri- 
orly; audital  bulla1  rather  small;  interpterygoid  fossa  rather  wide 
and  expanded  anteriorly.  Most  like  that  of  e rides,  but  slightly  larger 
and  more  angular;  smaller,  with  relatively  larger  teeth  than  in 
oaxacensis  or  mexicanus;  braincase  narrower,  supraorbital  border 
more  sharply  angled,  and  audital  bullae  smaller  than  in  levipes. 

Measurements. — Average  of  5  adults  from  Mirador.  Veracruz: 
Total  length,  229  (215-238)  ;  tail  vertebra1,  113  (107-121)  ;  hind  foot, 
24.5  (24-20)  :  ear  from  notch  (dry),  15.2  (14.5-16). 

Type  specimen. — In  the  original  description  (1.  c.  p.  100,  foot- 
note). Saussure  stated  that  he  had  3  specimens  and  naturally  at  that 
date  he  did  not  specify  one  of  them  as  the  type.     At  least  two  of 


1909.]  BOYLEI    GROUP LEVIPES.  157 

these  specimens  now  exist,  one  a  mounted  specimen  accompanied  by 
a  skull  in  the  Geneva  Museum,0  and  the  other  a  skin  in  rather  poor 
condition  in  the  U.  S.  National  Museum.  The  figure  of  the  molar 
teeth  published  by  Saussure  doubtless  represents  the  Geneva  speci- 
men, since  this  has  the  only  skull  known,  to  have  been  preserved. 
Therefore  if  a  type  must  now  be  selected,  it  should  be  the  Geneva 
specimen.  The  specimen  in  the  U.  S.  National  Museum  (No.  3926) 
is  perhaps  of  greater  value  for  comparison,  as  it  is  a  skin  and,  not 
having  been  much  exposed  to  light,  shows  nearly  its  original  colors. 
It  is  slit  down  the  middle  of  the  back  and  only  the  head  and  legs 
are  stuffed  with  cotton.  Some  hair  is  gone  from  the  throat,  the  left 
ear  is  imperfect,  and  the  distal  half  of  the  tail  absent;  otherwise  it 
is  well  preserved  and  agrees  in  every  respect  with  recently  collected 
specimens  from  Mirador.  Veracruz,  which,  in  the  lack  of  exact 
knowledge,  may  be  assumed  to  be  the  type  locality,  as  it  is  certain 
that  some  at  least  of  Saussure's  specimens  were  taken  near  there. 

Remarks. — P.  l>.  aztecus  is  characterized  chiefly  by  its  very  rich 
tawny  color,  and  by  this  may  be  readily  distinguished  from  most 
other  species  of  eastern  Mexico.  P.  oaxacensis  approximates  this 
richness  of  color,  but  is  considerably  larger  and  occurs  at  greater 
elevations.  P.  me.eicanus  is  also  larger  and  has  relatively  small  teeth, 
less  tawny  color,  and  irregularly  marked  tail.  P.  b.  levipes  is  more 
nearly  the  size  of  aztecus,  but  has  smaller  teeth,  larger  audital  bulla1, 
and  less  tawny  color. 

It  is  with  some  reluctance  that  aztecus  is  included  among  the  sub- 
species of  boylei,  but  no  break  in  the  continuous  series  of  definable 
forms  seems  discoverable.  From  spicilegus  to  evides  is  but  a  short 
step,  and  from  evides  to  aztecus  but  another,  and  each  is  almost  or 
quite  bridged  by  individual  variation.  Although  spicilegus  is  be- 
lieved to  intergrade  with  levipes,  there  is  no  evidence  that  aztecus 
does  so,  and  it  would  not  be  surprising  to  find  both  aztecus  and 
levipes  at  one  locality. 

The  applicability  of  Saussure's  name  to  this  form  is  scarcely  to  be 
doubted,  for  even  if  the  specimens  still  extant  are  disregarded,  the 
original  description  is  so  accurate  and  complete  as  to  be  conclusive. 
The  combination  of  rich  tawny  color  and  the  extension  of  dusky  on 
the  hind  feet  has  not  been  found  in  any  other  species  of  eastern 
Mexico.  Both  these  characters  are  emphasized  by  Saussure,  as  shown 
from  the  following  extracts  from  his  description : 

Le  pied  blancMtre,  avec  le  premier  tiers  bruii-gris  en  dcssus.  *  *  * 
souvent  aussi  le  pied  posterieur  est  gris-brun  jusqu'aux  doigis  et  niele  de  poils 
blancs  *  *  *  par  ses  flancs  qui  sont  d'un  ferrugineux  cannelle  ainsi  que  la 
face  externe  des  pattes  antcrieures.     Cette  couleur  est  tr£s-prononc6e. 

"  1  am  indebted  to  Dr.  Merriam  for  notes  and  a  careful  description  of  tbis 
specimen,  wbicb  was  critically  examined  by  bim  sonic  years  ago. 


158  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  18,  from  localities  as  follows: 
Puebla:  Huachinango,  (». 
Veracruz:  Jalapa,  1! ;    'Mexico,'   1;    Mirador,  9. 

PEROMYSCUS    OAXACENSIS    Mehbiam. 
(PI.   Ill,   fig.  5.) 

Peromyscus  oaxacensis  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XII,  p.  1'2'2,  Apr.  30, 
L898. 
Type  locality. — Cerro  San  Felipe.  Oaxaca,  Mexico.    Altitude  10,300 

feet. 

Geographic  distribution. — High  altitudes  in  southern  Mexico, 
chiefly  in  the  State  of  Oaxaca ;  reappearing  in  the  mountains  of 
central  Chiapas. 

Characters. — Size  rather  large  (hind  foot  25-29);  tail  decidedly 
longer  than  head  and  body,  well  haired  and  evenly  bicolor;  sole  of 
hind  foot,  except  plantar  tubercles,  hairy;  ears  relatively  small; 
color  chiefly  rich  tawny ;  similar  in  general  characters  to  P.  b.  aztecus, 
but  larger  and  longer-tailed;  skull  heavier. 

Color. — Upperparts  rich  tawny  mixed  with  black;  middle  of  back 
more  blackish,  sides  and  shoulders  more  tawny ;  sides  of  face  tawny 
with  scarcely  a  suggestion  of  grayish ;  orbital  ring  and  spot  at  base 
of  whiskers  black;  sides  of  nose  buff'y;  ears  very  thinly  haired, 
scarcely  or  not  at  all  edged  with  whitish;  feet  white,  tarsal  joint 
dusky:  underparts  creamy  "white;  tail  evenly  bicolor,  blackish  above, 
white  below.  Worn  pelage:  General  effect  of  upperparts  bright, 
rich  tawny  shading  to  cinnamon  rufous  in  middle  of  back  and  but 
little  modified  by  mixture  of  dusky.  Adolescent  pelage:  Upperparts 
mixed  pale  tawny  and  dusky,  producing  a  general  effect  approaching 
bistre  and  sepia.  Color  in  all  pelages  almost  exactly  as  in  P.  b. 
aztecus. 

Sl-all. — Similar  to  that  of  P.  b.  aztecus.  but  averaging  larger  and 
heavier:  cheek  teeth  larger:  audital  bullae  actually  slightly  larger, 
relatively  about  same  size;  palatine  slits  larger;  supraorbital  border 
sharp-angled  but  not  beaded;  general  characters  about  as  in  hylo- 
cetes,  but  audital  bullae  slightly  smaller. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length  242;  tail  vertebrae  122;  hind 
foot  27.  Average  of  6  adults  from  San  Cristobal,  Chiapas:  Total 
length  240  (241-260);  tail  vertebrae  127  (120-135);  hind  foot  27; 
ear  from  notch   (dry)   16.7  (15.8-17.5). 

Type  specimen. — No.  68426  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  adult.  Sept.  1,  1894.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — Individual  variation  so  nearly  bridges  the  difference 
between  oaxacensis  and  aztecus  that  very  little  objection  could  be 
made  if  oaxacensis  were  included  with  aztecus  as  a  subspecies  of  the 
boylei  series.     In  its  rich  tawny  color  and  all  general  characters  it 


L909.]  B0YLE1    GROUP HYLOCETES.  159 

is  closely  similar  to  aztecus,  differing  merely  in  larger  size  and  longer 
tail.     It  inhabits  much  more  elevated  regions  than  aztecus  and  occurs 
at    the   same   localities  with   another   member   of  the   boylei  series. 
levipes,  from  which  it  may  be  distinguished  both  by  external  and  by 
cranial   characters.     Possibly  here  is  another  example  of  two  sub- 
species of  the  same  group  occurring  together,  for  levipes  appears  to 
intergrade  with  spicilegus,  spicilegus  with  evides  and  aztecus.  and 
quite  probably  aztecus  with  oajcacensis.     However,  until  the  evidence 
is  more  complete,  it  is  perhaps  best  to  consider  oaxacensis  as  distinct. 
In   some  conditions   of  pelage,   mexicanus   may   show   considerable 
resemblance  to  oaxacensis,  but  the  latter  is  always  distinguishable  by 
its  more  hairy,  sharply  and  evenly  bicolor  tail. 
Specimen*  examined. — Total  number  09,  from  localities  as  follows: 
Chiapas:   Conritan  Valley.  5;  Pinabete,  12:  San  Cristobal,  24. 
Oaxaca:  Cerro  San  Felipe,  2:  Comaltepec,  1:  Oaxaca   (15  in.  west),  (J; 
Keyes,    1!>. 

PEROMYSCUS  HYLOCETES  Mebbiam. 

i  PI.  III.  tig.  8.) 

Peromyscus    hylocetes    Merriani.    Proc.    Biol.    Sue.    Wash.,    XII.    p.    124,    Apr. 

30.   ISDN. 

Type  locality. — Patzcuaro,  Michoacan,  Mexico.  Altitude  7.000 
feet! 

Geographic  distribution. — Mountainous  parts  of  Michoacan  and 
southern  Jalisco;  east  to  mountains  near  the  Valley  of  Mexico. 

Characters. — Size  medium;  tail  rather  short,  usually  shorter  than 
head  and  body,  well  clothed  with  hair  and  sharply  bicolor;  color 
rather  dark;  most  similar  to  eoides  and  oaxacensis,  but  differing  from 
both  in  relatively  shorter  tail  and  larger  audital  bullae. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  Upperparts  pale  ochraceous  buff,  becom- 
ing tawny  on  sides,  heavily  mixed  with  blackish,  forming  a  more  or 
less  definite  blackish  dorsal  stripe;  a  narrow  lateral  line  nearly  clear 
tawny,  widening  somewhat  on  lower  cheeks;  nose  and  post  orbital 
region  slightly  grayish;  orbital  ring  and  spot  at  base  of  whiskers 
sharply  blackish;  ears  thinly  clothed  with  brownish  hairs,  scarcely 
or  not  at  all  edged  with  whitish,  soft  blackish  partly  concealed  hairs 
at  anterior  bases;  underparts  creamy  white,  usually  modified  by 
blackish  slate  undercolor;  feet  chiefly  white,  dtisky  extending  nearly 
to  carpal  joint  and  over  tarsal  joint  sometimes  halfway  to  the  end  of 
the  hind  foot;  tail  sharply  bicolor,  blackish  above,  white  below. 
Worn  pelage:  General  effect  of  upperparts  cinnamon  to  russet;  dor- 
sal stripe  not  well  differentiated,  but  dark  undercolor  showing 
throughout  upperparts;  lateral  line  scarcely  distinct;  otherwise  as  in 
unworn  pelage. 


160  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

skull. — Similar  in  general  form  to  those  of  aztecus  and  oaxacensis; 
audita]  bullae  slightly  inflated,  larger  than  in  evides  or  oaxacensis, 
but  smaller  than  in  difficilis  or  melanophrys  ;  palatine  slits  rather 
large;  interpterygoid  fossa  somewhat  widened  anteriorly;  no  supra- 
orbital bead,  but  frontals  rather  wide  and  supraorbital  border  de- 
cidedly sharp-angled,  sometimes  forming  a  slight  shelf;  nasals  rather 
narrow  and  depressed  anteriorly;  premaxillae  somewhat  expanded 
laterally. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length,  238;  tail  vertebra',  114;  hind 
foot,  25.  Average  of  6  adults  from  Mount  Tancitaro,  Michoacan: 
Total  length,  227  (220-237)  ;  tail  vertebrae,  113  (106-117)  ;  hind  foot, 
26.1  (25-27)  ;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  18  (17.5-18.5). 

Type  specimen. — Xo.  50423  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  adult,  July  27,  1892.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — This  species  is  evidently  a  member  of  the  boylei  series, 
but  appears  to  be  distinct,  although  it  approaches  aztecus  and  evides 
very  closely.  Its  slightly  shorter  tail,  more  blackish  color  and 
larger  audita!  bullae  are  the  chief  characters  distinguishing  it  from 
these  forms.  It  averages  somewhat  larger  throughout  and  the  skull 
is  usually  heavier;  but  there  is  some  variation  in  size,  and  skulls  are 
found  practically  identical  with  those  of  evides,  save  that  the  audita] 
bullae  are  slightly  larger.  It  closely  resembles  oaxacensis  in  color 
and  general  characters,  but  is  easily  separated  from  that  species 
by  its  shorter  tail.  From  levipes  it  is  distinguished  by  its  sharp- 
angled  supraorbital  border  and  less  abruptly  constricted   frontals. 

Specimens  .  examined. — Total  number  74,  from  localities  as 
follows : 

Jalisco:   Sierra  Nevada  de  Coliwa,  13. 

Mexico:  Amecameca,  3. 

Michoacan:   Mount  Tancitaro,  17:   Patamban,  37:  Patzcuaro,  3. 

Morelos:   Iluitzilac,  1. 

Key  to  subspecies  of  Peromyscus  pectoralis. 

Size  larger;  hind  foot  21—23  ;  tail  relatively  shorter,  averaging  less  than  100. 

Western  Texas  and  Mexico  near  the  Rio  Grande P.  p.  laceicmue 

Size  smaller:  hind  foot  20-22;  tail  averaging  more  than  100.     North  Central  Mexico. 
Size  smaller;  color  paler;  no   pectoral   spot;   tarsal  joint  white, 

P.  p.  eremicoides 

Size    larger;    color    darker:    usually    with    a    buffy    pectoral    spot:    tarsal    joint 

usually  with   at  least   a   trace   of  dusky /'.   pectoralis 

PEROMYSCUS  PECTORALIS  Osgood. 

Peromyscus   attwateri   pectoralis   Osgood,    Proc.    Biol.    Soc.    Wash.,   XVII,    pp. 
59-60,  March  21.  1904. 

Type  locality. — Jalpan,  Queretaro,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Known  from  scattered  localities  in  the 

Sonoran  zone  of  eastern  and  central  Mexico,  from  central   Nuevo 


Tjoy.j 


BOYLEI  GROUP PECTORALIS. 


161 


Leon  south  to  Queretaro,  and  thence  west  through  southern  San  Luis 
Potosi  and  (probably)  Guanajuato  to  eastern  Jalisco  and  southern 
Zacatecas. 

Characters. — Size  and  proportions  about  as  in  P.  eremicus;  color 
darker  and  more  vinaceous;  tail  more  coarsely  annulated  and  more 
hairy,  sole  of  hind  foot  somewhat  hairy  on  proximal  third;  skull  and 
teeth  widely  different.  Closely  similar  in  general  characters  to  P. 
rowleyi  and  P.  levipes,  but  with  relatively  longer  tail   and   always 


Fin.    5. — Distribution    of    Peromyscus   pectoralis,   P.    megalops,   P.    furvus,   and 

/'.  guatemalensis. 

distinguishable  by   smaller   size,   particularly   by   smaller   skull   and 
molar  teeth. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  Ground  color  of  upperparts  pale  ochra- 
ceous  buff,  thickly  sprinkled  with  dusky,  producing  a  general  effect 
of  dark  wood  brown ;  sides  of  head  behind  eyes  slightly  grayish ;  a 
narrow  dusky  orbital  ring;  underparts  white,  pectoral  region  usually 
strongly  buffy  ochraceous;  ears  brownish  dusky,  narrowly  edged  with 
whitish,  no  markings  about  base;  feet  white,  tarsal  joint  usually 
with  little  or  no  extension  of  dusky  from  leg;  tail  variable,  dusky 

66268— No.  28—09 11 


162  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  Ixo.  28. 

brownish  above  and  white  or  often  with  a  considerable  sprinkling  of 
dusky  below.  Worn  pelage:  Upperparts  pale  ochraceous  butt', 
heavily  mixed  with  dusky  cinnamon,  producing  an  effect  of  pale 
russet  ;  sides  of  head  usually  showing  more  grayish  than  in  unworn 
pelage;  otherwise  not  peculiar. 

Skull. — Most  similar  to  that  of  rowleyi,  but  smaller  throughout; 
rostrum  relatively  somewhat  broader  and  heavier:  braincase  less 
vaulted;  molar  teeth  decidedly  smaller.  Somewhat  similar  to  that 
of  levipes,  but  smaller;  lacrymal  '-egion  less  swollen;  premaxilhe 
usually  ending  slightly  beyond  the  even  nasals;  interparietal  rela- 
tively large. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length,  210;  tail  vertebra1.  114:  hind 
foot.  22.  Average  of  10  adults  from  Villar.  San  Luis  Potosi :  201 
(105-200):    110.7    (102-115);   21    (20-22);   ear   from   notch    (dry), 

15.5  (15.4-17.2). 

Type  specimen. — No.  81236  U.  S.  National  Museum.  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  adult.  Aug.  30,  1890.  E.  W.  Nelson  and  E. 
A.  Goldman.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — This  is  the  representative  of  a  small  group  of  sub- 
species any  of  which  in  certain  pelages  shows  considerable  superficial 
resemblance  to  P.  ere  miens  or  some  of  its  forms.  That  none  of  them 
are  closely  related  to  eremicus  is  easily  demonstrated  by  a  compari- 
son of  the  molar  teeth.  They  are  really  nearest  to  P.  ooylei  and  its 
subspecies,  from  which  they  may  be  distinguished  by  smaller  size, 
relatively  longer  tails,  and  certain  cranial  characters.  The  absence 
of  dusky  markings  on  the  tarsal  joint,  which  is  characteristic  of  the 
other  forms  eremicoides  and  laoeianus,  is  not  absolutely  constant  in 
pectoral'*.  The  majority  of  specimens,  however,  show  no  trace  of 
such  marking.  The  name  pectoralis  is  by  accident  the  first  one  ap- 
plied to  a  member  of  this  group,  having  been  cited  as  a  subspecies  of 
attwateri,  the  type -of  which  proved  to  be  another  species.0  The  form 
pectoralis.  as  its  name  implies,  is  characterized  by  the  presence  of  a 
buffy  pectoral  spot.  When  this  is  absent  or  not  well  developed,  as  is 
sometimes  the  case,  the  form  may  be  distinguished  from  eremicoides 
and  laceianus  by  its  darker  color. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  02,  from  localities  as  follows: 

Jalisco:   Atemajac,  2:  Barranca  Ibarra,  1  :  Bolauos,  1;  Colotlan,  1. 

Nuevo  Leon:   Cerro  tie  la  Silla,  2;  Monterey,  10. 

Queretaro:   Jalpan,  5. 

San  Luis  Potosi:   Jesus  Maria,  1 :  Villar,  10. 

Tamaulipas:   Victoria,  26. 

Zacatecas:   Hacienda  San  Juan  Capistrano,  2:  Monte  Escobedo.  1. 

«Cf.  Bailey,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XIX,  pp.  57-58,  1908. 


1900.  J  BOYLEI   GROUP EREMICOIDES.  163 

PEROMYSCUS    PBCTORALIS    EREMICOIDES    OSGOOD. 

(PI.    IV,   tig.   T.l 

Peromyscus  attwateri  eremicoides  Osgood.  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XVII,  p.  60, 
March  21,  1904. 

Type  locality. — Mapimi,  Durango,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — North  central  Mexico,  chiefly  in  the 
States  of  Durango,  Coahuila.  and  Chihuahua:  north  to  southern 
Arizona. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  pectoralis,  but  smaller  and  paler;  color 
nearly  as  in  P.  p.  laceianus  and  often  much  as  in  /'.  eremicus;  ears 
quite  small;  skull  small  and  light;  audital  bullae  very  small:  soles  of 
hind  feet  usually  slightly  hairy  proximally  but  sometimes  naked, 
at  least  medially. 

Color. — Upperparts  mixed  pinkish  bull'  and  dusky,  producing  the 
general  effect  of  pale  broccoli  brown;  lateral  line  pinkish  bull':  facia! 
region  between  eye  and  ear  grayish;  underparts  pure  creamy  white 
without  trace  of  pectoral  spot :  feet  white,  no  dusky  marking  on 
tarsal  joint;  tail  pale  grayish  dusky  above,  white  below. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  pectoralis  but  decidedly  smaller;  audital 
bullae  very  small:  nasals  short  and  only  slightly  or  not  at  all  ex- 
ceeded by  the  ascending  branches  of  the  premaxilla1;  rostrum  slightly 
depressed;  interorbital  constriction  relatively  wide. 

Measurements. — Type  and  one  topotype:  Total  length,  ISO,  195; 
tail  vertebrae,  10:2,  111;  hind  foot,  20,  21;  ear  from  notch  (dry), 
14.3,  16.6. 

Type  specimen. — No.  57729  U.  S.  National  Museum.  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  S  adult,  Dec.  15,  1893.  E.  A.  Goldman. 
Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — This  form  is  readily  distinguishable  from  pectoralis 
by  its  small  size,  paler  color,  and  pure  white  underparts.  From 
laceianus  it  differs  chiefly  in  smaller  size.  Its  resemblance  to  erem- 
icus, particularly  when  in  worn  or  immature  pelage,  i-  remarkable. 
The  external  characters  distinguishing  it  from  eremicus  arc  smaller 
ears,  slightly  more  hairy  tail,  and  white  tarsal  joints.  But  these  are 
sometimes  difficult  to  appreciate,  as  the  tail  in  eremicus  is  often  quite 
hairy,  and  the  dusky  on  the  tarsal  joint  sometimes  so  little  developed 
as  to  be  scarcely  apparent.  However,  the  molar  enamel  pattern,  ex- 
cept in  extremely  worn  teeth,  is  always  diagnostic,  eremicoides  having 
the  small  accessory  cusps  and  eremicus  being  without  them.  Speci- 
mens from  the  type  locality  of  eremicoides  and  a  few  neighboring 
localities  are  well  characterized  by  their  small  size,  but  many  from 
outlying  localities,  though  referable  to  eremicoides,  are  larger  and 
approach  laceianus  or  pectoralis.     Three  specimens  from   Fori   Una- 


164  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [NO.  2& 

chuca,  Ariz.,  seem  indistinguishable  from  typical  eremicoides.     Fur- 
ther material  from  this  region  is  much  needed. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  56,  from  localities  as  follows: 

Arizona:    Fort  Huachuca,  3. 

Chihuahua:   Chihuahua,  3;  Santa  Eulalia,  8. 

Coahuila:  Carneros,  .'> :  Jaral,  '2 ;  Jimulco,  4;  Saltillo,  10;  Sierra  Encar- 

aacion,  1. 
Durango:    Inde,  <3;  Mapimi,  12. 
Nuevo  Leon:    Santa  Catarina,  9. 
Tamaulipas:   Janmave  Valley,  2  (aberrant)  ;  Miqninuana,  3. 

PEBOMYSCUS  PECTORALIS  LACEIANUS  Bailey. 

Peromyscus  attwateri  Bailey,  N.  Am.  Fauna  No.  25,  i>.  100,  1!)05 — not  of  Allen. 
Peromyscus  pectoralis  laceianus  Bailey,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XIX,  pp.  57-58, 
May  1,  1906. 

Type  locality. — Lacey  Ranch,  near  Kerrville,  Tex. 

Geographic  distribution. — West  central  Texas,  from  the  vicinity 
of  Austin  to  the  Big  Bend  of  the  Rio  Grande  and  immediately  adja- 
cent parts  of  Mexico. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  p.  eremicoides,  but  larger  and  with  tail 
relatively  shorter;  somewhat  similar  to  P.  b.  attwateri  but  smaller; 
color  more  grayish;  feet  and  tarsal  joint  white  without  dusky  mark- 
ing; skull  and  teeth  smaller. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  Similar  to  eremicoides,  but  slightly  more 
vinaceous;  ground  color  of  upperparts  pinkish  buff  with  a  variable 
mixture  of  dusky,  not  especially  concentrated  on  dorsum  but  quite 
evenly  distributed;  general  effect  varying  from  broccoli  brown  to 
wood  brown;  underparts  creamy  white;  no  white  at  bases  of  ears; 
feet  white,  tarsal  joint  not  marked  with  dusky  ;  tail  pale  brown  above, 
white  below.  Worn  pelage :  Dusky  of  upperparts  paler  and  less 
extensive;  predominating  color  pale  ochraceous  buff  to  pinkish  buff 
«»•  dusky  so  changed  to  cinnamon  brown  shades  that  the  general  effect 
of  the  upperparts  is  a  peculiar  shade  variously  approaching  the  ecru 
drab,  cinnamon,  and  fawn  of  Ridgway. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  pectoralis;  decidedly  larger  than  that 
of  eremicoides;  rostrum  averaging  slightly  heavier  than  in  either. 
Somewhat  like  that  of  attwateri  but  decidedly  smaller;  molar  teeth 
smaller  and  weaker;  braincase  relatively  more  elongate;  interparietal 
relatively  larger. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length.  185:  tail  vertebras,  95;  hind 
foot,  23.  Average  of  6  topotypes:  187  ( 185-192)  ;  96  (94-100)  ;  22.1 
(22-23)  ;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  15.8  (15-16.2). 

Type  specimen. — No.  97063  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  young  adult.  May  3,  1899.  V.  Bailey.  Speci- 
men in  good  condition. 


1909.]  TRUE]    GROUP — TRUEI.  165 

Remarks. — Of  the  numerous  forms  occurring  in  Texas,  this  one 
is  apt  to  be  confused  with  ere  miens  and  attwateri  only.  Dental 
characters  readily  eliminate  eremicus,  and  the  presence  of  dusky 
markings  on  the  tarsal  joints  of  attwateri  suffices  to  remove  it  from 
consideration.  At  first  sight  laceianus  conveys  the  impression  of  a 
rather  pale  grayish  individual  of  attwateri  or  rowleyi,  and  its  skull 
is  sufficiently  similar  to  make  it  quite  certain  that  its  nearest  affinity 
is  with  the  boylei  group.  It  occurs  at  the  same  localities  with  att- 
wateri and.  like  that  form,  inhabits  rocky  situations.  Slight  con- 
fusion of  names  has  resulted  through  a  misapplication  of  the  name 
attwateri  (Bailey  I.  6'.),  but  this  is  now  cleared  up,  and  laceianus 
appears  to  be  the  only  name  that  has  been  properly  applied  to  this 
form. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  150,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows: 

Coahuila:  Opposite  Langtry,  Tex.,  9;  15  in.  southeast  of  Langtry,  Tex.,  1; 
Head  of  Las  Vaeas  Creek,  1 ;  15  m.  east  of  Las  Vacas,  1. 

Texas:  Austin,  13;  Boerne,  5;  Near  Camp  Verde,  5;  Cliisos  Mountains,  4; 
Comstock,  0;  Davis  Mountains.  1;  Fort  (Mark.  4;  Llano.  4;  Mouth  of 
Devils  River,  2;  Fort  Lancaster,  5;  Howard  Springs,  2;  Ingram,  20; 
Japonica,  9;  Near  Juno,  2;  Kerr  County.  24  (Lacey  Ranch  8,  Turtle 
Creek  16)  ;  Langtry,  13;  Marathon,  1;  Mason,  6;  East  Painted  Cave, 
1 ;  Pecos  River,  55  in.  northwest  of  Comstock,  1 ;  Rock  Springs,  1 ; 
Samuels,  2 ;  San  Antonio,  1 ;  Sanderson,  1 ;  Sheffield,  5. 

Key  to  subspecies  of  Peromyscus  truei. 

a.  Habitat  western  United  States. 

1.  Color  paler,  largely  ochraceous  buff;  ears  averaging  larger.     Chiefly  south  and  east 

of  the  summit  of  the  Sierra-Cascade  Range P.  truei 

2.  Color  darker,  largely  deep  ochraceous.  tawny,  cinnamon,  or  russet,  often  with  much 

dusky   mixture :    ears   averaging   smaller.      California    and   Oregon,    chiefly    west   of 

the  summit  of  the  Sierra-Cascade  Range P.  t.  gilberti 

aa.  Habitat   Mexico. 

6.  Habitat  Lower   California. 

1.  Size  larger.     Northern /'.  t.  martirensis 

■2.   Size  smaller.     Southern P.  t.  lagunae 

66.   Habitat   Mexico    (except   Lower   California  i. 

c.  Tail  shorter,  averaging  less  than  100;  ears  slightly  larger;  color  pale.     North- 
ern   P.  truei 

cc.  Tail  longer,  averaging  about   110;  ears  slightly  smaller.     Central  and  southern. 

1.  Darker P.  '•  gratus 

2.  Paler P.  t.  gentilis 

PEROMYSCUS  TRUEI  (Shtjfeldt). 

(PI.  IV,  fig.  6;  PI.  VII,  fig.  10.) 

Hesperbmysjruei  Shufeldt.  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  VIII,  pp.  407-408,  pi.  XXI, 

Sept.  1L  1885. 
Hesperomys  megalotis  Merriam,  N.  Am.  Fauna  No.  3,  pp.  63-64,  pis.   III-IV, 

figs.  1-4,  Sept.  11,  1890.— Black  Tank,  Little  Colorado  Desert.  Arizona. 
P[eromyscus]   truei  Thomas.  Ann.  &  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  ser.  6,  XIV.  p.  365,   Nov., 

1894. 
Peromyscus  lasius  Elliot,  Field  Col.  Mus.,  Chicago,  Zool.  Ser.,  III.  pp-  265-266, 

Mar.  8,  1904. — Haunopee  Canyon,  Pauaniint  Mountains.  California. 


166 


NORTH    AMERICAN     FAUNA. 


[NO.    2? 


Peromyscus  montipinoris  Elliot,  supra  dt.,  III.  pp.  264-265,  Mar.  8,  1904. — Lock- 
wood  Valley,  Mount  Pinos,  California. 


Pf.marT/renw 

m      * 

Pt/agunoe 
Pt.gent///# 

mn 

Ptgrafuf 

EH 

Areas  of 
infergradafron 


Fie:.  C>. — Distribution  of  Peromyscus  tniei  and  subspecies. 

Type  locality. — Fort  Wingate,  N.  Mex. 

Geographic  distribution. — Southwestern  United  States  and  north- 
ern Mexico  from  southern  California    (east  of  the  Sierra   and  San 


L909.]  TRUE]    GBOUP TRUEI.  167 

Bernardino  ranges),  across  southern  Nevada,  southern  Utah,  Ari- 
zona, to  west  central  New  Mexico,  and  thence  south  in  Mexico  at  least 
to  north  central  Chihuahua. 

Characters. — Size  medium;  tail  usually  about  equal  to  head  and 
body  (often  slightly  shorter,  occasionally  slightly  longer)  ;  pelage 
quite  long,  lax,  and  silky;  ears  very  large,  about  equal  in  length  to 
hind  foot ;  hind  foot  usually  densely  haired  from  calcaneum  to 
proximal  plantar  tubercle  (about  proximal  two-fifths  of  foot). 
Similar  to  P.  b.  rowleyi  but  ears  larger,  pelage  usually  longer  and 
softer,  tail  more  closely  haired,  ambulations  finer  and  more  nearly 
concealed;  skull  with  auclital  bulla1  larger  and  more  orbicular. 
Similar  to  P.  nasutus  but  size  smaller,  color  brighter,  less  grayish; 
ears  slightly  larger;  skull  usually  smaller  throughout;  audital  bullae 
actually  and  relatively  larger. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  Ground  color  of  upperparts  ochraceous 
buff'  mixed  on  back  and  sides  with  fine  dusky  lines,  the  general  effect 
variously  approaching  wood  brown,  Isabella  color,  and  cinnamon; 
lateral  line  usually  well  defined,  pure  ochraceous  buff  without  dusky 
mixture;  sides  of  face  and  nose  somewhat  grayish;  a  narrow  dusky 
orbital  ring  and  slight  dusky  spot  at  base  of  whiskers;  ears  dusky 
brownish  thinly  clothed  within  and  without  with  short  grayish  white 
hairs;  tufts  at  anterior  bases  of  ears  practically  same  color  as  sur- 
rounding parts  and  without  any  definite  white  or  black;  underparts 
creamy  white;  feet  white,  tarsal  joint  slightly  dusky,  this  often 
partly  concealed  by  overlying  white  hairs;  tail  slightly  bicolor. 
brownish  dusky  above,  white  below.  Worn  pelage:  General  effect 
of  upperparts  pale  ochraceous  buff  to  pinkish  buff  mixed  with  pale 
cinnamon  so  blended  as  to  modify  the  general  color  but  little ;  lateral 
line  scarcely  distinct  from  upper  sides;  otherwise  practically  as  in 
unworn  pelage.  Adolescent  pelage:  Upperparts  dull  buff  strongly 
mixed  with  fine  dusky  lines,  producing  a  general  effect  of  broccoli 
brown  lightly  tinged  with  buff;  lateral  line  pale  ochraceous  buff, 
narrow  but  well-defined;  head  and  face  except  lower  cheeks  quite 
decidedly  more  grayish  than  rest  of  upperparts."  Young  in  first 
coat:  Upperparts  pale  drab  gray  overcast  with  dusky  particularly 
on  dorsum. 

Skull. — Size  medium  (greatest  length  '26-30)  :  braincase rather  deep 
and  somewhat  vaulted;  zygomata  somewhat  heavy  and  squared  an- 
teriorly, deeply  notched  by  infraorbital  foramen;  nasals  rather  broad 
and  flat,  abruptly  cuneate  posteriorly;  audital  bulla1  large  and 
orbicular;  interpterygoid  fossa  nearly  right-angled,  the  anterior 
angles  slightly  rounded  and  indenting  palatal  shelf.     Compared  with 

a  This  is  usually  caused  by  the  persistence  of  the  preceding  pelage  for  a 
longer  period  on  these  parts  than  elsewhere. 


168  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  .  [no.   28. 

that  of  rowleyi,  the  skull  of  truei  shows  many  differences,  but  the 

most  obvious  and  diagnostic  is  the  size  of  the  audital  bullae,  which 
is  nearly  double  that  of  rowleyi.  Compared  with  that  of  nasutus, 
the  skull  of  truei  is  slightly  smaller;  braincase  narrower  and  deeper; 
zygomata  heavier,  more  angular  anteriorly,  and  more  deeply  notched 
by  infraorbital  foramen;  rostrum  and  nasals  shorter;  audital  bulla- 
always  relatively  and  usually  actually  larger. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes:  Total  length,  18G 
(180-195)  ;  tail  vertebra?,  92  (8G-102)  ;  hind  foot,  23;  ear  from  notch 
(dry),  2-2.4  (21.5-21).  Of  10  adults  from  the  Manzano  Mountains, 
New  Mexico:  197  (180-210);  98  (90-106);  22.5  (22-23).  Of  10 
adults  from  the  Panamint  Mountains,  California:  198  (189-210); 
103  (97-112);  23.7  (23-24.5). 

Type  specimen. — No.  Iff  ft  U.  S.  National  Museum.  $  adult 
(old).  Mar.  14,  1885.  R.  W.  Shufeldt.  Skin  rather  poorly  formed: 
pelage  clean,  long,  and  full;  right  foreleg  and  left  hind  leg  missing. 
Skull  in  good  condition;  teeth,  including  incisors,  very  much  worn: 
zygomata  slightly  broken;  angular  process  of  left  ramus  of  mandible 
broken;  the  following  teeth  missing:  right  m  2,  m  3;  right  m  2,  m  3; 
left  in  3  :  skull  otherwise  perfect. 

Remarks. — This  species  is  common  throughout  its  range  and  is 
represented  in  most  collections  by  at  least  a  few  specimens.  It  is 
often  called  big-eared  mouse,  leaf-eared  mouse,  and  similar  names,  on 
account  of  its  unusually  large  external  ears.  These  are  relatively 
larger  than  in  any  other  species  found  north  of  Mexico,  but  they  vary 
somewhat  in  size  and  may  be  approximated  in  forms  like  nasutus  and 
rowleyi.  Fortunately,  however,  the  large  internal  audital  bullae  of 
truei  are  as  characteristic  as  the  large  external  ears,  and  the  possession 
of  both  is  usually  diagnostic  of  any  given  specimen.  Fully  adult 
specimens  of  truei  in  good  pelage  are  readily  recognizable,  for  the 
combination  of  large  ears,  large  orbicular  audital  bulla?,  finely  haired 
tail,  and  long,  soft,  and  chiefly  ochraceous  pelage  is  not  found  in  any 
other  species.  But,  as  is  often  true,  immature  specimens,  or  those  in 
unusual  or  poor  conditions  of  pelage,  may  prove  difficult  to  place. 

The  several  subspecies  of  truei  preserve  most  of  its  general  char- 
acters fairly  well,  and  differ  from  it  chiefly  in  size,  length  of  tail, 
or  shade  of  color,  combined  with  slight  cranial  peculiarities.  Inter- 
gradation  with  gilberti,  martirensis,  and  gratus  occurs  beyond  any 
reasonable  doubt. 

There  are  three  synonyms,  megalotis,  which  appears  to  be  exactly 
equivalent  to  truei,  and  lasius  and  montipinoris,  which  may  be  re- 
garded as  approaching  gilberti,  for  though  they  retain  the  coloration 
of  truei  (even  in  its  extreme  phases)  they  differ  in  slight  cranial 
characters  that  are  practically  the  same  as  those  of  gilberti. 


1909.]  TRUE]    GROUP — GILBERTI.  1()(.) 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  47r».  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows: 

Arizona:  Black  Tank,  Painted  Desert,  2;  Grand  Canyon  (top),  1;  IIoI- 
brook,  10;  Ke.un  Canyon,  9;  Moccasin  Sprint,'.  ."> :  Springerville,  :>2; 
Walnut.  4. 

California:  Coleville,  .Mono  County,  G;  Coso,  1;  Fort  Tejon,  3;  Inyo 
Mountains.  12:  Kornville,  2;  2.~»  miles  above  Kernville,  1;  South 
Fork  Kern  River,  1  :  Lone  Pine,  1  :  Long  Valley.  Mono  County,  1  : 
Millforil,  1;  near  Morongo  Valley,  3;  Mojave,  9;  New  York  Moun- 
tain, .*!:  Panamint  Mountains,  4<>;  Piute  Mountains,  2;  Providence 
Mountains.  '.»:  San  Emigdio  Canyon,  1  (approaching  gil]berti)  :  Susan- 
ville,  2;  Tehachajpi  Peak,  4  (approaching  gilbert  i)  ;  Walker  Pass,  6; 
White  Mountains,  2. 

Chihuahua:   Casas  Grandes,  2;  Colonia  Garcia,  7. 

Colorado:  Ashbaugh  Ranch,  3;  Coventry,  ."J;  De  Beque.  1:  Escalante 
Hills,  3:  Gaume  Ranch,  2;  Glenwood  Springs,  1:  Cily,  2;  McCoy,  1; 
Plateau  Creek,  2;  Rangeley,  2:  Rinehart  Station  (20  miles  south  of 
Lamar),  1  ;  Rifle,  1  :  Salida,  1  :a  Uncompahgre  Plateau,  1. 

Nevada:  Anderson  Ranch,  Douglas  County,  L6;  Charleston  Mountains.  8; 
Gardnervflle,  5:  Grapevine  Mountains,  2:  Panaca,  1  :  Reese  River,  1  : 
mountains  10  miles  east  of  Stillwater,  2. 

New  Mexico:  Abiquiu,  1;  Ancho,  1;  Aztec,  3;  Burro  Mountains.  2;  Capi- 
tan  Mountains,  34;  Cienequilla,  2;  Cloudcroft,  1;  Corona,  6;  Cuervo, 
3;  Dog  Spring,  1;  Datil  Mountains,  7;  Espanola,  1;  Fort  Wingate, 
26;  Gallina  Mountains.  5;  Gallup,  4;  Gila  National  Forest,  3;  Glen- 
wood, 1;  Grants,  1;  Hale  Ranch,  near  Ruidoso,  5;  Isleta,  4;  Jamez. 
1;  Jicarilla  Mountains,  36;  Laguna,  2;  La  Plata,  5;  Manzauo  Moun- 
tains, 20;  Mesa  Jumanes.  1;  Pecos,  3;  Ribera,  3;  Rinconada,  S: 
San  Andres  Mountains,  4;  Saudia  Mountains,  4;  Santa  Rosa,  16; 
Sierra  Grande,  3:  Silver  City.  4;  Weed,  1. 

Utah:  Beaver  River,  near  Fort  Cameron,  3;  Browns  Park,  1;  Henry 
Mountains  (cast  slope  Mount  Ellen),  1:  St.  (ieorge,  1. 

PEROMYSCFS   TRUBI   GILBERTI   Allen. 

Sitomys  gilberti  Allen,  Bull,  Am.  Mus,  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y..  V,  pp.  188-189,  Aug. 

18,  1893. 
Peromyscus  gilberti  Allen,  supra  cit.,  VIII,  p.  267,  Dec.  4.  1S96. 
Peromyscus  dyselius  Elliot,  Field  Col.  Mus.,  Chicago.  Zool.  Ser.,  I,  pp.  207-208, 

Mar.,  1X98.— Portola,  San  Mateo  County.  Calif. 

Type  locality. — Bear  Valley,  San  Benito  County,  Calif. 

Geographic  distribution. — Mountains  and  foothills  of  the  interior 
of  California  and  the  coast  south  of  San  Francisco  Bay ;  north  to 
central  Oregon.     Chiefly  Upper  Sonoran  zone. 

Characters. — Similar  in  general  to  P.  tn/ei.  but  color  darker  and 
richer;  ears  and  audital  bulla?  averaging  slightly  smaller;  pelage 
usually  not  so  long  and  silky.  Somewhat  similar  to  P.  boylei,  but  ears 
and  audital  bulla?  smaller. 

Color. — Umvorn  pelage :  Similar  to  that  of  trnei,  but  darker  and 
richer,  ground  color  a  deeper  shade  of  ochraceous,  often  nearly  tawny, 

a  Collection  of  E.  R.  Warren. 


170  NORTH    AMERICAN     FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

dusky  mixture  more  copious;  general  effect  often  approaching  cinna- 
mon and  russet ;  lateral  line  usually  well-defined,  ochraceous  to  tawny ; 
orbital  ring  more  blackish  and  more  sharply  defined  than  in  truei; 
dusky  markings  intensified  throughout;  pectoral  spot  frequently 
present. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  truei,  but  averaging  slightly  smaller  with 
slightly  smaller  audital  bullae;  zygomata  somewhat  lighter  anteriorly 
and  not  so  deeply  notched  by  infraorbital  foramen.  Somewhat  sim- 
ilar, to  that  of  P.  boylei,  but  audital  bulla?  decidedly  larger  and  more 
nearly  orbicular. 

Measurements. — Average  of  5  adults  from  Gilroy,  Calif.:  Total 
hngth  200  (186-206);  tail  vertebra-  98  (87-108);  hind  foot  22.5 
(22-24)  ;  ear  from  notch  (dry)  19.2  (18-21). 

Type  specimen. — No.  329  Collection  of  Stanford  University. 
S  adult.  Apr.  1,  1893.  C.  H.  Gilbert  and  W.  W.  Price.  Specimen 
in  good  condition. 

Remarks.- — This  form  differs  from  truei  in  much  the  same  way 
that  boylei  differs  from  rowleyi.  It  is  perhaps  more  difficult  to  dis- 
tinguish from  boylei  than  truei  is  from  rowleyi.  Its  external  ears 
are  somewhat  smaller  than  those  of  truei  and  therefore  approach 
more  closely  the  size  of  those  of  boylei.  The  color  is  in  many  cases 
practically  indistinguishable  from  that  of  boylei.  The  ears  average 
considerably  larger  than  in  boylei.  but  the  only  certain  means  of  dis- 
tinguishing specimens  of  all  ages  and  pelages  is  in  the  skulls,  in 
which  the  audital  bulla1  are  large  and  rounded  in  gilberti  and  de- 
cidedly smaller  and  more  nearly  triangular  in  outline  in  boylei.  The 
close  resemblance  of  these  forms  in  size,  proportions,  and  color  has 
led  to  some  confusion,  for  the  excellent  cranial  characters  that  dis- 
tinguish them  have  not  always  been  appreciated.  Quite  recently  one 
author"  has  stated  in  very  positive  terms  that  boylei  and  gilberti  are 
absolutely  alike,  a  conclusion  doubtless  formed  without  reference  to 
cranial  characters.  The  truei  and  boylei  groups  seem  to  be  every- 
where distinguishable  by  certain  general  characters  which  are  still 
present,  but  less  pronounced  and  therefore  sometimes  overlooked, 
in  the  representative  forms  found  in  central  and  western  California. 
The  extreme  of  dark  color  is  found  in  specimens  from  the  heavily 
forested  Santa  Cruz  Mountains,  but  specimens  nearly  or  quite  as 
dark  are  found  practically  at  the  type  locality  of  gilberti  and  at 
other  localities  somewhat  removed  from  the  coast.  The  name  dyselius 
has  been  given  to  this  extreme,  but  since  gilberti  is  an  earlier  name 
and  applicable  to  the  darker  form  as  opposed  to  the  paler  form  truei. 
it  does  not  seem  advisable  to  recognize  dyselius.  for  if  it  were  done. 
gilberti  would  be  left  as  an  indefinable  intermediate  between  trui  i 

"  Elliot,  Field  Col.  Mus.,  Zool.  Ser.,  I.  pp.  207-208,  March,  L898. 


1909.]  TRUE!    GROUP— MARTIRENSIS.  171 

and  dyselius  with  a  decided  leaning  toward  the  latter.  It  would  have 
been  fortunate  if  the  extreme  of  the  dark  form  had  received  a  name 
earlier. 

Specimens    examined. — Total    number    493,    from     localities     as 
follows : 

California:  Alameda  Creek,  Santa  Clara  County,  4;  Alum  Rock  Park, 
near  Mount  Hamilton,  20;  Middle  Fork  American  River,  near  Au- 
burn, 2;  Baird,  2;  Bartlett  Springs,  1;  Bear  Gulch,  Alameda  County. 
2 ;  Bear  Valley,  San  Benito  County,  15  :  Berger  Creek,  1 :  Berkeley,  10 : 
Beswick,  8;  Big  Basin,  Santa  Cruz  County.  1  ;  Big  Pine  Mountain.  1  : 
Boulder  Creek,  8;  Briceland,  1;  Calabasas,  2;  Calistoga,  4;  Camp 
Meeker,  2;  Carbondale,  3;  Chico,  2;  Coarsegold,  8;  Cold  ('reck.  3; 
Cone  Peak,  1;  Coulterville,  1;  Edgewood,  3;  Eel  River,  near  South 
Yolla  Bolly  Mountain,  1;  Eshom  Valley,  Tulare  County,  1:  Fall 
River  Valley,  3  (approaching  tniei);  Fremont  Peak,  Gabilan 
Range,  1;  Freshwater  Creek,  3;  Fresno  Flat,  2;  Gasquet,  2:  Gaviota 
Pass,  1;  near  Gilroy,  0;  Guenoc,  1;  Hoopa  Valley.  7:  Hornbrook,  1; 
Hurleton,  8:  Jolon,  3;  East  Fork  Kaweah  River,  2;  King  City,  1: 
Laguna  Ranch,  3;  La  Honda,  0;  La  Panza,  1;  Learly  Ranch,  Men- 
docino County.  !>;  near  Lower  Lake.  32;  Marysville  Buttes,  41: 
Monterey,  0;  Montgomery.  3;  Mount  Hamilton,  30;  Mount  St. 
Helena,  20;  Mount  Sanhedrim  13:  Nelson  (8  mi.  E. ),  0;  Nicasio,  3: 
Oakland,  3;  Pacheco  Pass,  1;  Pacheco  Peak.  4:  Palo  Alto.  5; 
Paraiso  Springs,  2;  Paso  Robles,  5:  Pescadero  Creek.  Santa  Cruz 
Mountains,  13;  Picard,  1;  Pleyto,  3;  Portola,  29;  Posts,  2;  Pozo,  1: 
Quincy,  1;  Raymond.  3;  Bedding,  2;  Round  Valley,  2;  Salt  Springs, 
Fresno  River.  1  ;  San  Antonio,  43:  San  Lorenzo  Creek,  2;  near  San 
Simeon,  1 ;  top  of  Santa  Cruz  Mountains,  near  Santa  Cruz,  1  :  Santa 
Lucia  Peak,  3;  near  Santa  Rosa,  1:  Scott  Valley.  2:  Sherwoods,  5 : 
Tassajara  Creek,  4;  Tracy,  1;  Ukiah,  2:  Willits,  0;  Woodside,  1. 
Oregon:  Crooked  River.  25  miles  southeast  of  Prineville,  2  (approaching 
truei?)  :  Grants  Pass.  Rogue  River  Valley.  (>. 

PEROMYSCFS  TRUEI  MARTIRENSIS    (Allen). 

Sitomys  martirensis  Allen.  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y..  V,  pp.  1N7-1  xs. 

Aug.  18,  1893. 
[Peromyscus]  martirensis  Trouessart,  Catal.  Mamni.,  p.  516.  1897. 
Peromyscus  hemionotis  Elliot.  Field  Col.  Mus.,  Chicago,  Zool.  Ser.,  Ill,  p.  157. 
April,  1903. — Rosarito  Divide.   San   Pedro  Martir  Mountains.   Lower  Cali- 
fornia. 
Type  locality. — San  Pedro  Martir  Mountains,  at  7.000  feet  altitude. 
Lower  California,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. —  San  Pedro  Martir  and  adjacent  ranges 
of  mountains  of  northern  Lower  California,  and  northward  to  the 
San  Jacinto  and  San  Bernardino  mountains  of  southwestern  Cali- 
fornia. 

Characters. — Color  and  general  characters  practically  as  in  truei; 
tail  considerably  longer:  audita!  bulla^  averaging  slightly  smaller. 


172  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Color. — Practically  as  in  true'/;  June  and  July  specimens  in 
slightly  worn  pelage  are  chiefly  ochraceous  buff:  the  dusky  markings 
on  the  tarsal  joints  are  much  reduced  and  scarcely  obvious. 

8kvll. — Similar  to  that  of  truei;  zygomata  slightly  more  com- 
pressed anteriorly;  audita!  hullse  averaging  slightly  smaller,  but  still 
much  larger  than  in  rowleyi  or  hoylei. 

Measurements. — Average  of  G  adults  from  La  Grulla,  San  Pedro 
Martir  Mountains:  Total  length  213  (205-222);  tail  vertebra-  116.5 
(112-122)  :  hind  foot  24:  ear  from  notch  (dry)  21.7  (21-23). 

Type  specimen. — No.  ff  j|  American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
New  York.  May  8,  1893.  A.W.Anthony.  Skin  in  good  condition. 
Skull  with  last  right  m  missing;  parietal  depressed  on  one  side,  evi- 
dently from  injury  in  life,  giving  the  orbit  a  slightly  beaded  effect. 

Remarks. — The  long  tail  of  this  form  is  its  chief  distinguishing 
character.  Specimens  in  all  pelages  are  not  yet  available,  but  judg- 
ing from  June  and  July  material,  no  color  difference  separates  it 
from  typical  truei.  The  type  and  nearly  all  other  specimens  exam- 
ined are  in  a  very  bright  ochraceous  buff  pelage  exactly  like  com- 
parable specimens  of  truei.  Certain  slight  cranial  characters,  though 
not  present  in  every  specimen,  seem  to  have  a  value  as  average  dif- 
ferences. 

Specimen*  examined. — Total  number  90,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows : 

California:  San  Bernardino  Mountains,  S;  San  Jacinto  Mountains,  2; 
Summit  Coast  Range,  San  Diego  County,  1. 

Lower  California:  Aguaje  de  las  Fresas,  2;  Agua  Escondido,  4 ;  El  Kayo. 
Hanson  Laguna  Mountains.  2;  Hanson  Laguna,  Hanson  Laguna 
Mountains,  17;  La  Grulla,  San  Pedro  Martir  Mountains,  13;  Pifion. 
west  slope  San  Pedro  Martir  Mountains,  11;  Kosarito  Divide,  1  ;  San 
Matias  Spring,  1 :  San  Pedro  Martir  Mountains  at  7,000  feet  altitude, 
4;    Santa  Eulalia,  9;    Santa  Rosa,  7;    Valleeitos.  8. 

PEROMYSCUS  TRUEI  LAGUNAE  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  La  Laguna,  Laguna  Mountains,  Lower  California,  Mexico.  No. 
147004  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological  Survey  Collection.  9  adult. 
Jan.  20.  1900.     E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A.  Goldman. 

Geographic  distribution. — Mountains  of  the  region  of  the  extremity 
of  the  peninsula  of  Lower  California,  Mexico. 

Characters. — General  characters  as  in  truei;  ears  smaller;  tail  rela- 
tively longer:  skull  smaller  and  lighter. 

Color. — Essentially  as  in  truei.  Underparts  ochraceous  buff  mixed 
with  fine  lines  of  dusky;  nose  and  postorbital  region  grayish:  a  nar- 
row dusky  orbital  ring:  feet  white,  tarsal  joint  dusky:  tail  brownish 
dusky  above,  white  below:  underparts  creamy  white. 

Skull. — Much  as  in  truei  and  martirensis  but  smaller  and  lighter: 
rostrum  and  nasals  more  slender;    zygomata  more  compressed  an- 


1909.]  TRUEI   GROUP GRATUS.  173 

teriorly;  molar  teeth  and  audital  bullae  smaller;  interparietal  rela- 
tively large. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes:  Total  length  L93 
(182-210)  ;  tail  vertebrae  105  (97-118)  ;  hind  foot  22.4  (21.5-23)  ;  ear 
from  notch  (dry)  19  (18-19.8). 

Remarks. — This  form,  though  not  strongly  characterized,  is  geo- 
graphically isolated  and  the  recognition  of  its  peculiarities,  such  as 
they  are,  seems  inevitable.  During  the  recent  exploration  of  the 
peninsula  of  Lower  California  by  Nelson  and  Goldman,  no  speci- 
mens of  the  truei  group  were  found  in  the  long  stretch  of  country 
between  the  San  Pedro  Martir  Mountains  and  the  Laguna  Moun- 
tains. Nevertheless,  the  isolated  form  here  named  lagunae  differs 
from  martirensis  only  in  its  slightly  smaller  size  and  more  slender 
rostrum. 

/Specimens  examined. — Total  number  48,  from  localities  as  follows: 

Lower  California:   El  Sauz,  1;  La  Chuparosa,  8;  La  Laguna,  14:  Mount 
Miraflores,  5;  Sierra  Laguna,  15;  Victoria  Mountains.  ."». 

PEROMYSCUS  TRUEI  GRATUS  Merriam. 

(PI.  IV,  fig.  9.) 

Peromyscus  gratus  Merriam.  Proe.  Biol.  Soe.  Wash..  XII,  p.  123,  Apr.  30,  1S98. 
Peromyscus  sagax  Elliot,  Field  Col.  Mus.,  Chicago.  Zool.  Ser..  Ill,  p.  142.  Mar., 

1903. — Patzcuaro.  Michoacan,  Mexico. 
Peromyscus    pavidus    Elliot,    supra    cit.,    pp.    142-143. — Patzcuaro.    Michoacan, 

Mexico. 
Peromyscus  zelotes  Osgood,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash..  XVII.  pp.  (37-68.  Mar.  21, 

1904. — Querendaro,  Michoacan,  Mexico. 

Type  locality. — Tlalpam,  Valley  of  Mexico,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — South  central  Mexico,  in  the  States  of 
Hidalgo.  Mexico,  Michoacan,  and  Queretaro;  possibly  south  to  cen- 
tral Oaxaca. 

Characters. — Similar  in  general  to  P.  truei;  ears  somewhat 
smaller;  tail  decidedly  longer  and  rather  more  coarsely  haired: 
color  darker,  with  greater  mixture  of  dusky;  skull  with  shorter  and 
relatively  heavier  rostrum. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  Ground  color  of  upperparts  ochraceous 
to  ochraceous  buff,  heavily  and  nearly  uniformly  mixed  with 
blackish:  general  effect  isabella  color  to  nearly  sepia:  facial  region, 
nose,  forehead,  etc..  more  grayish;  lateral  line  nearly  clear  ochra- 
ceous, rather  narrow  but  strongly  contrasted:  orbital  ring  sharp 
blackish;  ears  brownish  dusky  edged  with  whitish:  feet  white,  tarsal 
joint  marked  with  extension  of  dusky  from  hind  leg;  underparts 
creamy  white,  occasionally  with  a  buffy  pectoral  spot;  tail  blackish 
above,  white  sometimes  flecked  with  blackish  below.     Worn  pelage: 


174  NORTH    AMERICAN     FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Genera]  effect  varying  through  brownish  fawn,  wood  brown,  and 
cinnamon  to  russet:  middle  of  back  usually  distinctly  darker  than 
sides;  lateral  line  blending  more  or  less  perfectly  with  sides;  orbital 
ring  and  grayish  postorbital  region  more  contrasted  than  in  unworn 
pelage;  otherwise  similar  to  unworn  pelage. 

Skull. — General  form  as  in  truei;  skull  somewhat  more  compact 
and  heavier:  rostrum  relatively  shorter,  broader,  and  heavier;  brain- 
case  full  and  high;  nasals  broad  and  often  nearly  flat;  ascending 
branches  of  premaxillse  even  with,  or  slightly  exceeding,  posterior 
nasal  endings:  audita]  bulla?  large  and  full,  but  relatively  smaller 
than  in  truei. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes:  Total  length,  204 
(191-225);  tail  vertebra?,  110.5  (103-125);  hind  foot,  22.8  (22-24)  ; 
ear  from  notch  (dry),  19  (17.5-20.2). 

Type  specimen. — No.  50G19  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  ?  adult.  Nov.  30,  1892.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.     Specimen  practically  perfect. 

Remarks. — This  is  merely  a  longer-tailed  and  darker  edition  of 
truei  with  which  intergradation  occurs  in  north  central  Mexico.  It 
is  somewhat  variable  in  cranial  characters,  but  the  nasals  generally 
are  broad,  nearly  flat,  and  rather  short.  Specimens  from  Michoacan 
as  a  rule  have  rather  narrower  nasals  and  large  palatine  foramina. 
but  the  variation  is  such  that  it  seems  inadvisable  to  recognize  another 
form  from  this  region.  P.  grains  is  distinguishable  from  levipes, 
spicilegus,  etc..  which  are  nearly  the  same  size,  by  its  large  audita  1 
bulla1,  short  nasals,  and  high  narrow  braincase.  There  are  three 
synonyms.  P.  pavidus,  /'.  sagax,  and  P.  zelotes,  all  described  with- 
out suspicion  of  their  relationship  to  gratus,  comparisons  being  made 
with  other  forms.  The  type  of  zelotes  has  a  rather  heavy  skull  with 
rather  small  audita  1  bulla?  and  the  skin  shows  a  peculiar  combination 
of  worn  and  unworn  pelages.  Its  resemblance  both  externally  and 
cranially  to  the  melanophrys  group  is  striking  and  doubtless  indicates 
relationship  not  very  remote.  A  few  immature  and  otherwise  un- 
satisfactory specimens  from  Oaxaca  and  Huajuapam,  Oaxaca,  are 
provisionally  referred  to  gratus.  The  relationship  of  grata*  to  dijfi- 
cilis  is  evidently  very  close,  and  where  the  two  are  found  together 
they  are  difficult  to  distinguish  by  any  character  except  size,  and  this 
is  almost  covered  by  variation. 

Specimens  examined.— Total  number  69,  from  localities  as  follows: 

Hidalgo:   Ixmiquilpan,  1;  Pachuca,  6;  Tula,  2:  Zinaapan,  2. 
Mexico:  Ajusco,  1;  Tlalparu,  2S. 

Michoacan:    La  Talma,  1:  Patzcuaro,  5:  Querendaro,  3:  Zamora,  12. 
Oaxaca:   Huajuapam,  3:  Oaxaca,  1;  Tamazulapam,  1. 
Queretaro:   Tequisquiapam,  3. 


1  !»<»■».  |  TRUEI    GROUP GENT1LIS.  175 

PEROMYSCUS  TRUEI  GENTILIS  Osc 

Peromyscus  gratus  gentilis  Osgood,   Proc.  Biol.   Soc.   Wash.,  XVII,  pp.  til-<J2, 
Mar.  21,  11)04. 

Type  locality. — Lagos,  Jalisco,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — North  central  Mexico,  chiefly  in  the 
States  of  Durango,  Zacatecas,  and  northern  Jalisco;  east  to  southern 
Coahnila. 

Character*. — Similar  to  P.  gratus.  but  paler;  sides  of  head  much 
more  fulvous:  molar  teeth  slightly  smaller. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  Upperparts  pale  ochraceous  buff,  lightly 
mixed  with  dusky;  middle  of  back  with  a  slight  concentration  of 
dusky-tipped  hairs;  top  of  head,  ear  tufts,  etc.,  with  a  predominance 
of  buffy ;  sides  of  head  nearly  clear  ochraceous  buff,  with  a  slight  tinge 
of  grayish  between  eye  and  base  of  ear:  eyelids  black:  underparts 
white;  hands  and  feet  white;  tarsal  joint  dusky;  tail  bicolor.  blackish 
above,  white  below.  "Worn  pelage:  Upperparts  varying  from  clear 
blight  ochraceous  buff  on  back  and  rump  to  grayish  buff  about  head 
and  shoulders,  sometimes  with  a  fine  mixture  of  cinnamon-tipped 
hairs  throughout;  underparts  white;  tail  dusky  brownish  above, 
white  below. 

Skull. — As  in  typical  P.  gratus,  having  the  same  large  braincase. 
short  depressed  rostrum,  and  relatively  large  audital  bulla?;  molar 
teeth  slightly  smaller. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes:  Total  length.  '201 
(104-210)  ;  tail  vertebra-,  111.7  (103-120)  ;  hind  foot  23.8  (23-24.5)  ; 
ear  from  notch  (dry)  18.6  (18-19.3). 

Type  spec} 'men. — No.  78937  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  adult.  June  27,  1896.  E.  TV.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — This   form   is  practically  like  gratus  except  in  color, 
which  is  decidedly  paler  and  more  nearly  like  that  of  truc't.     How- 
ever, it  is  somewhat  brighter  even  than  truei  and  also  differs  from  ii 
in  its  longer  tail  and  cranial  characters.     Intergradation  with  both 
truei  and  gratus  is  amply  shown  by  various  specimens. 
Specimens  examined. — Total  number  36,  from  localities  as  follows: 
Coahuila:   Sierra   Encarnacion,   1    (approaching   truei):    Sierra •  Guada- 
lupe, 1. 
Chihuahua:  Parral,  1  :  Sierra  Madre,  4<>  m.  east  of  Batopilas,  1. 
Durango:  Coyotes,  6;  Durango,  2. 
Guanajuato:   Silao,  3  (approaching  gratus). 
Jalisco:   Lagos,  12. 
San  Luis  Potosi:  Jesus  Maria.  .">. 
Zacatecas:   Valparaiso,  4:  Zacatecas,  2. 


176  NORTH    AMERICAN     FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

PEROMYSCTJS  NASUTUS  (Allen). 

(PI.    IV,   fig.  8.) 

Vesperimm  nasiltUS  Allen.  Bull.  Am.   Mus.   Nat.  Hist.,   X.  ¥.,  Ill,  pp.  299-300, 

Juno,   1891. 
!  Peromyscus]  truei  nasutus  Trouessart,  Catal.  Mamm.,  p.  f>l7,  1S9T. 

Type  locality. — Estes  Park,  Colorado. 

Geographic  distribution. — Mountains  of  Colorado,  New  Mexico, 
eastern  Arizona,  and  western  Texas,  chiefly  east  of  the  Continental 
Divide. 

Characters. — Color  about  as  in  rowleyi,  but  more  grayish  in  sum- 
mer pelage;  size  larger:  size  and  proportions  about  as  in  attwateri. 
color  paler  and  more  grayish;  skull  with  longer  rostrum;  external 
ears  sometimes  nearly  as  large  as  in  truei;  ambulations  of  tail  finer 
than  in  rowleyi. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  Practically  as  in  rowleyi;  general  effect 
of  upperparts  grayish  wood  brown  to  Isabella  color;  ochraceous 
shades  seldom  or  never  accentuated :  decidedly  paler  and  more  gray- 
ish than  in  attwateri.  Worn  pelage:  Relatively  dull,  much  duller 
than  in  either  rowleyi  or  truei;  general  effect  of  upperparts  pale 
grayish  fawn  lightly  vermiculated  with  darker,  occasionally  bright- 
ening to  a  tinge  of  pinkish  buff,  but  rarely  or  never  attaining  the 
ochraceous  shades  usual  in  rowleyi,  attwateri.  and  truei.  Adolescent 
and  juvenal  pelages:  Darker  than  in  rowleyi;  plumbeous  underfur 
deeper-colored  and  more  mixed  with  dusky,  occasionally  quite  soot}7. 

Skull. — About  as  in  attwateri,  but  rostrum  averaging  slightly 
longer  and  audital  bulla1  more  nearly  spherical:  similar  to  that  of 
rowleyi  but  larger:  audital  bulla'  actually  somewhat  larger  than  in 
rowleyi  but  relatively  little  or  not  at  all  larger;  audital  bulla1  some- 
times actually  nearly  as  large  as  in  small  specimens  of  truei,  but 
relatively  smaller:  rostrum  quite  decidedly  longer  than  in  truei; 
nasals  narrower  and  less  flattened:  zygomata  more  compressed  an- 
teriorly, less  deeply  notched  by  infraorbital  foramen:  braincase 
averaging  slightly  broader  and  shallower. 

Measurements.— Average  of  5  specimens  from  Gold  Hill.  Colo.: 
Total  length  195    (180-210);  tail  vertebra?  99   (91-105):  hind  foot 

23.2  (2-J-24)  :  ear  from  notch   (dry)   19.T  (18.5-20.5).     Of  10  adults 
from  Grants.  X.  Mex. :  204  (199-206)  ;  102  (98-109)  ;  22.8  (22-21)  ; 

20.3  (19.5-21). 

Type  specimen. — No.  fff£  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Xew  York.  $  adult.  Jan.  20,  1891.  W.  G.  Smith.  Skin  rather 
poorly  formed :  tip  of  tail  imperfect ;  underparts  greasy.  Skull  lack- 
ing posterior  part  of  braincase,  basioccipital,  right  audital  bulla,  and 
-mailer  adjacent  parts. 


11)00. J  TRUEI    GROUP POLKS.  177 

Remarks. — This  species  may  be  easily  confused  with  either  P.  truei 
or  P.  b.  rowleyi,  and  it  is  only  after  examination  of  a  large  amount 
of  material  (chiefly  recently  acquired)  and  the  testing  of  various 
alternatives  that  its  distinctness  becomes  apparent.  The  most  obvious 
characters  for  separating  truei  and  rowleyi,  namely,  size  of  external 
ears  and  of  audital  bulla?,  are  somewhat  combined  in  nasutus.  Since 
nasutus  occurs  throughout  a  considerable  part  of  the  ranges  of  truei 
and  rowleyi  confusion  is  further  induced.  However,  nasutus  has 
external  ears  and  audital  bulla?  slightly  larger  than  in  roivleyi  and 
slightly  smaller  than  in  truei.  This  is  true  as  regards  actual  size,  but 
since  nasutus  is  larger  than  either  rowleyi  or  truei,  it  is  evident  that 
its  audital  bulla?  are  relatively  but  little  larger  than  those  of  rowleyi. 
It  differs  from  both  rowleyi  and  truei  in  its  larger  size,  more  grayish 
color  (particularly  in  worn  and  partly  worn  conditions  of  pelage), 
and  more  elongate  nasals.  Its  pelage  is  rather  soft  and  full,  more 
so  than  in  rowleyi,  and  though  not  often  so  long,  of  a  slightly  different 
character  from  that  of  truei.  In  adolescent  pelage  there  is  a  softness 
or  fullness  not  seen  in  either  truei  or  rowleyi,  and  its  color  then, 
though  elush^e  of  description,  is  quite  characteristic.  Although 
nasutus  has  of  late  been  associated  with  truei,  it  now  seems  that  its 
closest  affinities  are  elsewhere,  quite  probably  with  difficilis,  and  pos- 
sibly with  rowleyi  It  is  smaller  than  difficilis,  has  a  shorter  tail,  and 
more  grayish  color,  but  its  skull,  though  smaller,  with  smaller  audital 
bulla',  has  the  same  general  form,  and  certain  specimens  of  difficilis, 
particularly  those  from  the  northern  part  of  its  range,  appear  to 
decidedly  approach  nasutus. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  188,  from  localities  as 
follows : 

Arizona:   Springerville,  8. 

Colorado:  Boulder,  20:  Canyon  City,  1;  Estes  Park,  8;  Gold  Hill,  !»; 
Trinidad,  10. 

New  Mexico:  Arroyo  Hondo,  2;  Arroyo  Seco,  7;  Capitan  Mountains,  25; 
Catskill,  4;  Cienequilla,  11;  Clayton,  1;  Corona,  1;  Coyote  Creek, 
3 ;  Datil  Mountains,  2 ;  Emery  Peak,  2 ;  Folsorn,  4 ;  Fort  Wingate, 
1;  Gallo  Canyon,  1;  Glorieta,  1;  Grants,  17;  Hall  Peak,  2;  Jicarilla 
Mountains,  10;  Mora,  1;  Peeos  River,  3;  Rineonada,  1;  San  Andres 
Mountains,  13:  Santa  Rosa.  3;  Sierra  Grande,  11;  Tucumcari,  1. 

PEROMYSCUS  POLIUS  Osgood. 
Peromyscus  polius  Osgood,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XVII,  p.  61,  Mar.  21.  1004. 

Type  locality. — Colonia  Garcia,  Chihuahua,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Known  only  from  the  type  locality. 

Characters.- — Similar  to  P.  b.  rowleyi  and  P.  b.  attwateri  but  larger 
(hind  foot  25-2C>)  and  more  grayish  :  molar  teeth  relatively  large  ami 
heavy:  hind  feet  and  tarsal  joint  white. 
66268— No.  28—00 12 


178  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Color. — General  color  of  upperparts  grayish  broccoli  brown,  pro- 
duced by  a  ground  color  of  pinkish  buff  mixed  with  dusky;  narrow 
lateral  line  clear  pinkish  buff;  head  slightly  more  grayish  than  body, 
particularly  on  cheeks;  a  narrow  dusky  orbital  ring;  tuft  at  base  of 
ear  mixed  grayish  and  buffy ;  ears  grayish  dusky,  narrowly  margined 
with  buffy  white;  underparts  pure  white;  feet  and  carpal  and  tarsal 
joints  white;  tail  bicolor;  pale  brownish  dusky  above,  white  below. 

Skull. — Similar  in  general  form  to  that  of  rowleyi,  but  decidedly 
larger;  molar  teeth  decidedly  larger;  palatine  slits  longer;  audital 
bulhe  actually  about  same  size,  relatively  smaller.  Size  about  as  in 
large  specimens  of  attwateri,  but  molar  teeth  actually  and  relatively 
larger  and  heavier. 

Measurements. — Average  of  8  adult  topotypes:  Total  length  218.5 
(210-234)  ;  tail  vertebra?  117  (111-120)  ;  hind  foot  25.8  (25-26)  ;  ear 
from  notch  (dry)  18.1  (17.2-18.5). 

Type  specimen. — No.  98226  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  9  adult.  June  26.  1899.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — This  species  nearly  equals  P.  difftcUis  in  size,  but  its 
shorter  tail  and  ears  at  once  distinguish  it  without  recourse  to  the 
skull,  in  which  the  audital  bulla?  are  scarcely  more  than  half  the  size 
of  those  of  difficilis.  It  considerably  resembles  rowleyi,  and  espe- 
cially attwateri,  but  is  readily  distinguished  from  either  by  its  white 
'  ankles,'  a  character  that  may  possibly  indicate  that  its  real  relation- 
ship is  with  the  much  smaller  but  generally  similar  species,  P.  eremir 
coides.  Nearly  typical  rowleyi  is  found  at  the  type  locality  of 
poll  us  and  preserves  its  distinctness  there. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  11,  all  from  the  type  locality. 

Key  to   subspecies   of   Peromyscus    diffiicilis. 

Color  very  dark,  chiefly  rich  blackish  brown  and  black P.  d.  felipensis 

Color  paler,  chiefly  ochraceons  buff  more  or  less  mixed  with  dusky. 

Size    averaging    smaller;    pelage    closer    and    more    glossy;    skull    with    smaller 

braincase p.  difficilis 

Size  averaging  larger  ;  pelage  looser  and  duller  ;  skull  with  larger  braincase. 

P.  d.  amphts 

PEROMYSCUS  DIP'FICILIS  (Allen). 

(PI.  V,  fig.  6.) 

Vesperimus  difficilis  Allen,  Hull.  Am.  Mus.  Nut.  Hist..  N.  Y.,  Ill,  pp.  298-2'.t9, 

June,  1891. 
[Peromyscus]  difficilis  Trouessart,  Catal.  Mamm.,  p.  518,  1897. 

Type  locality. — Sierra  de  Valparaiso,  Zacatecas,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Sierra  Madre  from  southwestern  Chi- 
huahua south  through  Durango  and  Zacatecas,  then  east  and  south- 
east to  certain  mountainous  parts  of  Guanajuato  and  northern  Hi- 


1909.] 


TRUEI    GROUP DIFFICILIS. 


179 


dalgo,  and  thence  north  through  parts  of  San  Luis  Potosi  to  moun- 
tains of  southern  Coahuila.     Chiefly  in  Transition  zone. 

Characters. — Size  rather  large  (hind  foot  24-28)  ;  tail  long,  al- 
ways longer  than  head  and  body;  ears  rather  large;  relatively  larger 
than  in  other  large  Mexican  species;  general  appearance  that  of  a 
decidedly  larger  and  longer  tailed  counterpart  of  P.  truei  gratus; 
skull  with  rather  long  nasals,  full  braincase,  and  large  audital  bulla?. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  Similar  in  general  to  that  of  P.  truei 
gratus,  somewhat  darker  than  in  truei;  ground  color  of  upperparts 
ochraceous  buff  mixed  with  dusky,  chiefly  disposed  as  fine  lines  and 
rather  dominating  the  gen- 
eral effect;  sides,  except 
lateral  line,  same  as  back; 
lateral  line  clear  ochra- 
ceous buff,  and  usually 
fairly  well  defined:  nose, 
postorbital  region,  and  gen- 
eral facial  region  above  lat- 
eral line  quite  distinctly 
grayish  ;  ears  thinly  haired, 
margined  with  whitish, 
tufts  at  bases  about  the 
same  color  as  surrounding 
parts;  a  narrow  blackish 
orbital  ring;  underparts 
creamy  white,  usually  with- 
out any  pectoral  spot ;  feet 
white,  tarsal  joint  with  a 
small  dusky  marking;  tail 
sharply  bicolor,  blackish 
brown  above,  white  below. 
Worn  pelage:  General  ef- 
fect of  upperparts  varying 
from  dull  fulvous  drab  to  rather  bright  cinnamon;  head  and  shoul- 
ders usually  considerably  more  grayish  than  back  and  rump;  lateral 
line  scarcely  or  not  at  all  distinct  from  rest  of  sides. 

Skull. — Similar  in  general  form  to  that  of  nasutus  but  larger, 
heavier,  and  with  larger  audital  bullae;  braincase  full  and  deep:  in- 
terorbital  space  narrow;  supraorbital  border  not  beaded  and  seldom 
very  sharp-angled,  never  forming  any  distinct  shelf  as  in  melanoph- 
rys;  nasals  quite  elongate;  teeth  moderate;  audital  bulla?  large  and 
full,  relatively  smaller  than  in  gratus  but  decidedly  larger  than  in 
most  other  Mexican  species. 


LEGEND 

Ttyscas  diffici//.s 

. .  (. 

m 

H  d.  fe//p  en  s/s 


Fig 


-Distribution    of    Peromyscus    ilifflcilis    and 
subspecies. 


180  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes:  Total  length  233 
(212-255);  tail  vertebrae  127  (115-143);  hind  foot  26.3  (25.5-28); 
ear  from  notch  (dry)  21  (19.5-23.5). 

Type  specimen. — No.  lift  American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
New  York.  $  adolescent.  July  27,  1889.  Audley  C.  Buller.  Skin 
rather  badly  made,  feet  and  tail  twisted,  and  underparts  stained, 
but  still  fairly  satisfactory  for  comparison.  Skull  with  cracks  in 
basioccipital  and  interorbital  part  of  frontal;  anterior  part  of  right 
zygoma  absent. 

Remarks. — The  relationship  of  difficilis  and  its  subspecies  to  the 
truei  group  is  quite  apparent,  but  there  is  no  absolute  connection 
between  the  two  groups  unless  it  be  through  nasutus,  which  may  be  a 
northern  representative  of  difficilis.  Thus  in  south  central  Mexico 
the  two  groups  are  represented  by  difficilis  and  gratus,  and  are  there 
usually  easily  distinguishable  by  size  alone ;  in  New  Mexico,  Colorado, 
etc.,  are  truei  and  nasutus,  representatives  of  the  same  two  groups,  but 
with  characters  more  nearly  approximating  each  other,  and  therefore 
more  difficult  to  distinguish.  P.  difficilis  is  readily  distinguishable 
from  other  Mexican  species  of  corresponding  size  by  its  larger  ears 
and  its  unbeaded  skull  with  large  rounded  audital  bullae.  The  bullae 
are  approached  in  size  by  those  of  P.  melanophrys,  but  in  that  specie's 
the  external  ears  are  decidedly  smaller  and  the  supraorbital  border 
of  the  skull  is  developed  into  a  slight  shelf  often  even  suggesting  a 
bead.  Variation  in  cranial  characters  is  considerable,  but  most  of 
it  appears  in  specimens  from  intermediate  localities.  Specimens 
from  Hidalgo  for  the  most  part  appear  to  be  intermediate  between 
difficilis  and  amplus.  A  large  series  from  near  Jesus  Maria.  San 
Luis  Potosi,  shows  cranial  variations  almost  covering  the  differences 
from  nasutus  to  amplus.  The  most  northerly  specimens,  as  those 
from  near  Guadalupe  y  Calvo,  have  bullae  uniformly  smaller  than 
the  average  of  typical  difficilis,  and  appear  to  approach  nasutus. 
They  are  best  referred  to  difficilis,  however,  and  the  difference  be- 
tween them  and  nasutus  is  still  sufficient  to  make  it  advisable  to  hold 
the  two  for  the  present  as  distinct  species.  Specimens  from  the 
mountains  of  Coahuila  also  are  not  quite  typical,  being  unusually 
grayish,  but  this  is  perhaps  due,  at  least  in  part,  to  age  and  condition 
of  pelage.  Another  possible  relative  of  difficilis  is  P.  polius,  which 
has  a  shorter  tail,  white  tarsal  joints,  and  also  cranial  characters. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  255,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows : 

Chihuahua:   Batopilas     (mountains    65    in.    east),    6;    mountains    near 

Guadalupe  y  Calvo.  17. 
Coahuila:   Carneros.  12:  Sierra   Encarnacion,  1!);  Sierra  Guadalupe,  26. 
Durango:    101  Sal  to,  10. 
Guanajuato:   Santa  Rosa,  20. 


1009.1  TRUEI   GROUP AMPLUS.  181 

Hidalgo:   Encarnacion,  9;  Ixruiquilpan,  7;  Zimapam,  14. 

San  Luis  Potosi:   Charcos,  5;  mountains  near  Jesus  Maria,  37 

Tamaulipas:   Miquihuana,  25. 

Zacatecas:    Plateado,  IS;  Valparaiso  Mountains,  2fi;  Zacatecas,  14. 

PEROMYSCUS  DIFFICILIS  AMPLUS  Osgood. 

Peromyscua  ampins  Osgood,  Proo.  P>iol.  Snc.  Wash..  XVII,  pp.  f;2-r>.'',.  Mar.  21. 

.'.104. 

Type  locality. — Coixtlahuaca,  Oaxaca,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Mountains  of  north  central  Oaxaca. 
Puebla,  southeastern  Veracruz,  and  southern  Hidalgo. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  difficilis  and  P.  d.  felipensis;  color 
much  as  in  difficilis  but  duller;  size  and  cranial  characters  as  in 
felipensis;  color  very  much  paler;  pelage  long  and  lax.  usually  lack- 
ing the  gloss  or  luster  shown  in  difficilis;  skull  large,  with  a  broad 
full  braincase. 

Color. — Type:  General  effect  of  upperparts  uniform  clay  color 
produced  by  a  ground  color  of  ochraceous  buff  and  a  fine  peppery 
mixture  of  dusky;  lateral  line  rather  broad,  ochraceous  buff;  fore- 
head and  orbital  region  from  posterior  base  of  whiskers  to  ear  gray- 
ish ;  anterior  base  of  whiskers  buffy ;  underparts  creamy  white,  with 
a  well-developed  ochraceous  buff  pectoral  spot;  feet  white,  tarsal 
joints  marked  with  dusky;  tail  dusky  brownish  above,  white  below. 

Skull. — Similar  in  general  to  that  of  difficilis,  but  larger  and 
heavier  throughout;  rostrum  and  nasals  broader  and  heavier;  practi- 
cally as  in  felipensis.  but  braincase  averaging  slightly  higher  and 
fuller;  audital  bullae  large,  but  relatively  slightly  smaller  than  in 
difficilis;  interorbital  space  narrow;  no  supraorbital  bead. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes:  Total  length  248 
(235-260);  tail  vertebrae  136  (1-28-145);  hind  foot  27  (26-28);  ear 
from  notch  (dry)  20.9  (19.5-21.8). 

Type  specimen. — No.  T0158  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  9  adult,  Nov.  12,  1894.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — In  cranial  characters,  amplus  differs  from  difficilis  in- 
the  same  way  that  felipensis  does.  Its  color  is  similar  to  that  of 
difficilis.  but  there  is  less  dusky  mixture  and  this  is  not  usually  dis- 
posed as  fine  lines,  but  as  a  fine  peppery  sin-inkling.  The  pelage  has 
a  peculiar  quality  which  baffles  description,  having  less  gloss  or  luster 
than  in  most  other  species.  In  this  respect  it  resembles  many  speci- 
mens of  the  melanophrys  group.  It  is  easily  distinguished  from 
melanophrys  by  the  absence  of  a  definite  supraorbital  ridge  and  by  its 
larger  audital  bullae.  It  intergrades  with  both  difficilis  and  felipen- 
sis. Specimens  from  northern  Hidalgo  show  considerable  approach 
to  difficilis.  while  among  series  of  felipensis  are  occasional  paler 
specimens  evidently  aproaching  amplus. 


182  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Specimens  examined.  -Total  number  L33,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows : 

Hidalgo:   Irolo,  16;  Marques,  5;  Pachuca,  <', ;  Real  del  Monte,  8;  Tula,  14; 

Tulancingo,  8. 
Oaxaca:   Coixtlahuaca,  1(5:  Tamazulapam,  12. 
Puebla:  Chalchicomula,  9;  Esperanza,  18. 
Tlaxcala:   Apixaco,  2. 
Veracruz:  Maltrata,  <>:  Perote,  14. 

PEROMYSCUS  DIFFICILIS   FELIPBNSIS    Mebbiam. 

Peromyscus  felipensis  Merriam,  Proe.  Biol.  S<»c  Wash.,  XII,  pp.  122-123,  Apr. 
30,  1898. 

Type  locality. — Cerro  San  Felipe,  Oaxaca,  Mexico.  Altitude 
10.300  feet. 

Geographic  distribution. — High  elevations  (8,000  feet  to  11,000 
feet)  on  the  mountains  surrounding  the  Valley  of  Mexico;  reap- 
pearing at  similar  elevations  in  the  mountains  northeast  of  the  city 
of  Oaxaca. 

Character*. — General  characters  as  in  difficilis  and  amplus;  color 
very  much  darker  than  in  either,  rich  blackish  brown  and  pure  black 
predominating;  pelage  somewhat  heavier,  more  woolly;  ears  averag- 
ing smaller;  size  slightly  larger  than  in  difficilis;  skull  larger  and 
heavier;  braincase  averaging  flatter  than  in  amplus. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage :  Upperparts  mixed  grayish  ochraceous 
buff  and  black;  general  effect  on  dorsum  nearly  black,  lightly 
sprinkled  with  buffy  gray,  on  sides  nearly  hair  brown  becoming  more 
huffy  toward  lateral  line,  which  is  ochraceous  buff  mixed  with  dusky 
and  seldom  very  sharply  contrasted  with  rest  of  sides;  sides  of  face, 
nose,  and  forehead  tinged  with  grayish;  blackish  markings  every- 
where accentuated;  orbital  ring  and  spot  at  base  of  whiskers  sharply 
black;  spot  on  each  side  of  nose  in  front  of  whiskers,  buffy;  white 
of  lips  ascending  to  lower  edge  of  dusky  spot  at  base  of  whiskers; 
feet  white,  tarsal  joint  with  a  broad  blackish  brown  marking;  tail 
sharply  bicolor,  blackish  brown  above,  white  below,  but  usually  with 
some  mixture  of  dusky  on  the  underside  near  base;  underparts 
creamy  white  modified  by  the  blackish  slate  undercolor  wThich  is 
never  entirely  concealed;  pectoral  region  broadly  ochraceous  buff. 
Worn  pelage:  Upperparts  more  uniform,  with  dorsum  less  differ- 
entiated; ends  of  hairs  worn  down  and  exposing  considerable  of  the 
blackish  slate  undercolor;  general  effect  varying  from  dark  hair 
brown  to  sepia;  lateral  line  scarcely  apparent;  underparts  much 
modified  by  blackish  slate  undercolor.  Young  in  first  coat :  Median 
upperparts  deep  blackish  slate,  very  lightly  flecked  with  gray;  sides 
slate  gray  lightly  vermiculated  with  darker. 

!■<!,■  nil. — Similar  to  that  of  difficilis,  but  somewhat  larger;  rostrum 
and  nasals  broader  and  heavier;   audital  bullae  relatively  smaller; 


,1909.]  TRUEI  GROUP — BULLATUS.  183 

braincase  averaging  broader  and  shallower;  practically  as  in  amplus 
but  braincase  averaging  slightly  shallower. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes:  Total  length  241.5' 
(225-248);  tail  vertebrae  127  (118-182);  hind  foot  26.8  (25.5-27.5); 
ear  from  notch   (dry)  20.4  (19-21.7). 

Type  specimen. — No.  08409  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  adult.  Aug.  22,  1894.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — Its  very  dark  color  readily  distinguishes  this  form 
from  difficilis  and  amplus,  and  its  cranial  characters  are  likely  to 
prevent  confusion  with  any  others.  The  audita!  bulla?  are  not  so 
full  and  rounded  as  in  difficilis  but  still  are  larger  than  in  most  other 
Mexican  species.  P.  lepturus  also  is  dark  colored,  but  will  scarcely 
be  confused  with  felipensis  on  account  of  its  smaller  size,  smaller 
audita]  bullae,  and  relatively  larger  teeth.  In  nearly  all  other  Mexi- 
can species  at  all  similar  to  felipensis  the  interorbital  region  is  broad- 
er, with  some  development  of  a  supraorbital  ridge. 

The  distribution  of  felipensis  is  curiously  interrupted,  Cerro  San 
Felipe  being  apparently  quite  isolated  from  the  other  localities  from 
which  the  form  is  known,  while  am/plus  is  found  on  mountains  in  the 
intervening  region.  Possibly  felt  pen  sis  occupies  higher  or  more  hu- 
mid regions. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  41,  from  localities  as  follows: 
Mexico:  Ajusco,  «". ;  Amecameca,  8;  Toluca  Valley,  5;  Salazar,  4. 
Oaxaca:   Cerro  San  Felipe,  21. 

PERO.MYSCrs  BULLATUS  Osgood. 
(PI.  VII,  fig.  7.) 

Peromyscus  bullatus  Osgood,  Prne.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash..  XVII,  p.  63,  Mar.  21,  1904. 

Type  locality. — Perote,  Veracruz.  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Known  only  from  the  type  locality. 

Characters. — Similar  in  general  to  P.  truei  and  P.  difficilis;  ears 
very  large;  audital  bulla'  greatly  inflated;  tail  shorter  than  head  and 
body." 

Color. — Similar  to  that  of  P.  truei.  but  richer,  more  nearly  ap- 
proaching tawny;  slightly  paler  than  in  difficilis;  sides  and  ground 
color  of  upperparts  tawny  ochraceous;  dorsum  with  considerable 
dusky  producing  a  general  effect  of  nearly  broccoli  brown;  top  of 
head  and  nose  broccoli  brown ;  sides  of  head  between  base  of  ear  and 
eye  distinctly  grayish;  a  narrow  dusky  orbital  ring:  underparts 
creamy  white;  feet  white,  tarsal  joint  marked  with  dusky;  tail 
brownish  dusky  above,  white  below. 

"The  tail  of  the  type  and  only  specimen  is  slightly  imperfect,  having  lost 
the  extreme  tip.  hut  its  distal  attenuation  indicates  that  it  was  naturally  but 
little  longer,  and  certainly  much  shorter  than  that  of  P.  difficilis. 


184 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


fxo.  28. 


Skull. — Similar  in  general  form  to  P.  truei;  size  larger  than  P. 
truei,  but  smaller  than  P.  difficilis;  audita!  bullae  very  much  inflated, 
actually  as  well  as  relatively  larger  than  in  any  other  known  species 
of  the  genus;  braincase  rounded  and  rather  inflated;  interorbital 
constriction  relatively  wider  than  in  difficilis;  nasals  and  palatine 
slits  rather  long;  molar  teeth  large,  actually  larger  than  those  of 
truei  and  nearly  equalling  those  of  difficilis. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length,  200;  tail  vertebrae,  93+ j  hfnd 
foot,  23;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  25. 

Type  specimen. — No.   54405   U.   S.   National   Museum,  Biological 


Survey  Collection.      ?     adult.     June  3, 


1893.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.  Specimen 
in  good  condition  except 
that  extreme  tip  of  tail  is 
broken  off. 

Remarks. — The  relation- 
ships of  this  species  are 
clearly  with  P.  truei  and 
P.  difficilis.  Its  short  tail 
and  light  color  easily  dis- 
tinguish it  from  difficilis, 
and  its  enormous  audita! 
bulla?  at  once  separate  it 
from  truei.  The  external 
ears  also  are  very  large, 
slight!}7  exceeding  those  of 
difficilis  as  well  as  of  all 
other  species.  It  is  con- 
ceivable that  the  single 
specimen  known  may  be 
an  abnormal  individual  of 
the  difficilis  group,  but  its 
characters  are  pronounced  and  not  paralleled  anywhere  in  the  consid- 
erable variation  found  in  difficilis. 
Specimens  examined, — One,  the  type. 

Key  to  Subspecies  of  Peromyscus  melanophrys. 

Color  darker  :  a   large  buffy  pectoral  spot  usually  present P.  m.  samorw 

Color  paler;  underparts  usually  pure  white  or  with  only  traces  of  a  pectoral  spot. 

Size  larger;  tail  averaging  more  than  140;  skull  usually  more  elongate.     South 
of   the   City   of  Mexico- P-   melanophrys 

Size  smaller  :  tail  averaging  less  than  140  :  skull  relatively  shorter,  with  shorter 
nasals  and  larger  audita  1  bulla-.      North  of  the  City  of  Mexico. 

P.   m.   consobrinus 

PEROMYSCUS  MELANOPHRYS   (Coues). 

(PI.  V,  fig.  3.) 

Hesperomys   melanophrys    Cones,   Proc.   Acad.    Nat.   Sci.  Pliila.,   pp.   181-182, 
Dec.  15,  1S74. 


Fio.  S. — Distribution    of    Peromyscus    melanophrys, 

P.  xciiiiiiis.  .-iiid  subspecies. 


1009.]  MELANOPHRYS   GROUP — MELANOPHRYS.  185 

Peromyscus  leucurus  Thomas,  Ann.  &  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  Ser.  6,  XIV,  pp.  .'5(i4  5, 

Nov.,  1894. — Tehuantepec,  Oaxaca,  Mexico. 
Peromyscus  leucurus  gadovii  Thomas.  Ann.  &  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  Ser.  7,  XI,  pp. 

484^85,  May,  1903.— San  Carlos  (=Yautepec),  Oaxaca,  Mexico. 
P[eromyscus]   melanophrys  Allen.  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  IX,  p.  51, 

Mar.  15,  L897. 

Type  locality. — Santa  Efigenia,  Oaxaca.  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Arid  Tropical  and  Lower  Sonoran  re- 
gion of  south  central  Mexico  from  sea  level  to  arid  mountains  of 
5,000  feet  altitude.  States  of  Chiapas,  Guerrero.  Morelos,  Oaxaca, 
and  Puebla. 

Characters. — Size  rather  large;  tail  very  long  (usually  more  than 
140  mm.),  annulations  rather  coarse  but  covered  with  short,  stiff 
hairs;  tail  frequently  tipped  with  white;  ears  large  and  nearly  naked; 
heel  hairy,  occupying  about  one-fifth  of  the  entire  length  of  the  foot; 
general  color  cinnamon  or  pale  bufl'y  finely  flecked  with  black,  no 
definite  lateral  line;  a  black  orbital  ring  and  conspicuous  patch  of 
gray  around  it ;  skull  with  a  sharp-angled  supraorbital  ridge,  but 
without  an  interior  sulcus  as  in  banderanus. 

Color.— -No.  08058.  Oaxaca  City,  Oaxaca.  Adult  9  ,  June  13.  1804: 
Upperparts  tawny  ochraceous  very  finely  lined  with  dusky;  sides 
same  color  as  back  to  line  of  demarcation  between  upper  and  under 
color;  feet  white,  slightly  dusky  about  '  ankles  ';  base  of  whiskers  and 
ring  around  eye  sharply  black,  remainder  of  face  chiefly  gray,  which 
extends  back  to  the  base  of  the  ear,  and  is  somewhat  mixed  with 
tawny  on  forehead  and  lower  cheeks;  tail  bicolor,  dusky  above,  white 
below ;  underparts  creamy  white,  not  quite  subduing  the  plumbeous 
underfill'.  No.  08404,  Oaxaca  City,  ?  adult,  Aug.  15,  1894:  Similar 
to  the  above,  but  decidedly  darker,  the  ground  color  apparently  some- 
what paler  and  less  rufescent  and  the  admixture  of  dusky  much 
greater,  causing  the  general  color  to  appear  russet  or  Mars  brown; 
otherwise  similar. 

Skull. — Size  medium,  smaller  than  in  mexicanus;  rostral  part 
rather  depressed  as  well  as  occipital,  giving  a  nearly  even  curve  to 
the  outline  of  the  skull ;  a  definite  supraorbital  ridge  present,  which 
is  often  developed  into  a  trenchant  shelf  but  not  bounded  on  the 
inner  side  by  a  deep  sulcus ;  temporal  region  somewhat  swollen ; 
nasals  of  moderate  length  and  nearly  even  width,  shorter  and  less 
cuneate  than  in  mexicanus;  braincase  narrower  and  audital  bulla? 
smaller  than  in  difficilis;  teeth  about  same  size  or  slightly  smaller 
than  in  mexicanus;  audital  bulla?  slightly  larger. 

Measurements. — Average  of  3  adults  from  mountains  near  Tonala, 
Chiapas:  Total  length,  209  (202-275)  ;  tail  vertebrae,  149  (140-155)  ; 
hind  foot,  28;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  19.3  (18.5-21).  A  very  large  in- 
dividual from  Yaganiza,  Oaxaca:  280:  103;  29.  Average  of  4 
adults  from  Totolapa,  Oaxaca:  250;  154;  28. 


180)  NORTH    AMERICAN     I'AIN  A.  I  no.   28. 

Type  specimen.  No.  tsHst  U.  S.  National  Museum.  9  adult.  Skin 
and  skull,  collected  July  11,  1871,  by  F.  Sumichrast.  The  skin  ap- 
pears to  have  been  preserved  in  alcohol  and  later  renovated.  It  is, 
however,  in  fairly  good  condition.  The  tail  vertebra?  have  not  been 
removed,  but  have  been  strengthened  by  a  wire  along  their  length 
outside.  The  right  ear  is  somewhat  torn,  but  the  left  is  intact  except 
that  it  seems  to  have  lost  the  small  amount  of  hair  which  originally 
clothed  it.  The  condition  of  the  pelage  is  of  slight  wear,  and  the 
general  color  of  the  upperparts  is  cinnamon  tinged  with  fawn.  The 
skull  lacks  the  basioccipital  and  supraoccipital  and  the  anterior  part 
of  the  nasals  is  slightly  broken.  The  teeth  are  perfect  and  almost 
unworn.  The  mandibles  are  perfect,  except  the  angular  processes 
which  are  slightly  broken. 

Remarks. — P.  melanophrys  is  the  representative  of  a  rather  strik- 
ing group  of  large,  very  long-tailed  mice  inhabiting  the  more  arid 
regions  of  southern  Mexico.  According  to  Mr.  Nelson,  it  is  found 
living  chiefly  among  rocks.  It  may  be  distinguished  from  nearly 
all  the  other  species  of  Mexico  by  its  very  long  tail  and  slightly 
beaded  skull.  Like  other  members  of  the  genus,  it  is  subject  to  con- 
siderable variation  in  color,  most  of  which  seems  to  be  clue  to  age. 
In  nearly  all  series  numbering  upward  of  10  specimens  the  older 
individuals  are  brighter  colored,  and  occasional  A-ery  old  ones  are 
exceptionally  bright.  Young  specimens  may  be  either  brownish  or 
pale  butty,  apparently  according  to  stage  of  development.  P.  gadovii 
of  Thomas  seems  to  represent  specimens  in  the  darker  stage.  A 
series  from  Oaxaca  City,  where  'gadovii'  is  said  to  be  found 
(Thomas,  1.  c),  contains  both  light  and  dark  examples.  In  any 
event,  'gadovii*  becomes  a  synonym,  as  the  type  of  melanophrys, 
which  was  not  accessible  to  Thomas,  is  in  the  darker  stage  or  phase. 
The  relationship  of  P.  leucurus  to  melanophrys  was  also  evidently 
not  suspected  by  its  describer.  One  specimen  from  Tehuantepec,  the 
type  locality  of  leucurus.  is  somewhat  immature,  but  agrees  in  every 
way  with  others  of  the  same  age  from  various  parts  of  range  of  the 
species.  The  type  of  leucurus  is  rather  paler  than  is  usual  through- 
out the  group. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  85,  from  localities  in  Mexico, 
as  follows : 

Chiapas:   Near  Tonala,  9;  San  Bartolome,  1  :  San  Vicente,  1. 
Guerrero:  Ayusinapa,  1;  Sochi,  1;  Tlalixtaquilla,  7;  Tlapa,  1. 
Morelos:  Cuernavaca,  12:  Yautepec,  2   (aberrant):  Yecapixtla,  2. 
Oaxaca:   Cuicatlan,   1;    Las  Vacas, '2;    Mitla,   1;    Puerto  Ansel.   1:    San 

Bartolo,  2:   San  Carlos,  1;   San  Miguel,  1    (aberrant);  Oaxaca,  11; 

Santa  Efigenia,  1  (type)  :  near  Tebauntepec,  2:  Tlapancingo,  1  :  near 

Totolapa,  8;  Yaganiza,  2. 
Puebla:   Acatlan,     1     (approaching     consobrinus)  :     Chalchicomula,     1; 

Piaxtla,  11;  Tehuacan,  3    (approaching  consobrinus). 


1000.1  MELANOPHKYS   GROUP — ZAMORAE.  187 

PEROMYSCUS  MELANOPHRYS  ZAMORAE  Osg >. 

Peromyscus  melanophrys  zamorae  Osgood,   Proc.   Biol.   Soc.   Wash.,   XVII,  pp. 
65-60,  Mar.  21.  1904. 

Type  locality. — Zamora,  Michoacan,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — South  central  Mexico  between  the  ranges 
of  melanophrys  and  consobrinus/  known  from  a  few  localities  in  the 

states  of  Hidalgo  and  Michoacan. 

diameters. — Similar  to  P.  melanophrys,  hut  averaging  slightly 
larger  and  darker;  a  large  tawny  pectoral  spot  present;  skull  com- 
paratively broad  and  heavy;  teeth  large. 

Color. — Similar  in  general  to  that  of  P.  melanophrys,  but  appar- 
ently somewhat  darker,  the  difference  in  this  respect  being  very 
slight  if  any.  Adults  with  a  broad  band  of  tawny  across  pectoral 
region  between  forelegs.  Upper  side  of  tail  more  nearly  black  than 
in  melanophrys. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  melanophrys,  but  slightly  larger  and 
heavier;  braincase  fuller  and  broader;  audital  bulla1  larger;  supra- 
orbital beads  less  trenchant  and  forming  ridges  rather  than  shelves 
anteriorly;  molar  teeth  larger:  other  characters  similar. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length.  2<>0 ;  tail  vertebrae,  141;  hind 
foot,  29.  Average  of  7  young  adult  topotypes:'  Total  length,  259; 
tail  vertebra,  114;  hind  foot,  28.4;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  20  (19-21). 

Type  specimen. — Xo.  120288  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  adult.  Jan.  20,  1903.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — All  adult  specimens  of  this  form  thus  far  examined 
have  the  tawny  pectoral  marking  highly  developed.  The  constancy 
of  this  character  may  be  doubted,  as  it  is  of  such  irregular  occurrence 
in  this  genus.  In  the  present  case,  while  not  diagnostic,  it  seems  to 
be  a  character  of  importance.  Of  76  specimens  of  melanophrys  and 
consobrinus,  only  4  have  pectoral  spots,  and  these  are  small  and  indis- 
tinct. Of  19  typical  specimens  of  zamora},  all  have  well-marked 
pectoral  spots  except  2  plumbeous  young,  which  have  only  traces. 

The  majority  of  the  series  from  Zamora  are  adolescents  and,  per- 
haps for  this  reason,  are  exceptionally  dark.  Even  those  that  have 
not  passed  beyond  the  plumbeous  juvenile  pelage  are  decidedly  darker 
than  comparable  specimens  of  typical  melanophrys.  Two  adults, 
however,  show  only  very  slightly  darker  shades  than  melanophrys. 
Specimens  from  Zimapan,  Hidalgo,  are  questionably  referred  to  this 
form,  but  in  cranial  characters  they  approach  consobrinus.  Four 
specimens  from  Querendaro  seem  to  be  typical  samoros. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  43,  from  localities  in  Mexico 

as  follows: 

Hidalgo:   Zimapan.  24   (aberrant). 
Michoacan:   Querendaro,  4:  Zamora,  15. 


188  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

PEROMYSGUS   MELANOPHRYS   CONSOBRINUS   Osgood. 

Pefomyscus  melanophrys  consoorinus  Osgood,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc,  Wash.,  XVII.  p. 
G(i,  March  21,  1904. 

Type  locality. — Berriozabal,  Zacatecas,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Southern  part  of  the  Mexican  table- 
land ;  Sonoran  zone  in  states  of  San  Luis  Potosi,  Jalisco,  Zacatecas, 
etc. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  melanophrys,  but  tail  slightly  shorter; 
skull  with  larger  audita]  bullae  and  other  slight  peculiarities. 

Color. — As  in  melanophrys.  Topotype  No.  58028,  in  full  winter 
pelage  (December)  :  Upperparts  and  sides  tawny  ochraceous,  thickly 
lined  with  black  to  the  edge  of  a  narrow  tawny  lateral  line;  orbital 
ring  black,  sharply  contrasting  with  a  grayish  area  about  it  which 
extends  from  the  base  of  the  whiskers  around  the  eye  to  the  anterior 
base  of  the  ear;  underparts  creamy  white  with  a  very  small  tawny 
pectoral  spot;  tail  bicolor,  white  below,  dusky  above;  feet  creamy 
white,  '  ankles '  dusky. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  melanophrys,  but  somewhat  shorter; 
nasals  shorter  and  slightly  broader;  audital  bullae  larger;  braincase 
more  bulging  and  less  elongate. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length,  250;  tail  vertebra1,  131;  hind 
foot,  26.5.  Average  of  5  adult  topotypes:  Total  length,  256;  tail  ver- 
tebra?, 135;  hind  foot,  27.5;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  19  (18-19.8). 

Type  specimen. — No.  79626  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  9  adult,  July  10, 1896.  E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A. 
Goldman. 

Remarks.— This  subspecies  is  not  strongly  marked,  but  its  char- 
acters, such  as  they  are,  have  great  constancy  throughout  its  range. 
It  is  apparently  the  form  of  the  Mexican  tableland,  but  its  distribu- 
tion may  be  continuous  with  that  of  zamorce  and  thence  with  true 
melanophrys.  Specimens  from  Zimapan,  Hidalgo,  appear  to  ap- 
proach consobrinus  in  cranial  characters  but  retain  the  coloration  of 
samorae. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  38,  from  localities  in  Mexico 
as  follows : 

Agaias  Calientes:   Chicalote,  1. 

Guanajuato:    Silao,  3. 

Jalisco:  Atemajac,  16  (aberrant)  ;  Colotlan,  1. 

San  Luis  Potosi:  Ahualulco,  1;  Hacienda  La  Parada,  3. 

Zacatecas:  Berriozabal,  12;  Monte  Escobedo,  1. 

PEROMYSCUS  XENURUS  Osgood. 

Pcromyscus  xenurus  Osgood,  Proc.  Biol.   Soc.  Wash.,  XVII,  P-  67,  March  21. 
1904. 

Type  locality. — Durango.  Durango,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Known  only  from  the  type  locality. 


1909.]  MELANOPHRYS   GROUT MEKISTURUS.  189 

Characters. — Similar  in  size  and  proportions  to  P.  melanophrys; 
ground  color  more  nearly  fawn  than  tawny ;  pectoral  spot  well  devel- 
oped;  tail  black,  except  a  narrow  ventral  line  of  white;  hind  feet 
clouded  with  dusky. 

( 'olor. — Type,  in  fresh  pelage  except  on  rump :  Ground  color  of 
upperparts  grayish  fawn  color,  gradually  becoming  more  grayish 
anteriorly,  so  that,  on  account  of  the  mixture  of  black  throughout. 
the  effect  from  the  middle  of  the  back  forward  passes  from  mixed 
fawn  color  through  drab  to  hair  brown;  the  rump,  which  is  still  in 
worn  pelage,  is  fawn  color;  lower  cheeks  bright  fawn  color  blending 
with  gray,  which  covers  most  of  the  face  from  the  base  of  the  ears 
forward  to  the  nose;  underparts  white  except  patch  of  bright  fawn 
color  extending  from  bases  of  forelegs  across  breast ;  hind  feet  clouded 
with  dusky  brown  to  base  of  toes,  which  are  creamy  white;  tail  black 
all  around  except  a  narrow  stripe  of  white  on  the  underside  occupy- 
ing scarcely  more  than  one-fifth  of  the  entire  surface  of  the  tail  except 
distally,  where  the  diameter  of  the  tail  being  very  slight,  it  nearly 
covers  the  underside. 

Skull. — Similar  in  general  to  that  of  P.  m.  ccmsobrinus ;  nasals 
noticeably  shorter;  anterior  palatine  foramina  shorter;  postpalatal 
notch  shorter  and  wider. 

Measurements. — The  type  and  1  adult  topotype,  respectively:  Total 
length  246,  248 ;  tail  vertebrae  142,  140;  hind  foot  28,  28. 

Type  specimen. — Xo.  04518  U.  S.  National  Museum.  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  9  adult.  July  1,  1898.  E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A. 
Goldman.    Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — This  species  is  easily  distinguished  from  any  other  of 
the  melanophrys  group  by  the  combination  of  large  pectoral  spot, 
dusky  hind  feet,  and  peculiar  tail,  with  only  a  narrow  line  of  white 
on  the  underside  instead  of  the  usual  equal  division  of  light  and  dark 
areas.  It  is  the  northernmost  form  of  the  melanophrys  group,  and  at 
present  is  known  only  by  two  specimens  from  one  locality,  so  doubt- 
less much  remains  to  be  learned  of  its  distribution.  Eventually  it 
may  be  found  to  intergrade  with  consobrinus  or  zamorae. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  2,  both  from  the  type  locality. 

PEROMYSCUS  MEKISTURI'S  Merriam. 

Peromyscus   melcisturus  Merriam,   Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XVII,  pp.  124-125, 
Apr.  30,  1898. 

Ti/pe  locality. — Chalchicomula,  Puebla,  Mexico.  Altitude  8,200 
feet. 

Geographic  distribution. — Known  only  from  the  type  locality. 

Characters. — Size  medium  (hind  foot  24)  ;  tail  very  long,  equaling 
three-fourths  of  total  length,  well  haired  and  indistinctly  bicolor: 
ears  of  moderate  size;  pelage  rather  full  and  thick,  similar  in  color 


190  NOETH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

and  general  character  to  that  of  the  melanophrys  type,  but  under- 
pays creamy  buff  without  any  white:  hind  feet  except  toes  chiefly 
dusky  brownish,  soles  naked,  at  least  medially;  skull  small  with  short 
nasals  and  unbended,  much  constricted  frontals. 

Colo)'. — Ground  color  of  upperparts  ochraceous  buff,  becoming 
paler  and  more  grayish  anteriorly  and  brighter  more  nearly  tawny 
posteriorly,  and  throughout  mixed  uniformly  with  dusky;  back 
without  any  definite  concentration  of  dusky,  but  essentially  like  sides; 
sides  of  face,  nose,  and  forehead  grayish;  end  of  nose  with  a  tiny 
nearly  white  tuft  of  hair  surmounting  rhinarium;  orbital  ring  and 
spot  at  base  of  whiskers  dusky;  underparts  cream  buff,  becoming 
paler,  almost  white  on  chin  and  throat;  fore  feet  creamy  white,  hind 
feet  dusky  brownish  except  on  toes  and  sides  of  feet ;  tail  dusky 
brownish  above,  mixed  brownish  and  whitish  below,  thus  being  very 
indistinctly  bicolor. 

Skull. — Size  small,  scarcely  as  large  as  that  of  grains;  braincase 
rather  long  relatively  to  rostral  part  of  skull,  which  appears  dispro- 
portionately short;  frontals  much  constricted  anteriorly;  supraorbital 
border  without  bead  or  shelf;  zygomata  squared  anteriorly,  some- 
what wider  posteriorly;  audital  bullae  moderate,  smaller  than  in 
gratus,  but  relatively  larger  than  in  most  other  species  of  similar 
size;  nasals  short,  flat,  slightly  cuneate,  and  but  little  depressed; 
interpterygoid  fossa  wide;  posterior  palatine  foramina  nearer  to  in- 
terptervgoid  fossa  than  to  anterior  palatine  foramina;  molar  teeth 
moderate,  upper  incisors  very  long. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length  249;  tail  vertebra?  155;  hind 
foot  24;  ear  from  notch  (dry)  18.4. 

Type  specimen. — No.  64108  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  9  adult.  March  16,  1894.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.     Specimen  in  excellent  condition. 

Remarks. — Although  this  species  is  distinct,  with  no  very  close 
allies,  it  is  evidently  more  nearly  related  to  melanophrys  and  sub- 
species than  to  any  others.  The  general  color,  the  character  of  the 
pelage,  and  the  very  long  coarsely-haired  tail  are  essentially  as  in 
melanophrys.  The  skull  also  bears  a  general  resemblance  to  that  of 
melanophrys,  but  is  so  much  smaller  that  comparison  is  difficult. 

Specimen  examined. — One.  the  type  only. 

PEROMYSCUS  LEPTURUS  Mebeiam. 

(PI.   IV,   fig.  12.) 

Peromyscus  lepturus  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash..  XII,  pp.  118-11!),  Apr. 
30,  1898. 

Type  locality. — Mount  Zempoaltepec.  Oaxaca,  Mexico. 
Geographic  distribution. — Known  only  from  the  type  locality. 
Characters. — Size  medium    (hind  foot  27)  ;  tail  about  as  long  as 
or  slightly  shorter  than  head  and  body,  rather  coarsely  haired,  evenly 


1909.]  LEPTURUS   GROUP LEPTURUS.  191 

bicolor  or  nearly  uniform  dusky  above  and  below;  color  dark;  pelage 
full,  long,  and  lax;  hind  feet  extensively  marked  with  dusky;  soles 
hairy  posteriorly.  Skull  with  rather  long  nasals,  constricted  and 
beadless  frontals,  large  interparietal,  and  relatively  large  teeth. 

Color. — General  effect  of  back  brownish  black,  lightly  mixed  with 
cinnamon;  sides,  shoulders,  and  head  cinnamon  to  russet,  mixed  with 
brownish  black,  producing  a  general  effect  approximating  the  bister 
of  Eidgway;  ears  thinly  clothed  with  soft  brown  hairs,  scarcely  or 
not  at  all  edged  with  paler;  tuft  of  soft  hairs  at  anterior  base  of  ear 
black;  broad  area  from  side  of  nose  through  base  of  whiskers  to  and 
around  eye  black  or  brownish  black;  underparts  creamy  white, 
usually  modified  to  bluish  gray  by  the  effect  of  the  slaty  basal  color 
of  the  hairs;  pectoral  region  sometimes  slightly  marked  with  russet  ; 
forearm  sooty  to  carpal  joint ;  forefeet  white ;  dusky  of  hind  leg  ex- 
tending over  tarsal  joint  and  over  the  upper  side  of  the  hind  foot 
two-thirds  of  the  distance  or  quite  to  the  base  of  the  toes;  toes  and 
sides  of  hind  feet  whitish;  tail  variable,  in  some  specimens  nearly 
evenly  bicolor.  blackish  above  and  white  below,  but  usually  more  or 
less  blackish  on  the  underside  near  the  base,  in  other  specimens  uni- 
form blackish  above  and  below. 

/Skull. — Similar  in  general  form  to  that  of  levipes;  size  slightly 
larger;  nasals  rather  long  and  palatine  slits  correspondingly  so;  zygo- 
mata slightly  compressed  anteriorly,  widest  posteriorly ;  frontals 
small  and  constricted,  not  beaded;  supraorbital  border  scarcely  even 
sharp-angled ;  interparietal  rather  large ;  superior  outline  of  skull 
nearly  flat  or  very  slightly  arched;  molar  teeth  relatively  large,  larger 
than  in  levipes  or  mexicanus,  but  relatively  about  the  same  size  as 
in  the  smaller  species  lophurus  and  simulatus;  audital  bullae  moderate, 
about  as  in  levipes. 

Measurements. — Average  of  7  topotypes:  Total  length  228  (218- 
238)  ;  tail  vertebra?  115  (112-119)  ;  hind  foot  27  (2G-28)  ;  ear  from 
notch  (dry)  17.3  (16.4-18.2). 

Type  specimen, — No.  68G12  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  adult.  July  8,  1894.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.    Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — This  species  is  the  largest  of  a  small  group  including 
also  lophurus  and  simulatus.  From  either  of  these  it  is  distinguish- 
able by  its  larger  size,  more  coarsely  haired  tail,  and  less  arched 
skull.  The  same  characters,  as  well  as  its  dark  color  and  other  pecul- 
iarities, serve  in  large  measure  to  distinguish  it  from  levipes,  aztecus, 
etc.  P.  m.  totontepeeus,  and  P.  melanoearpus,  also  found  on  Mount 
Zempoaltepec,  are  sometimes  similar  in  color  to  Upturns,  but  their 
larger  heavier  skulls  with  relatively  smaller  teeth  make  close  com- 
parison unnecessary. 


192  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  8,  from  localities  as  follows: 
Oaxaca:  Mount  Zempoaltepec  at  8,000  feet  altitude,  7 ;  Totontepec,  1. 

PBROMYSCUS  LOPHURUS  Osgood. 

(PI.   Ill,   fig.  6.) 

I'i •roiiu/scitx  h>i>hunis  Osgood,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XVII,  p.  72,  Mar.  21,  1904. 

Type  locality. — Todos  Santos.  Guatemala.    Altitude  8,500  feet. 

Geographic  distribution. — Highlands  of  the  State  of  Chiapas, 
Mexico,  and  of  western  Guatemala. 

Characters. — Most  similar  to  P.  lepturus,  but  smaller  and  paler; 
tail  long  and  covered  with  comparatively  long  soft  hairs,  and  termi- 
nating in  a  distinct  pencil;  pelage  soft  and  ;  woolly '  and  rather  dull 
and  lusterless;  skull  with  large  interparietal  and  short  nasals. 

Color. — Type:  General  effect  of  upperparts  between  wood  brown 
and  fawn  color,  with  a  small  dusky  area  in  middle  of  back;  lateral 
line  pale  ochraceous  buff;  underparts  white;  no  pectoral  spot:  tail 
sepia  brown,  unicolor;  forearm  dusky  to  wrist,  fore  feet  white; 
hind  feet  dusky  brownish  to  base  of  toes;  toes  white;  orbital  ring 
dusky  black,  rather  narrow,  but  expanded  into  a  distinct  spot  in 
front  of  eye. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  lepturus,  but  smaller  and  with  rostral 
part  decidedly  shorter;  molar  teeth  actually  about  same  size,  rela- 
tively larger;  interparietal  very  large.  Compared  to  that  of  P. 
levipes,  the  skull  of  lophurus  is  shorter,  with  shorter  nasals  and 
heavier  infraorbital  region:  the  teeth  are  decidedly  heavier  and 
longer  and  the  interparietal  larger. 

Measurements. — Average  of  4  adult  topotypes:  Total  length,  208; 
tail  vertebra^  105;  hind  foot  24.5;  ear  from  notch  (dry)  16. 

Type  specimen. — No.  77219  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  adult.  Dec.  30,  1895.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.    Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — This  very  distinct  species  is  easily  recognized  by  its 
penciled  tail  and  usually  by  the  absence  of  white  on  the  under  side  of 
the  tail.  All  the  specimens  from  Todos  Santos  have  unicolor  tails, 
but  2  from  Calel  are  quite  distinctly  bicolor,  and  among  4  from  San 
Cristobal,  2  have  unicolor  and  2  have  imperfectly  bicolor  tails,  indi- 
cating that  this  character  is  variable.  The  character  of  the  pelage 
differs  somewhat  from  most  of  the  smaller  species  of  Peromyscus  in 
being  dull  and  soft  without  the  usual  gloss,  and  although  rather 
short  it  is  fine  and  slightly  '  woolly.'  Its  close  allies  are  lepturus, 
which  is  larger  and  has  a  more  flattened  skull,  and  simulatus,  which 
is  decidedly  smaller. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  17,  from  localities  as  follows: 

Chiapas:   Piuabete,  5;  San  Cristobal,  4. 
Guatemala:   Calel,  2;  Todos  Santos,  6. 


l'MV.]  LEPTURl'S    GROUP — GUATEMALENSIS.  193 

PEBOMYSCUS   SIMULATUS  Osgood. 

(PI.  HI,  Qg.  7.) 

Peromyscus  simulatus  Osgood,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash..  XVII,  pp.  72-7:>,  Mar.  21, 
1904. 

Type  locality. — Near  Jico,  Veracruz,  Mexico.     Altitude  C>.000  feet. 

Geographic  distribution. — Known  only  from  the  type  locality. 

Characters. — A  miniature  of  P.  lophurus  (hind  foot  21);  dark 
markings  slightly  more  intense;  skull  and  teeth  very  small;  tail 
clothed  with  long,  soft  hairs  and  penciled  as  in  lophurus;  audital 
bullae  relatively  large. 

Color. — Almost  exactly  as  in  P.  lophurus;  dark  markings  of  feet 
and  face  slightly  more  intense ;  tail  chiefly  broAvn,  but  with  a  narrow 
line  of  white  on  under  side. 

Skull. — Size  very  small;  similar  in  general  to  that  of  P.  lophurus, 
but  with  more  inflated  braincase  and  depressed  rostrum;  audital 
bulla'  relatively  larger;  interorbital  constriction  relatively  wider; 
teeth  very  small. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length  169;  tail  vertebra?  87;  hind 
foot  21;  ear  from  notch  (dry)  14.3. 

Type  specimen. — No.  55028  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  2  adult.  July  12,  1893.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.    Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — This  small  species  is  not  closely  related  to  any  known 
species  except  P.  lophurus,  of  which  it  is  almost  an  exact  miniature. 
Its  skull  is  even  smaller  than  that  of  P.  melanotis,  which  occurs  in 
the  same  region.  It  has,  however,  no  relationship  whatever  to 
melanotis.  Its  small  size,  crested  tail,  and  dark  brown  feet  amply 
suffice  to  distinguish  it  from  all  other  known  species.  A  single 
specimen  (No.  51177)  from  Tlalpam,  Valley  of  Mexico,  ma}^  repre- 
sent an  undescribed  subspecies  of  simulatus.  It  is  quite  immature, 
but  seems  to  differ  from  simulatus  in  paler  color,  with  the  tail  bicolor 
and  the  hind  feet  more  extensively  white.  The  skull,  though  imma- 
ture, agrees  fairly  well  with  adults  of  simulatus. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  2,  both  from  the  type  locality. 

PEBOMYSCUS  GUATEMALENSIS  Mebbiam. 

(PI.  V.  ti«.  2.) 

Peromyscus  guatemalensis  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc  Wash.,  XII.  p.  lis.  Apr. 
30,  189S. 
Type  A'rr///7//.— Todos  Santos,  Guatemala.     Altitude  10.000  feet. 
Geographic   distribution. — High   altitudes   in   western   Guatemala 
and  southern  Chiapas.      (See  fig.  5,  p.  1(31.) 
CU26S— No.  28— UU 13 


194  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.   28. 

Characters. — Size  about  as  in  megalops,  larger  than  mexicanus  or 
furvus,  but  smaller  than  zarhynchus;  tail  longer  than  head  and 
body,  scantily  haired,  usually  evenly  bicolor,  but  sometimes  irregu- 
larly blotchy  below  or  rarely  uniform  dusky;  pelage  very  long  and 
lax;  color  very  dark;  skull  with  frontals  constricted  and  without 
definite  supraorbital  bead. 

( 'oloi: — Unworn  pelage :  Upperparts  chiefly  pale  cinnamon  rufous, 
liberally  mixed  with  dusky,  the  latter  considerably  concentrated  on 
dorsum,  forming  an  ill-defined  stripe  from  shoulders  to  base  of  tail; 
general  effect  of  sides  russet,  becoming  Prout  brown  and  nearly  black 
toward  middle  of  back;  lateral  line  scarcely  differentiated;  a  broad 
area  from  base  of  whiskers  to  and  around  eye  and  nearly  to  base  of 
ear  very  dark,  nearly  pure  black;  tuft  of  soft  hairs  at  anterior  base 
of  ear  also  nearly  black;  tip  of  nose  grayish  white;  ears  brownish, 
very  lightly  margined  with  whitish ;  underparts  buffy  white,  consid- 
erably modified  by  slaty  under  color;  pectoral  and  axillary  regions 
usually  broadl}T  cinnamon  rufous;  entire  underparts,  except  chin  and 
throat,  sometimes  suffused  with  cinnamon  rufous;  fore  feet  white; 
forearm  brownish  black  nearly  to  carpal  joint ;  hind  feet  chiefly  white, 
tarsal  joint  dusky  brownish,  this  often  extending  over  median  upper 
side  of  hind  foot  halfway  to  base  of  toes;  tail  usually  bicolor,  under- 
side frequently  irregularly  blotched,  dusky  and  yellowish;  entire  tail 
occasionally  dusky.  Worn  pelage :  General  effect  of  upperparts 
russet  to  Mars  brown  and  Prout  brown;  subterminal  zone  of  color 
very  narrow,  allowing  much  of  the  slaty  under  color  to  appear; 
underparts  buffy  white,  much  modified  by  slaty. 

/Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  mexicanus  but  larger  and  broader  with 
larger  teeth  and  audital  bulla?;  nasals  quite  elongate;  frontals  con- 
stricted and  slightly  sharp-angled  but  not  distinctly  beaded ;  brain- 
case  rather  large  and  full,  decidedly  broader  than  in  mexicanus. 
Size,  audital  bulla?,  and  teeth  about  as  in  auritus,  but  frontals  more 
constricted  and  without  supraorbital  bead. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes:  Total  length  267 
(252-290)  ;  tail  vertebra?  138  (132-153)  ;  hind  foot  30.7  (30-32)  ;  ear 
from  notch  (dry)  20.6  (20-21.5). 

Type  specimen. — No.  76861  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological  Sur- 
vey Collection.  $  adult.  Dec.  31,  1895.  E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A. 
Goldman.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — P.  guatemalensis  appears  to  be  most  closely  related  to 
P.  furvus  and  P.  nndipes,  both  of  which  are  somewhat  smaller.  It 
may  be  distinguished  from  megalops  and  auritus  by  its  dark  color, 
'  woolly  '  pelage,  and  unbeaded  skull.  From  all  other  species,  its  size 
distinguishes  it.  It  averages  slightly  larger  than  auritus  and  occa- 
sionally attains  the  size  of  smaller  individuals  of  sarhynchus.  There 
is  some  cranial  variation  in  the  comparatively  small  series  examined. 


1909.]  LEPTURUS    GROUP NUDIPES.  195 

Specimens  from  Pinabete  arc  rather  robust  and  their  skulls  have  un- 
usually heavy  rostrums.  Others  from  Volcan  Santa  Maria  have  rela- 
tively large  teeth.  The  relationship  of  guatemalensis  to  the  smaller 
and  more  uniformly  black-tailed  species  nudipes  is  not  remote,  and 
it  is  quite  possible  that  intergradation  between  them  may  be  found 
when  specimens  from  the  mountains  of  Nicaragua  are  obtained. 
Specimens  examined. — Total  number  59,  from  localities  as  follows: 

Chiapas:   Pinabete,  8;  Volcan  de  Tacama,  1. 

Guatemala:   Calel,  21  :  Todos  Santos.  8;   Volcan  Santa   Maria.  11;  Zunil, 
10. 

PEROMYSCUS  NUDIPES   (Allen). 

Hesperomys    (Vesperimus?)    nudipes  Allen,   Bull.  Am.   Mus.   Nat.   Hist.,   N.   V., 

III.   pi).  213-214,  Apr.   17,   1891. 
Peromyscus  nudipes  Thomas,  Ann.  &  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  ser.  <>,  XIV,  p.  365,  Nov., 

1894. 
Peromyscus  cacabatus  Bangs,  Bull.  Mas.  Comp.  Zool.,  XXXIX,  pp.  29-30,  figs. 

8-10,  Apr.,   1S92. 
Peromyscus  nudipes  Allen,  supra  tit.,  XX,  pp.  67-68,  Feb.  29,  1904. 

Type  locality. — La   Carpintera,  Costa  Rica. 

Geographic  distribution. — Mountains  of  central  Costa  Rica  and 
thence  south  to  Chiriqui. 

Characters. — Similar  in  general  to  guatemalensis  but  slightly 
smaller;  slightly  larger  than  mexicanus;  color  very  dark;  pelage  full 
and  soft ;  ears  relatively  small,  nearly  naked ;  tail  scaly  with  very  short 
hairs,  nearly  imicolor;  soles  of  hind  feet  narrowly  naked  medially; 
skull  similar  to  that  of  guatemalensis  but  averaging  smaller  and 
narrower. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  Much  as  in  guatemalensis^  but  more  ful- 
vous; sides  chiefly  russet  to  Mars  brown,  quite  in  contrast  to  back, 
which  is  much  more  mixed  with  dusky,  forming  a  broad  blackish 
brown  area  from  shoulders  to  base  of  tail ;  lateral  line  dark  ochraceous 
buff,  slightly  contrasted  with  upper  sides;  underparts  yellowish  white 
with  a  broad  pectoral  spot  of  ochraceous  buff,  this  sometimes  quite 
produced  posteriorly  or  even  suffusing  entire  underparts  except 
chin  and  throat;  fore  feet  white,  forearm  dusky  nearly  to  wrist;  hind 
feet  white  usually  with  the  broad  dusky  brownish  marking  on  tarsal 
joint  extended  on  upper  side  of  foot  about  halfway  to  base  of  toes; 
tail  usually  unicolor  brownish  black,  but  occasionally  with  the  scaly 
part  of  the  under  side  slightly  blotched  with  yellowish  white. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  guatemalensis  but  slightly  smaller; 
braincase  narrower:  nasals  slightly  broader;  audital  bullse  smaller; 
supraorbital  border  occasionally  with  a  faint  suggestion  of  a  bead 
near  fronto-parietal  suture;  palatine  slits  widely  open;  zygomata 
slightly  or  scarcely  at  all  notched  anteriorly;  quite  similar  to  that  of 
mexicanus  but  teeth  decidedly  larger. 


196  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Measurements. — Average  of  6  adults  from  Volcan  Irazu,  Costa 
Rica:  Total  length, 261  (250-280)  ;  tail  vertebrae,  130  (121-135)  ;  hind 
foot,  28.6  (26-30)  ;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  19.1  (18.1-19.1). 

Type  specimen. — No.  ffff  American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
New  York.  9  adult.  October,  1890.  George  K.  Cherrie.  Speci- 
men in  alcohol  except  skull,  which  has  been  removed  and  numbered. 
It  bears  a  recent  type  label  and  an  old  label  the  data  on  which  are 
illegible.  The  skull  is  broken  across  the  frontals  into  two  parts,  but 
most  of  the  parts  important  for  comparison  are  present. 

Bernards. — In  some  ways  this  species  may  be  said  to  be  intermediate 
between  guatemalensis  and  mexicanus.  The  most  obvious  character 
distinguishing  it  from  both  of  these  is  its  uniformly  blackish  tail. 
Occasional  specimens  show  traces  of  white  on  the  under  side  of  the 
tail,  and  the  known  variability  of  this  character  in  other  species  makes 
it  not  altogether  reliable.  The  skull  of  nudipes  is  slightly  smaller 
than  that  of  guatemalensis  but  otherwise  agrees  very  closely.  It  is 
about  the  size  and  often  nearly  the  form  of  that  of  mexicanus,  but 
usually  there  is  less  suggestion  of  supraorbital  bead  and  the  teeth  are 
larger. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  131,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows : 

Chiriqui:   Boquete,  89. 

Costa  Rica:   Azala,  Cartago,  1;  Carpintera,  1;  El  Coronet  de  Carrillo,  4; 

near  Jiminez,  1  ;  Juan  Vinos,  4 ;  La  Estrella,  Cartago,  1 ;  near  Sau 

Jose,  1  ;  Volcan  Irazu,  29. 

PEROMYSCUS  FURVUS  Allen  and  Chapman. 
(PI.  V,  fig.  7.) 

Peromyscus  furvus  Allen  and  Chapman,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  IX, 
pp.  201-203,  June  16,  1897. 

Type  locality. — Jalapa,  Veracruz,  Mexico.     Altitude  4,100  feet. 

Geographic  distribution. — Known  from  a  few  localities  in  humid 
tropical  parts  of  northern  Veracruz  and  Puebla.     (See  fig.  5,  p.  161.) 

Characters.— Size  slightly  larger  than  in  mexicanus  (hind  foot 
29-32)  but  smaller  than  in  guatemalensis;  color  very  dark;  ears 
relatively  small,  nearly  naked;  tail  slightly  longer  than  head  and 
body,  very  thinly  haired,  blackish  all  around  or  with  slight  irregular 
light  markings  on  scaly  part  of  under  side;  soles  of  hind  feet  naked 
medially  to  calcaneum;  skull  in  adult  with  nasals  widely  expanded 
anteriorly. 

Color. — Slightly  worn  pelage:  General  effect  of  upperparts  dark 
mummy  brown,  more  blackish  on  dorsum  and  more  russet  on  sides, 
hut  dorsal  area  not  well  defined;  a  slight  suggestion  of  a  lateral  line 
russet;  sides  of  face  brownish  sepia  and  blackish,  the  blackish  sur- 
rounding the  eye  and  dominating  the  area   from  the  base  of  the 


1000.]  LEPTURUS  GROUP — ALTILANEUS.  197 

whiskers  to  the  base  of  the  ear;  underparts  including  pectoral  region 
grayish  white  considerably  modified  by  slaty  undercolor;  forearm 
blackish  brown  nearly  to  carpal  joint;  fore  feet  white:  hind  feet 
white  with  a  broad  blackish  brown  marking  on  tarsal  joint,  this  oc- 
casionally extended  for  some  distance  on  upper  side  of  hind  foot :  tail 
unicolor,  blackish  all  around,  or  irregularly  bicolor,  the  scaly  part  of 
the  underside  being  somewhat  blotched  with  yellowish  white.  Un- 
worn pelage?  (No.  108540)  :  General  effect  of  sides  brownish  sepia  ; 
middle  of  back  nearly  pure  black,  lightly  sprinkled  with  brownish. 

Skull. — Size  slightly  larger  than  in  mexicanus,  smaller  than  in 
guatemalensis ;  frontals  quite  constricted  and  without  any  bead 
though  the  posterior  part  of  the  supraorbital  border  may  be  slightly 
sharp-angled ;  zygomata  slightly  or  not  at  all  notched  anteriorly ; 
teeth  and  audital  bulla?  moderate,  slightly  larger  than  in  mexicanus 
and  relatively  about  same  size  as  in  guatemalensis;  nasals  long,  com- 
pressed posteriorly  and  exceeding  ascending  branches  of  premaxilhe, 
greatly  expanded  in  adults  anteriorly;  premaxilhe  correspondingly 
expanded  anteriorly. 

Measurements. — Average  of  14  topotypes  (males)  :  Total  length. 
2G3  (248-282)  ;  tail  vertebra?,  131  (123-145)  ;  hind  foot,  27.9  (26-29)  ; 
ear,  21.9  (20-23).  Of  an  adult  from  Huachinango,  Puebla :  267; 
142;  32. 

Type  specimen.— No.  VoW/  American  Museum  of  Natural  His- 
tory, New  York.  $  adult.  Apr.  2,  1897.  F.  M.  Chapman.  Speci- 
men in  good  condition ;  tip  of  tail  very  slightly  injured. 

Re  marls. —The  widely  expanded  '  bell-shaped  '  nasals  of  this  spe- 
cies are  quite  diagnostic,  but  do  not  develop  until  the  animal  is 
thoroughly  mature.  Even  in  young  specimens,  however,  the  nasals 
are  decidedly  cuneate  posteriorly,  and  this  in  connection  with  the 
absence  of  any  suggestion  of  a  supraorbital  bead  and  the  very  dark 
color  of  the  pelage  suffices  to  distinguish  specimens  of  any  age.  The 
closest  affinities  of  furvus  seem  to  be  with  guatt  malt ensis,  although, 
save  for  its  very  dark  color,  it  has  much  the  general  appearance  of 
mexicanus. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  32,  from  localities,  as  follows: 

Puebla:  Huachinango,  2. 
Veracruz:   Jalapa,  2S;  Jico,  2. 

PEROMYSCUS   ALTILANEUS   Osgood. 

Peromyscus  altilaneus  Osgood,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.   Wash.,  XVII,  pp.  74.  7.">,  'Slav. 
21,  1904. 

Type  locality.— Todos  Santos,  Guatemala.    Altitude  10,000  feet. 
Geographic  distribution. — Known  only  from  the  type  locality. 
Characters. — Similar  to  P.   melanocarpus,  but   smaller  and    with 
shorter  and  less  hairy  tail;  fore  feet  entirely  white;  hind  feet  with 


198  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

much  more  white  than  in  rrielanocarpus ;  skull  slightly  smaller  and 
more  slender;  similar  to  that  of  guatemalensis  bui  much  smaller. 

Co/or. — Very  dark  as  in  melanoearpus,  bui  tail  blotched  with  yel- 
lowish white  below,  much  as  in  mexicanus  ;  fore  feet  and  part  of 
forearm  white;  hind  foot  with  a  V-shaped  dusky  mark  extending 
about  halfway  to  the  base  of  the  toes,  remainder  of  foot  white;  pec- 
toral spot  strongly  developed. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  melanoearpus,  but  slightly  smaller 
throughout;  nasals  relatively  more  expanded  anteriorly;  braincase 
slightly  higher  and  more  inflated  and  rostral  region  more  depressed; 
anterior  palatine  foramina  shorter;  infraorbital  plate  very  narrow; 
supraorbital  bead  slight;  very  similar  to  that  of  guatemalensis  but 
decidedly  smaller;  similar  to  that  of  mexicanus,  but  smaller  with  a 
more  depressed  rostrum  and  a  narrower  infraorbital  lamina. 

Measurements.— -Type:  Total  length,  228;  tail  vertebrae,  115;  hind 
foot,  28;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  20.6. 

Type  specimen. — No.  70856  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  adult.  Dec.  30,  1895.  E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A. 
Goldman.    Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — This  species  is  about  the  size  of  melanocarpus  and  is 
similar  also  in  color  except  in  extent  of  dusky  on  the  feet.  How- 
ever, a  close  study  of  the  skulls  seems  to  indicate  that  melano- 
carpus is  most  closely  related  to  megalops,  while  altilaneus  is  more 
similar  to  guatemalensis  and  mexicanus.  In  fact,  scarcely  any  char- 
acter can  be  found  distinguishing  it  from  guatemalensis  except  that 
of  size.  The  type  skull,  that  of  an  adult  male,  is  so  much  smaller 
throughout  than  in  typical  guatemalensis  that  it  seems  hardly  pos- 
sible that  it  is  merely  an  abnormally  small  individual  of  that  species. 
The  color  and  character  of  the  pelage,  however,  are  exactly  as  in 
guatemalensis, 

Specimen  era  mined. — One,  the  type. 

Key  to  subspecies  of  Peromyscus  mexicanus. 

Size  smaller;  hind  foot  23-24.     Parts  of  Chiapas  and  Guatemala P.  m.  gymnotis 

Si/.!'  larger;  hind  foot  26-29. 

Size    very    large;    total    length    244-268;    hind    foot    usually    more    than    28;    color 

usually  very  dark /'.  in.  totontepeeus 

Size  smaller;  total  length  233-258;  hind  foot  usually  not  more  than  28. 

Color  darker;  rostrum  and  nasals  heavier.     Tabasco P.  m.  teapensis 

Color  not  so  dark  ;  l-ostrum  and  nasals  not  so  heavy. 

Audital  bullae  averaging  larger.     Chiapas,  Guatemala,  and  Nicaragua. 

P.   m.  8(i. r a  tilts 

Audital    bullae   averaging  smaller.      Chiapas   to   northern   Puebla. 

P.  mexicanus 
PP:ROMYSCT'S  MEXICANUS    (Saussure). 

(PI.  V,  fig.  8;  PI.  VII,  fig.  6.) 

Hespcromys  mexicanus  Saussure,  Rev.  et  Mag.  de  Zool.,  Paris,  XII,  pp.  103- 

105,  pi.  IX,  figs.  1,  la,  Mar.,  18G0. 
Pleromyscus]  mexicanus  Thomas,  Ann.  &  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  ser.  6.  XIV,  p.  364, 

Nov.,  1894. 


1000.1  MEXICANUS   GROUP — MEXICANUS.  199 

Peromyscus  tehuantepecus  Mefriam,  Proc.   Biol.  Soc.   Wash.,  XII,  p.   iL'i!.  Apr. 
30,  1S9S. — Tehuantepec,  Oaxaca. 

Type  locality. — Mexico;  assumed  to  be  the  vicinity  of  Mirador, 
Veracruz." 

Geographic  distribution. — Tropical  parts  of  eastern  and  southern 
Mexico  from  northern  Puebla  southward  to  southern  Veracruz  and 
thence  south  and  east  to  southern  Oaxaca  and  northern  Chiapas. 

Characters. — Size  medium,  about  as  in  oa.racensis,  decidedly 
smaller  than  in  megalops  and  guatemalensis ;  tail  slightly  longer  than 
head  and  body,  rather  coarsely  annulated  (about  IT  angulations  per 
cm.)  and  clothed  with  very  short  scarcely  obvious  hairs;  tail  seldom 
evenly  bicolor  but  usually  blotched  irregularly  on  the  underside  with 
yellowish  white;  ears  moderate,  very  thinly  haired;  proximal  fourth 
of  sole  of  hind  foot  usually  hairy;  pelage  soft  but  rather  short;  skull 
with  relatively  small  molars  and  audital  bullae. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage :  Upperparts  cinnamon  rufous  mixed  with 
dusky;  middle  of  back  darker  than  sides,  but  dusky  chiefly  disposed 
in  fine  lines  and  alwa}Ts  somewhat  mixed  with  rufescent ;  general 
effect  of  sides  from  cheeks  to  flanks  bright  russet;  top  of  head  and 
shoulders  like  back  or  slightly  paler;  spot  at  base  of  whiskers  and 
broad  orbital  ring  blackish  brown ;  underparts  creamy  white,  with  or 
without  a  cinnamon  rufous  pectoral  marking;  ears  dusky  brownish 
faintly  edged  with  whitish;  fore  feet  and  carpal  joints  white; 
proximal  half  of  forearm  dusky  overlaid  by  rufescent ;  hind  feet 
white,  tarsal  joints  broadly  dusky  brownish;  hairs  of  tail  dusky 
above,  dull  white  below;  scaly  part  of  tail  dusky  above,  chiefly  yel- 
lowish below,  irregularly  blotched  with  dusky. 

Worn  pelage:  Upperparts  varying  from  ochraceous  buff  to  tawny 
mixed  with  darker;  general  effect  varying  from  dark  clay  color  to 
russet ;  middle  of  back  usually  much  like  sides,  sometimes  darker, 
approaching  Mars  brown  and  Prout  brown;  dusky  facial  markings 
much  reduced  in  area ;  underparts  variously  modified  by  slaty  under- 
color. 

Adolescent  pelage :  Upperparts  and  sides  pale  cinnamon  fawn,  uni- 
formly mixed  with  dusky,  producing  a  general  effect  varying  from 

°  The  original  description  states  that  this  species  "  Hahite  les  menies  regfons 
que  les  precedents."  "Les  precedents"  are  H.  toltecus  (=  Sigmodon  toltecus) 
and  H.  fulvescens  (=  Oryzomys  fulvescens),  the  first  of  which  "  Habite  la  Cor- 
diliere  de  la  province  de  Vex-a-Cruz,"  and  the  second  "Habite  le  Mexique." 
The  description  following  that  of  mexicanus  is  that  of  H.  aztecus  (=  Peromys- 
cus aztecus),  which  is  said  to  inhabit  the  "  Meme  patrie  que  les  precedents." 
It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  Saussure  did  not  intend  to  make  any  fine  distinc- 
tions as  to  locality,  but  wished  to  indicate  merely  that  all  his  material  came 
from  eastern  Mexico.  We  are  justified,  then,  in  assuming  that  mexicanus 
probably  came  from  the  vicinity  of  Mirador,  Veracruz,  as  Saussure  is  known 
to  have  stopped  near  there  at  the  Sartorius  ranch. 


200  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

wood  brown  to  broccoli  brown;-  a  narrow  lateral  line  of  dark  ochra- 
ceous  buff  usually  evident ;  dusky  orbital  ring  narrow,  and  surround- 
ing part  of  face  slightly  grayish. 

Young  in  lirst  coat:  Upperparts  nearly  uniform  mouse  gray,  some- 
times paler;  nearly  smoke  gray  on  sides  and  shoulders;  and  darker, 
nearly  brownish  slate  gray,  on  dorsum. 

Skull. — Size  medium,  smaller  than  in  megalops  and  gnat  em  ale  mis, 
about  equal  to  or  slightly  larger  than  in  oaxacensis  and  hylo- 
eetes;  rostrum  and  nasals  moderately  long;  braincase  usually  full 
and  deep  but  not  very  wide;  frontals  rather  narrow,  supraorbital 
borders  sharp-angled,  often  with  a  slight  bead,  this  usually  confined 
to  the  vicinity  of  the  fronto-p.crietal  suture;  interparietal  large; 
zygoma  strong,  usually  becoming  decidedly  notched  anteriorly  in 
adults ;  molar  teeth  and  audital  bullae  relatively  very  small ;  inter- 
pterygoid  fossa  extending  anteriorly  a  trifle  beyond  plane  of  last 
molar. 

Measurements. — Average  of  four  adults  from  Mirador,  Vera- 
cruz: Total  length,  246  (235-254);  tail  vertebra?,  128  (118-133); 
hind  foot,  2G.6  (26-27);  ear  from  notch  (dry),  19  (17.7-20.5).  Of 
four  adults  from  Tehuantepec,  Oaxaca  :  248.5 ;  127 ;  27. 

Type  specimen. — In  the  original  description  of  this  species,  Saus- 
sure  specifically  mentions  two  specimens  and  gives  their  measure- 
ments. One  of  these  is  mounted  in  the  Geneva  Museum  and  was  ex- 
amined some  years  ago  by  Doctor  Merriam,  who  made  the  following 
notes  on  it  and  has  kindly  allowed  their  use  in  the  present  publica- 
tion : 

"No.  V50  "  (marked  also  in  pencil  "No.  3")  Mexico.  Evidently  the  type  of 
Saussure's  description  and  the  specimen  whose  measurements  he  gave  in  the 
first  column  (p.  104).  Size  large;  ears  large;  tail  long  and  scant  haired,  not 
distinctly  bicolor.  Hind  foot  26.  Ear  from  crown  15.  Tail  10G  in  the  mounted 
specimen,  the  extreme  tip  broken  off.  Whiskers  long,  reaching  shoulder. 
Texture  of  pelage  having  a  velvety  appearance  somewhat  resembling  that  of 
Didelphis  murina.  Color:  Upperparts  dark  brown,  palest  on  the  flanks  and 
cheeks,  which  parts  are  washed  with  pale  ochraceous  buff.  Viewed  from  behind 
the  dark  brown  of  the  back  and  shoulders  seems  lighter  and  has  something  of 
a  hoary  appearance.  Just  in  front  of  the  forelegs  a  faint  fulvous  wash  ex- 
tends over  the  sides  of  the  breast.  It  is  probable  that  the  colors  have  under- 
gone some  change  from  museum  exposure.  Ankles  in  front  and  on  outside  dark 
brown,  this  color  extending  out  on  the  upper  surface  of  the  feet  more  than  half 
way  to  the  toes ;  rest  of  hind  feet  and  toes  white.  Fore  feet  and  wrists  white, 
the  brown  color  of  the  leg  ending  abruptly  about  2  mm.  above  the  wrist  in  front 
on  the  inner  side,  and  6  mm.  above  on  the  outer  side.  There  is  a  little  rusty 
about  the  nose. 

The  skull  of  this  specimen  was  not  submitted  to  Doctor  Merriam 
with  Saussure's  material,  but  it  may  be  preserved  still  in  the  Geneva 
Museum,  and  possibly  it  is  the  one  of  which  the  teeth  were  figured 
with  the  original  description. 


1909.]  MEXICANUS   GROUP MEXICANUS.  201 

Remarks. — P.  mexicanus  and  its  subspecies  are  readily  distinguish- 
able from  nearly  all  other  species  by  the  character  of  the  tail,  which 
is  very  irregularly  bicolor  and  with  the  scaly  annulations  scarcely  at 
all  concealed  by  hair.  Certain  larger  species,  as  guatemalensis,  sonic- 
times  have  irregularly  blotched  tails,  but  their  size  precludes  the 
possibility  of  their  being  confused  with  mexicanus.  The  tail  is  not 
always  evenly  bicolor  in  banderanus  and  yucatanicus,  but  these  forms 
are  well  characterized  otherwise,  banderanus  by  its  beaded  skull  and 
yucatanicus  by  its  small  size.  The  subspecies  of  mexicanus  are  very 
slightly  characterized  and  perhaps  but  recently  developed  from  a 
common  stock.  They  can  not  consistently  be  '  lumped,'  but  it  must  be 
said  that  there  is  much  variation  throughout  the  group  and  that  none 
of  the  characters  of  the  several  subspecies  are  absolutely  constant. 
Certain  average  characters,  however,  are  to  be  found,  and  certain  ex- 
tremes of  differentiation  are  fairly  marked.  The  variation  in  cranial 
characters  is  very  great,  and  every  considerable  series  examined  has 
shown  some  deviations  from  the  general  type.  It  is  difficult  to  asso- 
ciate any  two  series  on  the  basis  of  common  peculiarities.  In  view  of 
this  variation  it  does  not  seem  possible  to  recognize  a  form  under  the 
name  '  tehuante peats.''  The  small  series  from  Tehuantepec  are  chiefly 
in  worn  pelage  and  in  color  do  not  differ  from  similarly  worn  speci- 
mens from  localities  in  Veracruz  near  the  type  locality  of  mexicanus. 
Although  the  interparietal  averages  large  in  the  few  skulls  from 
Tehuantepec,  it  does  not  seem  to  be  a  subspecific  character,  for  equally 
large  interparietals  may  be  found  in  almost  any  series;  in  fact,  the 
most  nearly  perfect  skull  from  Mirador,  the  type  locality  of  mexi- 
canus, has  the  interparietal  slightly  larger  than  that  of  the  type  of 
'  tehuantepecus.1  In  regard  to  color  there  is  also  much  variation, 
perhaps  of  an  '  ontogenetic '  nature.  Specimens  from  more  humid 
localities  are  usually  darker  than  those  from  more  arid  parts,  but  this 
does  not  seem  to  be  correlated  with  definite  areas.  It  is  even  conceiv- 
able that  unusual  darkness  of  color  may  be  produced  by  an  unusually 
wet  season  in  a  normally  arid  region. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  182,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows: 

Chiapas:  Mountains  near  Tonala,  8;  Ocozucuautla,  4;  Ocuilapa,  2;  Val- 
ley of  Jiquipilas,  4. 

Oaxaca:  Agua  Frio,  7;  Lagunas,  3;  near  Tehuantepec,  5;  Santa  Eflgenia, 
13. 

Puebla:   Metlaltoyuca,  7. 

Veracruz:  Achotal,  19;  Carrizal,  9;  Catemaco,  5;  Jieo,  12;  Lagunas,  6; 
Mirador,  4;  Otatitlan,  4;  Papantla,  13;  Pasa  Nueva,  8;  San  Andres 
Tuxtla,  4;  San  Carlos,  12;  Santiago  Tuxtla,  9;  Teoeelo,  2  (approach- 
ing totontepecus)  ;  Texolo,  16;  Volcan  Tuxtla,  0  (approaching 
totontepecusl). 


202  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

PEROMYSCUS    MEXICANUS   TOTONTEPEOUS    Merriam. 

Peromyscu>8  mexicanus  totontepecus  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XII,  pp. 

120-121,  Apr.  30,  1898. 
Peromyscus   mexicanus   orizabae   Merriam,   supra  cit.,   pp.   121-122. — Orizaba, 

Veracruz,  Mexico. 

Type  locality. — Totontepec,  Oaxaca,  Mexico.     Altitude,  6,000  feet. 

Geographic  distribution. — Western  Veracruz  and  east  central 
Oaxaca  west  of  the  range  of  P.  mexicanus. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  mexicanus,  but  larger  and  averaging 
decidedly  darker;  skull  larger  and  molar  teeth  heavier. 

Color. — Similar  to  that  of  mexicanus,  but  darker  throughout;  gen- 
eral effect  of  back  Prout  brown  nearly  to  black;  general  effect  of 
sides  cinnamon  rufous  to  chestnut ;  dusky  markings  accentuated, 
those  on  the  tarsal  joints  extending  from  one-third  to  one-half  the 
length  of  the  upper  side  of  the  hind  foot;  pectoral  spot  more  fre- 
quently and  more  extensively  developed  than  in  mexicanus,'  entire 
underparts  often  suffused  with  rufescent. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  mexicanus,  but  averaging  larger;  molar 
teeth  larger  and  broader. 

Measurements. — Average  of  5  adult  topotypes:  Total  length,  257 
(244-208)  ;  tail  vertebra?,  131  (124-136)  ;  hind  foot,  28.2  (28-29)  ; 
ear  from  notch  (dry),  16.9  (16-17.8).  Average  of  10  adults  from 
Orizaba,  Veracruz:  254   (238-269);   134   (122-142);  28.6   (28-29.5). 

Type  specimen. — No.  68624  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  9  adult.  July  16,  1894.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.  Specimen  in  good  condition;  skull  with  slightly 
broken  basioccipital. 

Remarks. — This  form  is  distinguished  from  mexicanus  and  the 
others  of  the  group  chiefly  by  its  large  size.  It  is  also  very  dark 
colored,  but  is  nearly  equaled  in  this  respect  by  teapensis,  though 
quite  decidedly  darker  than  mexicanus  or  saxalilis.  Skulls  from 
Totontepec  do  not  show  such  heavy  and  deeply  notched  zygomata  as 
those  from  Orizaba,  but  after  considering  the  entire  mexicanus  group, 
it  appears  that  this  and  other  peculiarities  found  in  small  series  from 
various  localities  are  due  to  age  or  individual  variation.  The  dark 
color,  large  size,  heavy  skull,  and  relatively  broad  molars  seem  to  be 
the  only  characters  common  to  series  from  more  than  one  locality, 
and  therefore  the  series  with  these  associated  characters  have  been 
recognized  under  the  name  totontepecus  without  regard  to  the  pecul- 
iarities of  individual  series  which  are  not  constant  and  are  found 
sporadically  throughout  the  group.  The  apparent  tendency  of  the 
series  from  Orizaba  to  heavy  notched  zygomata  may  be  indication 
of  a  leaning  towards  mexicanus,  for  the  best  available  adult  skull  of 
typical  mexicanus  from  Mirador  shows  exactly  this  type  of  zygoma. 
It  is  strange  that  these  Orizaba  specimens  should  differ  at  all  from 


1000.1  MEXICANUS   GROUP SAXATILIS.  203 

those  of  mexicanus,  for  the  locality  is  on  the  same  mountain  slope  but 
a  short  distance  from  Mirador. 
Specimens  examined. — Total  number  71,  from  localities  as  follows: 

Oaxaca:   Choapam,  1  :  "  Comaltepec,  2;   Guichicovi,  8;a  mountains  near 

Santo  Domingo,  0;  "  Santo  Domingo,  13;  a  Totontepec,  10. 
Veracruz:   Motzorongo,  11;  Orizaba,  20/' 

PEROMYSCUS  MEXICANUS  SAXATILIS  Mekkiam. 

Peromyscus  mexicanus  saxatilis  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XII,  p.  121, 

Apr.  30,  1898. 
Peromyscus  nicaraguae  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist,  XXIV,  pp.  649-650, 

Oct.  13,  1908.— Matagalpa,  Nicaragua. 

Type  locality. — Jacaltenango,  Huehuetenango,  Guatemala.  Alti- 
tude, 5,400  feet, 

Geographic  distribution. — Northwestern  Guatemala  and  southeast- 
ern Chiapas,  south  to  Nicaragua. 

Characters. — Very  similar  to  mexicanus /  color  practically  identical; 
skull  with  slightly  larger  audital  bulla?. 

Color. — As  in  mexicanus. 

/Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  mexicanus;  braincase  averaging  broader 
and  fuller;  frontals  wider  with  slightly  less  tendency  to  the  forma- 
tion of  a  supraorbital  bead ;  audital  bulla?  larger. 

Measurements. —  Average  of  10  adult  topotypes:  Total  length,  224 
(233-258);  tail  vertebra?,  127  (120-138);  hind  foot,  27.6  (27-29); 
ear  from  notch  (dry),  18.2  (16.6-19.5). 

Type  specimen. — No.  77296  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  adult.  Dec.  19,  1905.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.  Specimen  in  good  condition.  Size  abnormally 
small. 

Remarks. — The  only  character  of  consequence  by  which  to  separate 
this  form  from  mexicanus  is  the  size  of  the  audital  bulla1,  and  even 
this  is  not  absolutely  constant.  As  an  average  character,  however, 
it  seems  to  prevail  throughout  a  considerable  number  of  specimens 
from  several  localities.  The  recognition  of  this  form  makes  it  even 
more  imperative  to  place  '  tchuantepecus  '  in  synonymy,  for  it  seems 
that  the  Tehuantepec  specimens  are  intermediate  between  mexicanus 
and  saxatilis  in  much  the  same  way  that  Orizaba  specimens  fall 
between  mexicanus  and  totontepecus.  In  color  saxatilis  seems  to  be 
exactly  like  mexicanus.  The  series  from  Jacaltenango  are  in  unworn 
pelage  exactly  like  specimens  in  the  same  pelage  from  Mirador.  The 
worn  pelage  is  shown  by  specimens  from  Canjob  and  San  Bartolome, 
wdiich  agree  with  equally  worn  specimens  of  mexicanus  from  locali- 
ties in  Veracruz.     The  type  of  saxatilis  is  unusually  small,  the  skull 

a  Approaching  mexicanus. 


204  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

and  teeth  being  particularly  .small  and  light  as  compared  with  those 
of  the  large  series  of  topotypes. 
Specimens  examined. — Total  number  96, from  localities  as  follows: 

Chiapas:   Canjob,    1G;    Cliicharras,    20    (approaching    gymnotisf)  ;    San 

Bartolorne,  7;  San  Vicente,  1;  Tuxtla  (Jutierrez,  4. 
Guatemala:   Jacaltenango,  34;   Xenton,  4. 
Nicaragua:   Ohontales,  3;  Matagalpa,  5;  San  Rafael  del  Norte,  2. 

PEROMYSCUS  MEXICANUS  TEAPENXIK  Osgood. 

Peromyscus   mexicanus   tcapensis   Osgood,    Proc.   Biol.    Soc.   Wash..    XVII,    pp. 
G9-70,  Mar.  21,  1904. 

Type  locality. — Teapa,  Tabasco,  Mexico.     Altitude  800  feet. 

Geographic  distribution. — Humid  tropical  parts  of  northern 
Tabasco,  Mexico. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  m.  totontepecus,  but  sides  brighter  and 
more  contrasted  with  dark  area  in  middle  of  back ;  skull  with  thicker, 
heavier  rostral  region. 

Color. — Type :  Sides  rich  chestnut,  shading  into  a  well-defined 
blackish  area  in  median  dorsal  region;  a  narrow  black  orbital  ring 
and  spot  at  base  of  whiskers;  underparts  slate  color  overlaid  with 
creamy  Avhite  (no  pectoral  spot  in  type,  but  of  frequent  occurrence 
among  series  of  topotypes)  ;  tail  black  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
irregular  spots  of  yellowish  white  on  under  side;  fore  feet  white; 
hind  feet  white  except  a  dark  brown  area  extending  with  decreasing 
width  from  '  ankles '  down  nearly  to  base  of  toes. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  totontepecus,  but  with  broader  nasals 
and  generally  heavier  and  more  thickened  rostral  region;  anterior 
palatine  foramina  usually  wider;  infraorbital  part  of  zygomata  rather 
heavy  but  not  squarely  'elbowed';  teeth  about  as  in  totontepecus^ 
wider  and  heavier  than  in  mexicanus. 

Measurement*. — Average  of  10  adults  from  the  type  locality:  Total 
length.  245  (234-254);  tail  vertebras,  129  (121-136);  hind  foot,  28 
(27-28.5). 

Type  specimen. — No.  100022  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  ?  adult.  March  25,  1900.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.    Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — The  thickened  rostrum  and  anteriorly  expanded  nasals 
of  this  form  approach  the  condition  found  in  P.  furvus,  but  the  de- 
velopment is  not  so  extreme  as  in  that  species.  As  in  furvus,  the 
characters  are  not  well  developed  except  in  fully  adult  specimens. 
The  vicinity  of  Teapa,  visited  by  Nelson  and  Goldman  in  the  spring 
of  1900,  is  not  far  above  sea  level,  and  is  now  well  known  for  the 
dark  rich  color  of  its  animals.  The  present  subspecies  is  not  an  ex- 
ception. Its  color  is  not  so  extensively  blackish  as  in  totontepe<  u*. 
but  the  rufescent  shades  equal  in  richness  anything  found  elsewhere 
in  the  mexicanus  group. 


1909.]  MEXICANUS    GRUUP SAXATILIS.  205 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  21,  from  localities  as  follows: 
Tabasco:   Near  El  Salto,  2:  Monteeristo,  2;  Tea  pa,  17. 

PEROMYSCUS    MEXICAN  US    GYMNOTIS   Thomas. 

Peromyscus  gymnotis  Thomas,  Ann.  &  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  Loud.,  ser.  <>,  XIV,  pp. 

365-36G,  Nov.,  1894. 

Type  locality. — Guatemala. 

Geographic  distribution. — Certain  parts  of  Guatemala  and  (prob- 
ably) northward  at  slight  elevations  to  southwestern  Chiapas. 

Characters. — Similar  to  /'.  mexicanus,  but  smaller  (hind  foot  23- 
25)  ;  tail  about  equal  to  or  slightly  shorter  than  head  and  body, 
scaly  annulations  slightly  finer  than  in  mexicanus  and  clothed  with 
even  shorter  hairs;  tail  nearly  unicolor  or  with  slight  blotches  of 
yellowish  on  under  side;  ears  moderate,  very  scantily  haired. 

Color. — No.  77659:  Upperparts  chiefly  rich  tawny  ochraceous.  al- 
most as  in  P.  astecus,  except  that  there  is  very  little  black  in  the 
mid-dorsal  region ;  underparts  dull  buffy  white  with  slaty  under- 
color showing  through,  pectoral  region  suffused  with  fulvous;  head, 
feet,  and  ears  about  as  in  mexicanus ;  scaly  part  of  tail  dusky  black- 
ish all  around  except  some  slight  blotches  of  yellowish  white  on 
proximal  half  of  under  side.  Two  additional  specimens  in  worn 
pelage :  Back  dark  mummy  brown  with  thin  patchy  areas  of  ochra- 
ceous on  the  sides. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  mexicanus  but  smaller,  about  the  size 
of  that  of  P.  aztecus;  premaxillse  rather  swollen  laterally;  nasals 
decidedly  convex;  zygomata  depressed  anteriorly  considerably  below 
plane  of  rostrum;  supraorbital  border  with  a  very  slight  suggestion 
of  a  bead;  teeth  and  audital  bulla?  small. 

Measurement*. — Tj^pe  and  two  adults  from  Huehuetan,  Chiapas, 
respectively:  Total  length,  191:  217:  220;  tail  vertebra?,  92;  101; 
110;  hind  foot,  23;  25;  24;  ear  from  notch,  17;  16.5  (dry)  ;  15  (dry). 

Type  specimen. — No.  86.5.13.4  British  Museum.  "  Coll.  Bernoulli.'' 
Specimen  in  alcohol  in  fair  condition. 

Remarks. — The  above  description  is  based  chiefly  on  three  speci- 
mens from  Huehuetan,  Chiapas,  which  are  believed  to  be  very  similar 
to  the  type  of  P.  gymnotis.  Two  of  these  specimens  (Nos.  77658  and 
77659)  were  sent  to  the  British  Museum  in  the  summer  of  1905  and 
there  compared  by  G.   S.  Miller,  jr.,"  with  the  type  of  gymnotis. 

Mr.  Miller's  notes  on  the  type  are  as  follows : 

Color  of  type  injured  by  alcohol— a  peculiar  indefinite  gray  brown  above,  sug- 
gesting immaturity — underparts  between  buff  and  Isabella  color — no  pectoral 
spot  visible.  Tail  of  type  more  finely  ringed  than  in  any  of  these,  22  rings 
to  the  centimeter  at  middle  and  without  trace  of  lighter  color  below — haired  as 

"Since  the  above  was  written  I  also  have  examined  this  type,  but  can  form 
uo  more  positive  conclusions  regarding  it  than  those  here  stated. 


206  NOKTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

in  Nos.  77658 — cars  as  in  77658-9.  The  animal  is  close  to  these  (judging  by 
externals)  and  not  at  all  like  77309  [sa.mtilis\,  which  is  much  too  large  and 
with  bicolor  tail. 

In  spite  of  this  fairly  close  agreement  there  are  some  discrepancies, 
and  it  is  quite  possible  that  additional  collecting-  in  Guatemala  may 
prove  either  that  gymnotis  is  the  same  as  allophylus  or  a  species  not 
yet  represented  in  American  collections.  For  the  present  it  seems 
best  to  associate  the  name  gymnotis  with  the  specimens  from  Huehue- 
tan  rather  than  to  add  another  name  to  a  difficult  group  already  over- 
burdened. The  essential  part  of  the  original  description  of  gymnotis 
is  as  follows: 

Si/.c  medium;  ears  long,  tail  short.  General  color,  so  far  as  can  be  made  out 
in  a  spirit-specimen,  very  dark,  almost  bistre-brown.  Under  surface  dirty  buff, 
the  slate-colored  bases  of  the  hairs  showing  through.  Ears  long,  laid  forward 
in  a  spirit-specimen  they  reach  3  or  4  millim.  in  front  of  the  anterior  canthus 
of  the  eye;  perfectly  naked,  no  hairs  being  discernible  upon  (hem  (except  at 
their  bases  posteriorly)  even  with  a  lens;1  their  substance  plumbeous  in  color. 
Palate  ridges  3-5.  Hands  and  feet  thinly  covered  with  fine  silvery-white  hairs; 
fifth  bind  toe  reaching  to  the  base  of  the  second  phalanx  of  the  fourth;  soles 
practically  naked  along  median  line,  a  few  scattered  white  hairs  being  only 
found  on  this  part.  Tail  slightly  shorter  than  the  head  and  body,  slender, 
very  thinly  clothed  with  minute  brown  hairs,  which  are  everywhere  of  the 
same  color,  while  the  skin  of  the  tail  itself  is  also  dark  brown  above  and 
below  for  its  whole  length. 

Skull,  as  compared  to  that  of  P.  aztccus,  decidedly  more  lightly  built  and 
flatter  above  when  viewed  in  profile;  muzzle  longer  and  narrower;  supra- 
orbital edp's  square  but  not  beaded  ;  palatal  foramina  widely  open;  bulla?  rather 
smaller.  Dimensions  of  the  type  (an  adult  male  in  spirit)  :  Head  and  body  99 
millim.;  tail  92;  hind  foot  22  (with  claws  23)  ;  ear  17  x  13.5;  heel  to  front  of 
last  footpad  10. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  4,  from  localities  as  follows: 

Chiapas:   Huehuetan,  3. 
Guatemala:   Guatemala,  1    (type). 

PEROMYSCUS  ALLOPHYLUS  Osgood. 

Peromyscus  allophylus  Osgood,  Proc.  Biol.   Soc.  Wash.,  XVII,  p.  71,  Mar.  21, 
1904. 

Type  locality. — Huehuetan.  Chiapas,  Mexico.     Altitude  200  feet. 

Geographic  distribution. — Known  only  from  the  type  locality. 

Characters. — Size  medium  (hind  foot  '25)  ;  tail  shorter  than  head 
and  body;  ears  moderate,  scantily  haired;  coloration  dark:  tail  dusky 
blackish,  unicolor,  covered  with  small  imbricate  scales,  much  as  in 
Oryzomys;  proximal  third  of  soles  of  hind  feet  finely  haired;  skull 
rather  long  and  narrow ;  teetli  very  small. 

1  "A  second  examination  with  a  more  powerful  lens  shows  that  there  are  a 
few  widely  scattered  minute  whitish  hairs  on  the  ears,  but  they  are  so  few  and 
so  small  as  practically  not  to  affect  the  statement  in  the  text." 


1909.]  M  EXICANUS   GROUP-      BANDERANUS.  207 

Color. — General  effect  of  sides  mummy  brown,  deepening  toward 
middle  of  back,  causing  a  rather  distinct  median  dorsal  line  of 
blackish  brown;  underparts  yellowish  white  over  slate-color,  the 
latter  showing  through;  tail  dusky  blackish,  unicolor;  a  black  orbital 
ring  and  antorbital  spot;  feet  whitish,  scantily  haired;  'ankles' 
dusky. 

Skull. — Rather  long  and  narrow ;  braincase  elevated ;  infraorbital 
notch  scarcely  evident ;  nasals  rather  short,  slightly  exceeded  by 
premaxillae;  no  supraorbital  ridge;  palatine  foramina  rather  large, 
longer  than  bony  palate;  audital  bullae  small,  smaller  than  in  aztecus 
or  mexicamis  and  having  a  marked  flange  on  anterior  flattened  pro- 
duction; molar  teeth  very  small;  interparietal  small;  frontals  rather 
wide;  supraorbital  border  sharp-angled  but  not  beaded. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length,  202;  tail  vertebrae,  95;  hind 
foot,  2o;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  17. 

Type  specimen. — No.  77657  U.  S.  Xational  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  9  adult.  Feb.  21,  1896.  E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A. 
Goldman.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — It  is  difficult  to  be  certain  of  the  affinities  of  this  pecu- 
liar species.  But  for  the  size  of  its  ears  and  shortness  of  its  tail  it 
might  well  pass  for  an  Oryzomys  of  the  O.  chapmani  group.  Its 
dark  scaly  tail  suggests  Oryzomys,  and  the  character  and  color  of  its 
pelage  bear  out  the  resemblance.  Its  skull,  however,  is  that  of  the 
ordinary  type  of  Perom.yscus.  Its  closest  relationship  is  probably 
with  the  mexicanus  group,  though  it  may  be  a  northern  member  of 
a  Central  American  group  not  yet  known  as  such.  It  agrees  in  some 
respects  with  the  description  of  P.  gymnotis  Thomas  from  Guate- 
mala, but  without  direct  comparison  it  is  difficult  to  determine 
whether  or  not  it  is  that  species. 

Specimen  examined. — One,  the  type. 

Key  to  Subspecies  of  Peromyscus  banderanus. 

Skull  with  supraorbital  beads  slight  or  obsolete /'.  b.  angelensis 

Skull  with  supraorbital  beads  well  developed. 

Color  paler,  chiefly  ochraceous  buff  with  very  little  dusky  mixture /'.  banderanus 

Color  darker,  usually  with  considerable  mixture  of  dusky P.   h.    vicinior 

PEROMYSCUS  BANDERANUS  Allen. 

(PI.  V,  fig.  1.) 

Peromyscus   banderanus  Allen,    Bull.   Am.   Mus.  Nat.   Hist..    X.   V„   IX,   p.  51, 
Mar.  15,  1897. 

Type  locality. — Aralle  de  Banderas.  Tepic,  Jalisco,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Pacific  coast  of  Mexico  from  Bahia 
Banderas.  Tepic,  to  vicinity  of  Acapulco,  Guerrero. 

Characters. — Size  medium  (hind  foot  about  25)  ;  tail  about  equal 
to  head  and  body;  ears  moderate;  pelage  soft  but  rather  short;  soles 


208  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

of  hind  feet  naked  to  calcaneum;  color  chiefly  bright  ochraceous  buff; 
skull  rather  elongate  and  having  well-developed  supraorbital  beads. 

Color. — No.  \\\%%  Hacienda  Magdalena,  Colima,  Mar.  19,  pelage 
very  slightly  worn:  General  color  of  upperparts  and  sides  ochra- 
ceous buff,  with  a  very  fine  mixture  of  cinnamon  nearly  uniformly 
distributed;  the  color  is  almost  solid  ochraceous  buff,  being  merely 
toned  down  by  the  admixture  of  cinnamon  tipped  hairs  and  the  effect 
of  the  underlying  plumbeous;  underparts  creamy  with  a  broad 
ochraceous  buff  pectoral  patch  ;  forehead  and  sides  of  head  mixed 
cinnamon  and  drab  gray;  a  buffy  spot  under  eye  connecting  on  its 
lower  side  with  the  main  color  of  the  sides;  orbital  ring  and  spot  at 
base  of  whiskers  Vandyke  brown;  feet  white  with  a  prominent  spot 
of  Prout  brown  on  'ankles':  hairs  of  tail  dusky  above,  white  below, 
scaly  part  of  tail  sometimes  bicolor,  but  frequently  blotched  dusky 
tmd  yellowish.  Adolescent,  No.  70757,  Acapulco,  Guerrero:  Similar 
to  adult,  but  general  color  decidedly  paler  and  more  broken  up  by 
admixture  of  dusky  tipped  hairs  with  a  slight  tendency  to  concen- 
tration in  median  dorsal  region.  Young:  Underfur  slate  color 
(Ridgway,  PL  II,  No.  4),  as  in  adults;  ground  color  smoke  gray  with 
a  plentiful  mixture  of  brownish  tipped  hairs;  dusky  markings  about 
eyes,  whiskers,  and  '  ankles '  well  indicated. 

Skull. — General  outline  narrow  and  elongate;  posterior  part  of 
braincase  elongated  to  such  extent  that  more  than  half  of  the  large 
interparietal  lies  posterior  to  a  plane  passing  behind  the  audital 
bulla1;  supraorbital  beads  highly  developed,  forming  a  trenchant  shelf 
above  the  orbit  and  bounded  on  the  inner  side  by  a  distinct  groove- 
like channel  extending  from  the  lacrymal  region  up  to  and  often 
be}Tond  the  parieto- frontal  suture;  lacrymal  region  swollen;  nasals 
ending  slightly  anterior  to  a  well-marked  interlacrymal  pit  and 
almost  exactly  on  the  plane  of  the  anterior  border  of  the  orbit ;  audital 
bulla1  rather  small  (scarcely  more  than  half  as  large  as  in  mela- 
nophrys)  ;  anterior  palatine  foramina  smaller  than  in  mexicanvs  or 
melanophrys,  and  usually  ending  anterior  to  the  plane  of  the  front 
of  the  first  upper  molar;  general  shape  of  these  foramina  usually  tri- 
angular, being  narrowest  at  the  anterior  apex  and  gradually  widen- 
ing to  the  middle  and  thence  nearly  constant  to  the  posterior  end; 
teeth  of  moderate  size,  slightly  smaller  than  in  mexicanus  and  melan- 
ophrys. 

Measurements. — Average  of  5  adults  from  Hacienda  Magdalena, 
Colima:  Total  length,  234  (228-245);  tail  vertebra,  119  (115-127); 
hind  foot,  25;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  18  (17.2-18.5). 

Type  specimen. — No.  WW  American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
New  York.  ?  adult.  Feb.  23,  1893.  A.  C.  Buller.  Skin  in 
good  condition,  though  badly  formed,  head  '  humped,'  forelegs  turned 


1909]  MEXICAN  US   GROUP VICINIOR.  209 

back,  etc.  Skull  with  nasals  slightly  chipped  in  front,  molar  teeth 
loose  and  two  of  them  missing;  otherwise  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — P.  banderanus  is  about  the  size  and  proportions  of  P. 
aztecus  and  closely  related  forms,  but  is  much  paler  in  color.  Its 
naked  soles  distinguish  it  from  this  and  all  other  Mexican  species  of 
approximate  size.  Its  general  combination  of  characters  is  unique, 
so  it  should  not  be  confused  with  other  species.  The  naked  soles, 
pale  color,  and  narrow  beaded  skull  easily  distinguish  it.  It  is  con- 
fined to  the  west  coast  of  Mexico  and  has  but  two  subspecific  repre- 
sentatives, one  at  the  extreme  southern  end  of  its  range  and  the  other 
a  short  distance  into  the  interior  to  the  eastward. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  41,  from  the  following  lo- 
calities in  Mexico : 

Colima:  Colima  City,  7;  Hacienda  Magdalena,  9;  Hacienda  San  Antonio, 

1 ;  Manzanillo,  7. 
Guerrero:  Acapulco,  11;  El  Limon,  2;  near  Ometepec,  2. 
Tepic:  Navarrete,  1;  Valle  de  Banderas,  1. 

PEROMYSCUS  BANDERANUS  VICINIOR  Osgood. 

Peromyscus  banderanus  vicinior  Osgood,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc  Wash.,  XVII,  pp.  68- 
69,  Mar.  21,  1904. 

Type  locality. — La  Salada,  Michoacan,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Western  Mexico  in  the  States  of  Michoa- 
can and  Guerrero,  occupying  the  slightly  more  elevated  region  imme- 
diately east  of  the  range  of  typical  banderanus. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  banderanus  but  darker,  usually  with 
considerable  mixture  of  dusky  in  color;  skull  averaging  narrower; 
soles  of  hind  feet  naked  medially. 

Color. — Slightly  darker  and  more  vinaceous  in  worn  pelage  than  in 
banderanus,'  decidedly  darker  in  winter  pelage;  ground  color  ochra- 
ceous  buff,  but  with  a  strong  mixture  of  dusky  on  back  and  sides  and 
a  slightly  differentiated  concentration  in  median  dorsal  region ;  nose 
and  sides  of  face  grayish ;  markings  about  eyes,  whiskers,  and  tarsal 
joints  sooty  instead  of  brownish ;  pectoral  spot  often  absent ;  upper 
side  of  tail  blackish  instead  of  brownish;  otherwise  similar  to 
banderanus. 

/Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  banderanus,  but  braincase  averaging 
slightly  narrower;  anterior  palatine  foramina  more  nearly  elliptical, 
being  widest  in  the  middle  and  narrowing  toward  each  end;  supra- 
orbital beads  well  developed. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length,  216;  tail  vertebrae,  107;  hind 
foot,  27.  Average  of  three  adolescents  from  La  Huacana,  Michoa- 
can: 233  (225-240);  117  (115-121);  24.5  (24-25);  ear  from  notch 
(dry),  16.2  (16-16.5). 

66268— No.  28—09 14 


210  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Type  specimen. — No.  126503  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  adult.  March  23,  1903.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.    Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — This  is  an  interior  form  of  banderanus  having  a  narrow 
range  in  the  slightly  elevated  region  paralleling  the  coast.  In  full 
unworn  pelage,  as  shown  by  two  specimens  from  Los  Reyes,  Michoa- 
can,  it  is  decidedly  darker  than  banderanus,  since  the  pelage  contains 
a  liberal  mixture  of  dusky.  The  small  series  from  La  Salada  have 
uniformly  narrow  skulls,  noticeably  narrower  than  in  banderanus, 
but  other  specimens  from  Los  Reyes  and  La  Huacana  indicate  that 
this  character  is  not  stable.  Whether  it  is  even  an  average  character 
throughout  the  range  of  the  form  will  appear  when  further  material 
is  acquired. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  15,  from  localities  as  follows: 

Guerrero:  Acahuizotla,  3. 

Michoacan:  La  Huacana,  4;  La  Salada,  6;  Los  Reyes,  2. 

PEROMYSCUS  BANDERANUS  ANGELENSIS  Osgood. 

Peromyscus  banderanus  angelensis  Osgood,  Froc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XVII,  p.  69, 
Mar.  21,  1904. 

Type  locality. — Puerto  Angel,  Oaxaca,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Coast  of  southern  Oaxaca;  known  from 
two  localities  only. 

Characters.- — Similar  to  typical  banderanus;  size  larger;  sole  of 
hind  foot  narrowly  naked  medially,  but  not  so  obviously  so  as  in 
banderanus;  skull  larger  and  heavier;  supraorbital  bead  nearly 
obsolete  instead  of  well-developed. 

Color. — Practically  as  in  banderanus ;  possibly  averaging  a  trifle 
darker;  pectoral  spot  well-developed  and  considerably  produced 
posteriorly. 

Skull. — Similar  in  general  form  to  that  of  banderanus,  but  supra- 
orbital borders  much  less  distinctly  or  scarcely  at  all  beaded,  but 
reduced  to  simple  shelves  much  as  in  melanophrys  and  mexicanus; 
size  larger;  braincase  less  elongate;  interparietal  shorter;  nasals 
longer ;  molar  teeth  slightly  larger. 

Measurements. — Average  of  7  adult  topotypes:  Total  length,  235 
(222-258)  ;  tail  vertebra?,  120  (112-128)  ;  hind  foot,  27  (26.5-28)  ;  ear 
from  notch  (dry),  17.3  (17-17.7). 

Type  specimen. — No.  71442  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  9  adult.  March  13,  1895.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — The  divergence  of  this  form  from  typical  banderanus 
seems  to  be  in  the  direction  of  the  mexicanus  group.  Its  general 
appearance,  character  of  pelage,  nearly  naked  soles,  etc.,  are  as  in 
banderanus,  but  its  skull  approaches  that  of  mexicanus  quite  closely, 


1909.]  MEXICANUS   GROUP YUCATANICUS.  211 

differing  mainly  in  its  more  elongate  braincase.  Therefore,  it  would 
not  be  surprising-  if  further  material  should  demonstrate  connection 
between  mexicanus  and  banderanus. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  23,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows: 

Oaxaca:   Pinotepa,  1  :  Plunia,  2;  Puerto  Angel,  20. 

Key  to  Subspecies  of  Peromyscus  yucatanicus. 

Color  paler,  not  largely  mixed  with  dusky  ;  median  dorsal  area  usually  not  differen- 
tiated    P.  yucatanicus 

Color  darker,  with  considerable  mixture  of  dusky  ;  dorsal  area  usually  somewhat  differ- 
entiated    P,  y.   badius 

PEROMYSCUS  YUCATANICUS  Allen  and  Chapman. 

(PL  V,  fig.  4.) 

Peromyscus  yucatanicus  Allen  and  Chapman,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y., 
IX,  p.  8,  Feb.  23.  1897. 

Type  locality. — Chichenitza,  Yucatan,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Northern  parts  of  the  peninsula  of  Yu- 
catan ;  chiefly  arid  tropical  zone. 

Characters. — Size  medium  (hind  foot  22-24)  ;  tail  about  equal  to 
or  slightly  shorter  than  head  and  body ;  ears  medium,  nearly  naked ; 
soles  of  hind  feet  hairy  proximally;  tail  thinly  haired,  scarcely  pen- 
ciled, evenly  bicolor  or  with  under  side  blotchy;  skull  with  slight 
supraorbital  bead,  small  teeth,  and  small  audital  bulla?.  Similar  in 
general  characters  to  P.  mexicanus,  but  decidedly  smaller. 

Color. — Slightly  worn  pelage:  Upperparts  bright  ochraceous  buff 
or  ochraceous,  lightly  and  nearly  uniformly  mixed  with  dusky ;  sides 
about  like  back;  a  rather  broad  lateral  line  clear  ochraceous,  only 
slightly  contrasted;  a  narrow  dusky  orbital  ring;  underparts  yellow- 
ish white,  becoming  more  nearly  pure  white  on  throat  and  chin;  pect- 
oral spot  rarely  present;  feet  white,  tarsal  joint  slightly  marked 
with  pale  brownish ;  hairs  of  tail  dusky  above  and  white  below, 
evenly  divided,  but  scaly  annular  part  of  tail  dusky  above  and  yel- 
lowish white  below,  variously  speckled  and  blotched  with  dusky. 

Skull. — Size  medium;  braincase  rather  elongate;  frontals  wide  and 
supraorbital  border  shelflike  or  slightly  beaded;  nasals  relatively 
wide,  ending  about  even  with  posterior  endings  of  premaxilla?;  au- 
dital bulla?  medium  or  rather  small;  palatine  slits  moderately  large; 
teeth  relatively  very  small;  zygomata  very  slightly  notched  by  infra- 
orbital foramina.  Similar  in  general  to  that  of  mexicanus,  but  very 
decidedly  smaller  throughout. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adults  from  La  Vega,  Yucatan: 
Total  length,  216  (208-232)  ;  tail  vertebra?,  112  (105-122)  ;  hind  foot, 
23.8  (23-26)  ;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  17  (15.2-18.3). 


212  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Type  specimen. — No.  iff |{  American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
New  York.  $  adult.  Mar.  17,  1896.  Frank  M.  Chapman.  Speci- 
men in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — While  apparently  quite  distinct,  this  species  is  little 
more  than  a  miniature  of  P.  mexicanus.  In  all  general  characters 
except  size  it  shows  no  marked  departure  from  mexicanus.  Its  slightly 
blotched  tail,  slightly  headed  skull,  small  teeth,  and  small  audital 
bullae  readily  distinguish  it  from  any  species  approximating  it  in 
size.  Its  pelage,  including  the  hairiness  of  the  tail,  is  not  so  coarse 
as  in  mexicanus,  and  in  specimens  so  far  examined  (all  in  slightly 
worn  pelage)  the  color  is  somewhat  ^brighter,  being  chiefly  bright 
ochraceous  throughout. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  35,  from  localities  as  follows: 
Yucatan:   Chichenitza,  S  ;  La  Vega,  26  ;  Puerto  Morelos,  1. 

PEROMYSCUS  YUCATANICUS  BADIUS  Osgood. 

Peromyscus  yucatanicus  badius  Osgood,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XVII,  pp.  70-71, 
March  21,  1904. 

Type  locality. — Apazote,  Campeche,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Known  only  from  the  type  locality. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  yucatanicus,  but  darker  colored. 

Color. — Decidedly  darker  than  P.  yucatanicus^  having  the  median 
dorsal  area  with  a  strong  admixture  of  black  and  more  or  less  black 
on  the  sides,  except  a  narrow  lateral  line  which  is  cinnamon  rufous 
like  the  general  ground  color;  underparts  faintly  suifused  with  yel- 
low; a  narrow  black  orbital  ring;  hairs  of  tail  blackish  brown  above, 
white  below;  underside  of  tail  beneath  hairs  chiefly  yellowish  white, 
but  somewhat  irregularly  blotched  with  dusky;  feet  white. 

Skull. — As  in  /'.  yucatanicus. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  topotypes:  Total  length,  193.4;  tail 
vertebra?,  96.7;  hind  foot,  23.5;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  16.4  (16-16.8). 

Type  specimen. — No.  108016  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  9  adult.  Dec.  28,  1900.  E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A. 
Goldman.    Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — This  slight  form  doubtless  owes  its  dark  color  to  the 
character  of  its  habitat,  which  is  in  a  more  humid  region  than  that 
of  true  yucatanicus.  Its  range  is  probably  limited  to  the  region  of 
the  base  of  the  peninsula  of  Yucatan,  as  its  nearest  relatives  known 
from  Avest  of  that  region  are  the  larger  and  quite  different  forms  of 
the  mexicanus  group. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  19,  all  from  the  type  locality. 

Key  to  subspecies  of  Peromyscus  meg-alops. 

Tail   uniform  blackish  all  around P.   m.   mchinurus 

Tail  evenly  bicolor  or  at  least  somewhat  blotched  with  yellowish  white  below. 

Slightly  darker;  audital  bulhv  smaller P.  megalops 

Slightly  paler  ;  audital  hullaj  larger-^ ^_, , ,_, P.  m.  auritus 


1909.]  MEGALOPS   GROUP — MEGALOPS.  213 

PEROMYSCUS  MEGALOPS  Merriam. 

(  PI.  V,  fig.  5.  i 

Peromyscus  megalops  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash..  XII,  p.  119,  Apr.  30, 

1898. 

Type  locality. — Mountains  near  Ozolotepec,  Oaxaca,  Mexico.  Alti- 
titude,  10,000  feet. 

Geograj)hic  distribution. — Known  only  from  the  type  locality. 

Characters — Size  large  (hind  foot  30-31)  ;  tail  decidedly  longer 
than  head  and  body,  coarsely  haired,  and  irregularly  bicolor;  pelage 
long  and  lax;  color  with  more  tawny  than  in  guatemalensis,  much 
as  in  tlwmasi;  skull  with  large  broad  braincase  and  distinct  supra- 
orbital bead. 

Color. — Slightly  worn  pelage:  Upperparts  mixed  tawny  and 
blackish  brown ;  sides  chiefly  rich  tawny  but  little  modified  by  dusky  ; 
broad  dorsal  area  chiefly  blackish  brown,  lightly  sprinkled  with  tawny, 
producing  a  general  effect  approaching  the  mummy  brown  of  Kidg- 
Avay;  line  from  base  of  whiskers  to  and  around  eye  and  thence  half- 
way to  base  of  ear  broadly  blackish  brown;  forehead  brownish;  sides 
of  nose  in  front  of  whiskers  grayish  cinnamon ;  extreme  tip  of  nose 
with  a  tiny  whitish  spot ;  underparts  pale  whitish  buff,  somewhat 
modified  by  undercolor;  pectoral  and  axillary  region  broadly  tawny 
(usually)  ;  feet  white;  forearm  with  a  narrow  dusky  line  reaching 
nearly  to  carpal  joint ;  tarsal  joint  broadly  dusky,  and  this  sometimes 
slightly  extended  on  upper  side  of  hind  foot ;  hairs  of  tail  usually 
evenly  bicolor,  dusky  above,  whitish  below;  scaly  annular  part  of  tail 
dusky  above  and  irregularly  blotched  dusky  and  yellowish  white 
below. 

Skull. — Size  large,  exceeding  that  of  mexicanus  and  about  equaling 
that  of  guatemalensis;  braincase  broad;  frontals  broad,  distinctly 
beaded  on  supraorbital  border  and  depressed  in  median  line  forming 
a  shallow  pit  immediately  behind  the  nasals;  lacrvmal  region  rather 
swollen ;  zygomata  very  slightly  notched  by  infraorbital  foramina ; 
nasals  rather  long,  slightly  exceeding  the  ascending  branches  of  the 
premaxillse;  audital  bullae  relatively  small;  interpterygoid  fossa 
wide  and  long,  extending  anteriorly  to  the  plane  of  the  middle  of  the 
last  molar;  palatine  slits  large  and  broadly  open;  teeth  moderate, 
decidedly  larger  than  in  mexicanus,  about  as  in  guatemalensis. 

Mi  asurements. — Type:  Total  length,  282;  tail  vertebra1,  150;  hind 
foot,  31';  ear  from  notch  (dry),  19.  Average  of  five  topotypes:  278; 
147;  31. 

Type  specimen. — No.  71592  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  old.  March  26, 1895.  E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A. 
Goldman.  Specimen  in  good  condition,  but  skull  lacking  the  first 
upper  molar  on  each  side. 


214  NOETH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  Tno.  28. 

Remarks. — This  species  and  its  very  closely  allied  subspecies  are 
among  the  largest  members  of  the  restricted  genus.  They  about 
equal  guatemalensis  in  size,  and  in  the  subgenus  Peromyscus  are  ex- 
ceeded only  by  P.  zarhynchus.  They  may  be  distinguished  from 
guatemalensis  by  their  more  tawny  color  and  by  their  more  distinctly 
beaded  frontals. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  5,  all  from  the  type  locality. 

PEROMYSCUS  MEGALOPS  AURITUS  Merriam. 

Peromyscus  auritus  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XII,  pp.  119-120,  Apr.  30, 

1898. 
Peromyscus  comptus  Merriam.  supra  cit.,  p.  120. — .Mountains  near  Chilpancingo, 
Guerrero. 

Type  locality. — Mountains  15  miles  west  of  Oaxaca,  Oaxaca,  Mex- 
ico.   Altitude  9,300  feet. 

Geographic  distribution. — High  altitudes  in  mountains  of  western 
Oaxaca  and  southeastern  Guerrero,  Mexico.     (See  fig.  5,  p.  161.) 

Characters. — Very  similar  to  P.  megalops,  but  ears  possibly  slightly 
larger  and  color  averaging  slightly  paler;  audital  bulla?  decidedly 
larger. 

Color. — Practically  as  in  megalops,  but  apparently  averaging 
slightly  paler.  Unworn  pelage:  General  effect  of  upperparts  cinna- 
mon; back  only  very  slightly  darker  than  sides;  face  with  dusky 
markings  subdued  by  fulvous,  only  a  narrow  orbital  ring  conspicuous; 
underparts  nearly  pure  creamy  white,  but  slightly  modified  by  under- 
color ;  tail  dusky  above,  white  below,  scaly  part  very  slightly  blotched 
with  dusky  on  underside.  Worn  pelage:  About  as  in  megalops;  dark 
undercolor  more  exposed  on  upperparts  as  well  as  on  underparts; 
sides  of  face  darker,  with  dusky  markings  more  pronounced. 

/Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  megalops,  but  audital  bulla?  decidedly 
larger;  nasals  slightly  longer. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length,  288;  tail  vertebra?,  148;  hind 
foot,  30.5;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  23.3.  Average  of  four  topotypes: 
281;  148;  31.5.  Of  ten  adults  from  mountains  near  Chilpancingo, 
Guerrero   ('  comptus'):  273;  143;  30.4. 

Type  specimen. — No.  G8438  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  9  old.  Sept.  IT,  1894.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.    Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — In  all  general  characters  this  form  is  like  megalops. 
Its  best  distinguishing  character  is  the  size  of  the  audital  bullae,  which 
is  markedly  greater  than  in  megalops.  The  material  thus  far  avail- 
able in  this  small  group  is  hardly  sufficient  for  satisfactory  conclu- 
sions as  to  slight  variations  in  color.  The  few  specimens  of  auritus 
from  the  type  locality  are  in  somewhat  worn  pelage.  A  considerable 
series  of  adults  from  the  mountains  near  Chilpancingo,  Guerrero,  are 


1909.]  MEGALOPS   GROUP MELANURUS-  215 

in  very  full  unworn  pelage,  which  appears  to  be  quite  decidedly 
lighter  than  the  worn  pelage.  Their  subspecific  separation  would 
seem  to  be  warranted  were  it  not  for  a  series  recently  obtained  from 
Omilteme,  Guerrero,  but  a  few  miles  away,  in  which  are  found 
slightly  worn  specimens  indistinguishable  from  the  type  of  auritus. 
The  ears  appear  to  be  slightly  larger  than  in  megalops,  but  with  only 
dry  specimens  for  comparison  it  is  difficult  to  be  certain  of  the  real 
difference  in  this  respect. 
/Specimens  examined. — Total  number  38,  from  localities  as  follows : 

Guerrero:   Mountains  near  Chilpancingo,  IS;  Omilteme,  14. 
Oaxaca:   Mountains  15  miles  west  of  Oaxaca,  6. 

PEROMYSCUS  MEGALOPS  MELANURUS  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Pluma,  Oaxaca,  Mexico.  Altitude,  4,600  feet.  No.  71385,  U.  S. 
National  Museum.  Biological  Survey  Collection.  $  adult.  Mar.  20,  1895.. 
E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A.  Goldman. 

Geographic  distribution. — Known  only  from  the  type  locality. 

Characters. — Similar  to  megalops,  but  size  smaller,  pelage  much 
shorter,  and  skull  smaller  and  more  stoutly  built ;  tail  nearly  unicolor, 
blackish  above  and  below.  Size  and  general  appearance  about  as  in 
mexicanus,  but  skull  with  broader  and  more  distinctly  beaded  frontals. 

Color. — Worn  pelage:  Extremely  variable,  running  from  Mars 
brown  to  bright  tawny  ochraceous;  a  dark  dorsal  area  considerably 
darker  than  sides  usually  well  marked;  dusky  orbital  ring  and  spot 
at  base  of  whiskers  sharply  defined ;  feet  white,  thinly  haired,  broadly 
brownish  on  tarsal  joints:  underparts  yellowish  white,  usually  with- 
out fulvous  pectoral  area :  tail  blackish  all  around,  scaly  part  some- 
times with  indistinct  zones  of  dull  yellowish  brown  at  irregular  in- 
tervals in  its  length. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  megalops,  but  slightly  smaller  and  more 
stoutly  built;  rostrum  thicker:  teeth  and  audit al  bullae  smaller; 
interparietal  large  and  quite  produced  posteriorly ;  frontals  wide 
and  distinctly  beaded ;  anterior  part  of  zygomata  scarcely  or  not 
at  all  notched  by  infraorbital  foramen.  Somewhat  similar  to  that 
of  mexicanus  but  larger;  frontals  wider  and  more  distinctly  and 
extensively  beaded;  teeth  larger;  audital  bullae  about  same  size. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes:  Total  length.  259 
(238-278)  ;  tail  vertebrae,  135  (127-145)  ;  hind  foot,  27.3  (26-28.5)  ; 
ear  from  notch  (dry),  17  (15.8-17.8). 

Remarks. — This  form  shows  quite  a  marked  departure  from  mega- 
lops in  size  and  external  appearance,  but  since  it  agrees  with  it 
closely  in  cranial  characters  it  seems  best  to  treat  it  as  a  subspecies. 
It  inhabits  lower  and  doubtless  warmer  localities  than  >n<</<d<>ps.  in 
this  respect,  as  well  as  others,  standing  between  the  megalops  series 
and  the  mexicanus  series.     Its  uniformly  dark  tail  is  almost  diagnos- 


216  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

tic  but  not  quite  so.  as  rare  variants  in  the  mce'tcamis  scries  approach 
it.     It  is  not  so  heavily  haired  as  in  melanocarpus. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  18,  all  from  the  type  locality. 

PEROMYSCUS  MELANOCARPUS  Osgood. 

Peromyscus  melanocarpus  Osgood,  Proc.  Biol.   Soc.  Wash.,  XVII,   pp.  73-74, 
Mar.  21,  1904. 

Type  locality. — Mount  Zempoaltepec,  Oaxaca,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Known  only  from  the  upper  slopes  of 
Mount  Zempoaltepec. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  megalops,  but  smaller  and  darker;  hind 
feet  slightly  darker;  fore  feet  decidedly  more  so,  the  blackish  extend- 
ing to  base  of  digits;  tail  usually  dusky  all  around  and  with  only 
traces  of  paleness  beneath ;  pelage  long  and  soft. 

Color. — No.  68627,  adult  $  ,  July  17:  General  effect  of  upper- 
parts  dark  blackish  mummy  brown,  slightly  darker  along  middle  of 
back:  actual  color  of  subterminal  zone  of  hairs  cinnamon  rufous, 
which  is  almost  lost  in  the  general  effect  by  the  many  black-tipped 
hairs  and  the  dark  plumbeous  undercolor  which  shows  through  the 
thin  subterminal  zone;  underparts  deep  blackish  slate  washed  wTith 
creamy  white,  producing  an  effect  which  varies  from  olive  gray  to 
slate  gray ;  pectoral  region  usually  rich  cinnamon  rufous ;  an  intense 
black  line  extending  from  nostrils  through  base  of  whiskers  and  eye: 
tail  covered  with  short,  bristly,  blackish  hairs  scarcely  paler  below 
than  above;  scaly  annulations  of  tail  usually  dusky  all  around,  some- 
times with  slight  irregular  patches  of  paler;  fore  and  hind  feet 
dusky  brownish  to  base  of  toes. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  megalops,  but  smaller;  nasals  slightly 
shorter  and  more  compressed  posteriorly.  Superficially  similar  to 
that  of  totontepecus,  but  differing  as  follows:  Nasals  shorter  and 
nearly  always  ending  in  advance  of  the  orbits  about  on  a  plane  with 
the  infraorbital  foramen;  frontals  wider  and  with  decidedly  greater 
development  of  supraorbital  shelves;  braincase  wider;  anterior  pala- 
tine foramina  much  longer;  molar  teeth  larger.  Differs  from  that 
of  lepturus,  as  follows:  Braincase  larger  and  broader;  frontal  wider 
and  quite  distinctly  beaded;  nasals  longer. 

Measurements. — Type  (not  quite  adult):  Total  length.  '241;  tail 
vertebrae,  125;  hind  foot,  27;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  19.2.  Adult  $ 
from  Totontepec,  Oaxaca  :  262 ;  132 ;  30. 

Type  specimen. — No.  68610  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  9  adolescent.  July  8,  1894.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — This  mountain  species  is  about  the  size  of  P.  m.  totoii- 
tepecus,  with  which  it  ranges  to  some  extent,  but  is  much  more  closely 
related  to  megalops  and  auritus,  as  indicated  by  its  cranial  charac- 


1909.1  MEGALOPS   GROUP ZARHYNCHUS.  217 

ters  and  its  more  bristly  tail.  Its  most  diagnostic  character,  how- 
ever, is  the  extent  of  dusky  brownish  on  the  fore  feet,  which  is  almost 
unique.  In  some  specimens  the  ends  of  the  toes  and  the  outer  side 
of  the  metacarpus  are  the  only  parts  not  occupied  by  the  dark  color. 
The  pelage  is  long  and  lax.  like  that  of  many  other  mountain  forms. 
The  type  was  taken  at  8.000  feet  altitude,  and  specimens  from  Toton- 
tepec  on  the  north  slope  of  the  same  mountain  at  0.500  feet  altitude 
show  that  it  ranges  to  slightly  lower  levels.  P.  lepturus,  which  also 
occurs  on  Mount  Zempoaltepec,  is  smaller  than  melanocarpus  and 
differs  in  numerous  cranial  characters. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  0,  from  localities  as  follows: 
Oaxaca:  Mount  Zempoaltepec  at  8,000  feet  altitude,  1;  Totontepec,  5. 

PEROMYSCUS  ZARHYXCHUS  Merriam. 

(PI.  VI,  fig.  1.) 

Peromyscu8  zarhynchus  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash..  XII,  p.  117,  Apr.  30, 

189S. 
Peromyscus  zarhynchus  cristobalensis   Merriam,  supra   cit.,  pp.  117-118. — San 

Cristobal,  Chiapas. 

Type  locality. — Tumbala,  Chiapas,  Mexico.    Altitude  5,500  feet. 

Geographic  distribution. — Highlands  of  Chiapas  and  Guatemala. 

Characters. — Size  very  large,  exceeded  only  in  the  subgenus  Mega- 
dontomys  •  tail  very  long,  always  longer  than  head  and  body,  rather 
finely  scaly  and  scantily  clothed  with  short  hairs;  soles  of  hind  feet 
naked  medially  to  calcaneum;  color  dark;  skull  with  very  elongate 
rostrum. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage?  (No.  76120):  Middle  of  back  from 
shoulders  to  base  of  tail  deep  blackish  brown  very  lightly  sprinkled 
with  russet,  producing  a  general  effect  of  mummy  brown;  sides, 
shoulders,  and  most  of  head  cinnamon  rufous  mixed  with  dusky,  pro- 
ducing a  general  effect  varying  from  russet  to  Mars  brown :  lateral 
line  rather  broad,  clear  cinnamon  rufous;  orbital  and  antorbital 
regions  dark  blackish  brown  not  very  sharply  contrasted;  under- 
pays yellowish  white,  with  or  without  pectoral  spot,  sometimes 
entirely  suffused  with  cinnamon;  feet  soiled  whitish,  tarsal  joint 
broadly  brownish  and  proximal  part  of  foot  slightly  brownish;  scaly 
part  of  tail  evenly  bicolor,  dusky  above  and  whitish  below  or  dusky 
above  and  irregularly  blotched  below.  Worn  pelage:  Slightly  paler, 
more  grayish,  than  in  unworn  pelage  and  with  dark  dorsal  area  less 
contrasted. 

Skull. — Size  very  large,  equaling  that  of  P.  thomasi  in  length  but 
general  form  lighter;  nasals,  rostrum,  palatine  slits,  etc..  very  long; 
shelf  of  bony  palate  rather  short ;  interpterygoid  fossa  and  audital 
bullae  about  as  in  guatemalensis  and  thomasi;  frontals  quite  con- 
stricted; supraorbital  border  sharp-angled  but  rarely  showing  any 


218  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

definite  bead;  zygomata  slightly  compressed  anteriorly  and  but 
slightly  notched;  lower  side  of  infraorbital  plate  somewhat  pro- 
duced forward;  teeth  larger  than  in  guatemalensis  but  smaller  than 
in  thomasi. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes:  Total  length  316 
(305-327)  ;  tail  vertebrae  170.7  (162-178)  ;  hind  foot  35.7  (33.5-38)  ; 
ear  from  notch  (dry)  22.2  (21.2-24).  Average  of  10  adults  from 
San  Cristobal,  Chiapas:  Total  length  312  (303-323);  tail  vertebrae 
166  (157-174)  ;  hind  foot  33.8  (33-36). 

Type  specimen. — No.  76119  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  9  adult,  October  20,  1895.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.    Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — This  is  the  largest  species  of  Peromyscus  except  those 
of  the  subgenus  Megadontomys.  Its  size,  therefore,  is  sufficient  to  dis- 
tinguish it.  The  skull  is  characterized  by  a  very  long  rostrum, 
longer  even  than  in  Megadontomys.  The  supraorbital  border  is  not 
beaded,  being  about  as  in  guatemalensis.  The  teeth  are  not  peculiar, 
but  a  few  specimens  show  a  faint  suggestion  of  the  inner  enamel 
island  of  the  anterior  triangle  of  the  first  upper  molar,  which  is  well 
developed  in  Megadontomys.  This  species  is  represented  by  two 
fairly  good  series,  one  from  Tumbala  and  one  from  San  Cristobal. 
There  is  considerable  variation  in  each  series,  both  in  color  and  in 
cranial  characters.  No  constant,  nor  even  average,  difference  in 
cranial  characters  appears,  and  in  color  the  very  slight  average  dif- 
ference is  scarcely  more  than  is  found  between  any  two  series  of  one 
species.  The  environmental  conditions  of  Tumbala  andp  San  Cristo- 
bal are  nearly  alike,  and  the  distance  between  the  two  places  is  not 
great. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  36,  from  localities  as  follows : 

Chiapas:   San  Cristobal,  22;  Tumbala,  14. 

Subgenus   MEGADONTOMYS   Merriam. 

Megadontomys  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XII,  pp.  115-116,  Apr.  30,  1S98. 

Type. — Peromyscus  thomasi  Merriam. 

Snbgeneric  characters. — Size  very  large,  slightly  exceeding  the 
largest  species,  and  greatly  exceeding  the  majority  of  the  species  of 
the  other  subgenera  of  Peromyscus;  molar  teeth  largest  and  heaviest 
of  the  genus;  tubercles  of  molars  low  and  usually  worn  flat  at  an 
early  stage;  supplementary  tubercles  (in  primary  angles  of  both 
upper  and  lower  molars)  more  highly  developed  than  in  the  subgenus 
Peromyscus ;  first  upper  molar,  when  slightly  worn,  presenting  five 
salient  and  four  reentrant  outer  angles;  anterior  loop  of  first  upper 
molar,  wdien  somewhat  more  worn,  containing  a  subcircular  enamel 
island,  which  is  the  persistent  part  of  the  first  outer  reentrant  angle ; 
first  and  second  lower  molars  with  a  prominent  and  well-developed 


1909.]  SUBGENUS   MEGADONTOMYS.  219 

supplementary  enamel  loop  in  the  outer  primary  reentrant  angles; 
third  lower  molar  presenting  three  salient  and  three  reentrant  angles 
on  each  side  during  a  much  longer  period  of  wear  than  in  the  sub- 
genus Peromyscus.  Plantar  tubercles  of  hind  foot  6,  as  in  Peromyscus. 
Mammae  6,  pectoral  j,  inguinal  §. 

Species. — P.  thomasi,  P.  nelsoni,  and  P.  flavidus. 

Remarks. — Nearly  all  the  characters  of  this  subgenus  are  relative 
rather  than  absolute.  The  development  of  the  supplementary  cusps, 
particularly  those  of  the  lower  molars,  gives  the  enamel  pattern  of 
the  worn  tooth  quite  a  different  appearance  from  that  in  the  sub- 
genus Peromyscus.  These  supplementary  cusps,  however,  are  quite 
well  developed  in  the  upper  molars  of  true  Peromyscus,  and  are 
present  also,  but  little  developed,  in  the  lower  molars.  As  seen  in 
the  profiles  of  unworn  teeth,  these  cusps  are  merely  larger  and  higher 
in  Megadontomys  than  in  Peromyscus.  Therefore  the  slightly  worn 
surface  of  the  molars  of  Megadontomys  presents  a  pattern  different 
from  that  of  Peromyscus  at  the  same  stage  of  wear,  but  when  the 
molars  of  Peromyscus  are  worn  to  a  greater  degree  the  cross  section 
shown  by  the  upper  surfaces  is  essentially  the  same  as  that  of 
Megadontomys.  In  Ilaplomylomys,  the  '  supplementary  cusps '  are 
entirely  absent,  in  Peromyscus  they  are  variously  developed,  and  in 
Megadontomys ,they  find  their  greatest  development.  Some  authors 
have  hastened  to  give  Megadontomys  full  generic  rank,  but  in  view 
of  the  relative  nature  of  its  characters  this  seems  ill  advised. 

Key  to  species  of  subgenus  Megadontomys. 

Anterior  tubercle  of  first  upper  molar  distinctly  divided  longitudinally P.  flavidus 

Anterior  tubercle  of  first  upper  molar  scarcely  or  not  at  all  divided. 

Supraorbital  border  somewhat  beaded- P.  thomasi 

Supraorbital  border  not  beaded P.  nelsoni 

PEROMYSCUS  THOMASI  Merriam. 

(PI.  V,  fig.  13;  pi.  VI,  figs.  3-3a;  pi.  VII,  fig.  5;  pi.  VIII.  figs.  1,  la,  lb,  lc.) 
Peromyscus    (Megadontomys)    thomasi  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.   Wasb.,  XII, 

pp.  11G,  120,  fig.  20,  Apr.  30,  189S. 
Megadontomi/s  thomasi  Bangs,  Bull.  Mus.  Comp.  Zool.,  XXXIX.  p.  27,  1902. 

Type  locality. — Mountains  near  Chilpancingo,  Guerrero,  Mexico. 
Altitude,  9,500  feet. 

GeograpJtic  distribution. — High  altitudes  in  mountains  of  central 
Guerrero,  Mexico. 

Characters. — Size  very  large,  equaling  and  often  slightly  exceed- 
ing P.  zarhynchus;  tail  decidedly  longer  than  head  and  body,  nearly 
unicolor  and  closely  covered  with  short  bristly  hairs,  which  do  not 
quite  conceal  the  annulations;  ears  large  and  minutely  hairy,  ap- 
pearing almost  naked ;  soles  of  hind  feet  naked  to  calcaneum :  pelage 
long  and  rather  coarse;  color  similar  in  general  to  that  of  P.  mega- 
lops;  skull  with  supraorbital  beads. 


220  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  General  color  much  as  in  P.  megalops, 
but  averaging  slightly  darker.  Upperparts  rich  tawny  mixed  with 
black,  the  tawny  everywhere  predominating;  back  only  very  slightly 
darker  than  sides;  sides  with  relatively  little  black  admixture,  leav- 
ing the  general  effect  from  the  cheeks  to  the  thighs  nearly  pure 
tawny;  nose  and  region  about  base  of  whiskers  black;  orbital  ring 
black:  underparts  creamy  white,  usually  somewhat  modified  by  slaty 
under  color,  and  occasionally  with  a  slight  suffusion  of  tawny  in  the 
pectoral  region ;  fore  feet  white ;  forearm  dusky  brownish  three- 
fourths  of  the  way  around:  hind  feet  white,  tarsal  joint  and  distal 
part  of  hind  leg  dusky  brownish  all  around;  hairs  of  tail  dusky  all 
around;  scaly  part  of  tail  chiefly  dusky  above  and  below,  but  occa- 
sionally light  yellowish  on  proximal  half  of  under  side.  Worn 
pelage:  Similar  to  unworn  pelage,  but  general  appearance  rougher; 
under  color  more  or  less  exposed  and  an  extensively  dusky  dorsal  area, 
well  differentiated. 

/Skull. — Size  very  large,  equaling  that  of  zarhynchus  in  length  and 
exceeding  it  in  massiveness;  supraorbital  border  distinctly  beaded; 
nasals  long,  slightly  shorter  and  wider  than  in  zarhynchus;  zygomata 
decidedly  convergent  anteriorly  and  scarcely  notched  by  infraorbital 
foramen ;  interparietal  very  large,  often  produced  to  a  sharp  angle 
posteriorly;  palatine  slits  very  large;  interpterygoid  fossa  wide; 
audita!  bulla1  moderate,  about  as  in  zarhynchus;  molar  teeth  large 
and  heavy,  larger  than  in  any  species  of  the  subgenus  Peromyscus; 
molar  enamel  pattern  peculiar  in  most  stages  of  wear  (see  subgeneric 
diagnosis). 

Measurements. — Average  of  7  adult  topotypes:  Total  length,  330 
(310-350)  ;  tail  vertebra?,  175  (162-188)  ;  hind  foot,  32.8  (32-34)  ; 
ear  from  notch  (dry),  23  (21.4-24.8). 

Type  specimen. — No.  70142  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  adult.  Dec.  24,  1894.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
E.  A.  Goldman.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — Although  equaled,  or  nearly  equaled,  in  size  by  P.  za- 
rhynchus, this  species  is  so  well  characterized  by  cranial  and  dental 
characters  as  not  to  require  close  comparison.  Its  only  close  relation- 
ship, of  course,  is  with  the  other  member  of  the  subgenus  Mega- 
dontomys  (nelsoni),  from  which  is  is  distinguished  by  its  lighter, 
more  extensively  tawny  color  and  bj1,  its  distinctly  beaded  skull.  Ex- 
ternally it  very  closely  resembles  P.  megalops,  merely  being  somewhat 
larger  and  showing  the  same  character  of  pelage  and  the  same 
extensively  tawny  color  in  unworn  pelage. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  14,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows : 

Guerrero:    Mountains  near  Chilpancingo,  7;  Omilteme,  7. 


1909.]  SUBGENUS    MEGADONTOMYS.  221 

PEROMYSCUS  NELSOXI  Meebiam. 

Peromyscus  {Megadontomys)  nels.oni  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XII,  pp. 

116-117,  Apr.  30,  1898. 
Megadontomys  nelsoni  Bangs,  Bull.  Mus.  ('(imp.  Zool.,  XXXIX,  p.  27,  1902. 

Type  locality. — Jico,  Veracruz,  Mexico.     Altitude  0.000  feet. 

Geographic  distribution. — Known  only  from  the  type  locality. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  thomasi  but  color  less  extensively  tawny 
and  skull  without  distinct  supraorbital  beads. 

Color. — Slightly  worn  pelage:  Upperparts  mixed  tawny  and 
dusky ;  general  effect  of  sides  cinnamon  to  russet  and  tawny  olive ; 
middle  of  back  with  dusky  largely  predominating,  general  effect 
raw  umber  to  bister;  dusky  markings  about  eyes  and  base  of  whiskers 
rather  heavy ;  fore  feet  white ;  forearm  dusky  to  wrist ;  hind  feet 
grayish  dusky;  toes  white,  tarsal  joint  broadly  brownish;  tail  uni- 
color,  dusky  all  around. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  thomasi,  but  frontals  slightly  more  con- 
stricted and  supraorbital  beads  comparatively  undeveloped. 

Measurements. — Type  and  one  topotype,  respectively  :  Total  length, 
302,  318;  tail  vertebras,  172,  170;  hind  foot,  35,  32;  ear  from  notch 
(dry),  20. 

Type  specimen. — No.  55024  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  9  adult.  July  10,  1893.  E.  W.  Nelsonand 
E.  A.  Goldman.  Specimen  in  good  condition ;  last  left  upper  molar 
absent. 

Remarks. — Probably  the  real  color  difference  between  nelsoni  and 
thomasi  is  rather  slight  or  practically  nothing.  The  only  known 
specimens  of  nelsoni  are  in  slightly  worn  pelage  and,  although  differ- 
ent from  the  majority  of  specimens  of  thomasi,  are  scarcely  distin- 
guishable from  equally  worn  specimens.  The  absence  of  supraorbital 
beads,  however,  appears  to  be  distinctive. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  2,  both  from  the  type  locality. 

PEROMYSCUS  FLAVIDUS   (Bangs). 

(PI.  VI,  figs.  2-2a;  pi.  VII,  fig.  S.) 

Megadontomys    flavidus    Bangs.    Bull.    Mus.    Comp.    Zool.,    Cambridge,    .Mass., 
XXX1X.  pp.  27-29,  figs.  5-7,  Apr..  1902. 

Type  locality. — Boquete,  south  slope  Volcan  de  Chiriqui,  Panama. 

Geographic  distribution. — Known  only  from  the  type  locality. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  thomasi  but  decidedly  larger;  ears  rela- 
tively smaller;  color  slightly  paler  with  less  dusky  about  head;  skull 
with  heavy  rostrum  characterized  by  long  nasals  and  laterally  swollen 
premaxillge;  anterior  lamina  of  first  upper  molar  longitudinally 
divided. 

Color. — Similar  to  that  of  thomasi,  but  averaging  slightly  paler; 
blackish  markings  about  head  less  extensive,  chiefly  confined  to  base 


222  NOBTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

of  whiskers;  underparts  more  yellowish;  entire  upperparts,  head, 
back,  sides,  etc.,  rich  ochraceous  rather  coarsely  lined  with  dusky; 
lower  cheeks  and  lateral  line  ochraceous  scarcely  or  not  at  all  mixed 
with  dusky;  nose  and  forehead  a  slightly  paler  shade  of  ochraceous 
than  body;  a  narrow  dusky  orbital  ring  and  a  well-defined  brownish 
dusky  spot  at  base  of  whiskers;  underparts  yellowish  white,  without 
pectoral  spot;  forearm  dusky  to  wrist;  fore  feet  white;  hind  feet 
whitish,  more  or  less  mixed  with  dusky  brownish  to  base  of  toes; 
toes  white;  tail  thinly  clothed  with  very  short  hairs,  usually  indis- 
tinctly bicolor.  Worn  pelage:  Upperparts  a  richer  shade  of  ochra- 
ceous (more  nearly  tawny),  with  dusky  mixture  slightly  modified 
and  blended. 

Skull. — Decidedly  different  from  that  of  P.  thomasi;  larger,  higher, 
and  relatively  narrower;  rostrum  much  heavier,  with  nasals  more 
extended  backward  and  premaxillse  much  more  swollen  laterally; 
anterior  palatine  foramina  shorter  and  wider;  teeth  and  audital  bullae 
actually  and  relatively  smaller;  supraorbital  beads  strongly  de- 
veloped; nasals  ending  far  back,  at  least  on  plane  of  lacrymals;  inter- 
parietal scarcely  produced  posteriorly;  coronoid  process  of  mandible 
broad,  strong,  and  elevated;  teeth  relatively  short  and  broad;  ml 
with  anterior  lamina  distinctly  divided,  making  6  cusps  instead  of  5; 
lower  molars  with  supplementary  loops  slightly  developed,  much 
less  than  in  Megadontomys,  about  as  in  Peromyscus. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes:  Total  length,  341.6 
(320-375)  ;  tail  vertebras,  181.2  (155-205)  ;  hind  foot,  31.8  (31-33)  ; 
ears,  22.5  (20-24). 

Type  specimen. — No.  10331  Museum  Comparative  Zoology.  Cam- 
bridge, Mass.,  formerly  same  number,  collection  of  E.  A.  and  O. 
Bangs.      S   adult.     April  12,  1901.     W.  W.  Brown,  jr. 

Remarks. — The  inclusion  of  this  species  within  the  genus  Pero- 
myscus is  provisional.  In  dentition  it  decidedly  approaches  several 
neotropical  genera.  The  first  upper  molar  in  fact  is  almost  com- 
pletely six-cusped,  whereas  in  typical  Peromyscus  this  tooth  is  five- 
cusped.  However,  an  approach  to  the  six-cusped  condition  is  shown 
in  P.  thomasi,  in  which  the  anterior  lamina  of  the  tooth  is  incom- 
pletely divided.  Moreover,  P.  thomasi  is  closely  similar  to  P.  flavi- 
dus  in  external  characters.  Since  the  generic  relationships  of  various 
neotropical  murines  are  imperfectly  understood,  it  seems  best  for  the 
present  to  retain  P.  flavidus  in  the  subgenus  Megadontomys. 

/Specimens  examined. — Total  number  27,  all  from  the  type  locality. 

Subgenus  OCHROTOMYS  nobis. 

Type — Arvicola  nuttalli  Harlan   (=Peromyscus''  nitttalli). 
Subgeneric  characters. — Color  of  young  in  first  pelage  essentially 
same  as  that  of  adult;  hairs  clothing  ears  of  same  color  as  those  of 


1909.]  SUBGENUS    OCHROTOMYS.  223 

upperparts;  abdomen  suffused  with  color  of  upperparts.  Plantar 
tubercles  6,  with  a  rudimentary  seventh,  adjacent  to  the  large  tuber- 
cle at  the  base  of  the  fifth  digit.  Mammae  6;  inguinal  f,  pectoral^. 
Posterior  palatine  foramina  situated  farther  back  than  in  Pero- 
myscus, being  decidedly  nearer  to  the  interpterygoid  fossa  than 
to  the  posterior  endings  of  the  anterior  palatine  slits.  Molariform 
teeth  relatively  wide,  and  with  enamel  folds  much  compressed ;  tuber- 
cles relatively  low ;  a  tendency  to  development  of  a  raised  cingulum 
marked  by  subsidiary  tubercles  in  the  inner  salient  angles  of  ml  and 
m2 ;  enamel  relatively  thicker  than  in  subgenus  Peromyscus,  the  pat- 
tern as  seen  in  partly  worn  teeth  being  much  compressed  both  lat- 
erally and  longitudinally,  so  that  the  folds  of  the  two  sides  touch  in 
almost  all  stages  of  wear,  leaving  five  subtriangular  islands  of  dentine 
in  ml  and  four  in  m2 ;  lower  molars  similarly  peculiar. 

Species. — One,  the  type  only. 

Remarks. — It  is  rather  surprising  that  the  numerous  characters 
of  P.  nuttalli  have  not  been  accorded  more  than  specific  rank.  It 
differs  widely  from  all  other  species  of  the  genus  in  external,  cranial, 
and  dental  characters.  Its  general  appearance  is  striking,  not  only 
on  account  of  the  bright  uniform  color,  the  ochraceous  ears  and  belly, 
but  also  for  the  peculiar  pelage,  which  is  extremely  dense  and  soft, 
suggesting  that  of  the  tropical  murine  opossums. 

Although  the  tubercles  of  its  teeth  number  the  same  as  in  the  sub- 
genus Peromyscus,  and,  as  seen  in  cross  section,  show  the  same  num- 
ber of  enamel  folds,  the  relation  of  these  folds  to  each  other  and  to 
the  dentine  is  different.  In  general,  the  enamel  is  thicker  and  occu- 
pies a  relatively  greater  part  of  the  upper  surface  of  the  worn  tooth. 
Except  in  extremely  old  individuals,  the  dentine  areas  are  not  con- 
fluent, whereas  in  Peromyscus,  even  in  teeth  but  slightly  worn,  these 
areas  are  all,  or  nearly  all,  confluent  through  narrow  constrictions. 
This  gives  the  worn  surface  of  the  tooth  a  characteristic  aspect 
which,  upon  hasty  examination,  might  lead  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
enamel  pattern  is  much  more  complicated  than  in  true  Peromyscus. 
The  tendency  to  greater  development  of  a  raised  cingulum  is  difficult 
to  appreciate  without  examination  of  many  teeth  of  different  ages. 
"When  the  teeth  are  worn  to  the  level  of  this  raised  part  of  the  cingu- 
lum (and  this  occurs  before  the  obliteration  of  any  important 
angles),  the  lateral  angles  are  bridged,  as  it  were,  and  the  outer 
boundaries  of  the  teeth  are  entire ;  that  is,  all  the  angles  are  inclosed. 

Key  to  subspecies  of  Peromyscus  nuttalli. 

Size  larger;  maxillary  toothrow  about  4 P  nuttalli 

Size  smaller;  maxillary  toothrow   usually  less  than  4 , P.  n.  aureolus 


224 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.   28. 


PEROMYSCUS  NUTTALLI  (Harlan).     Northern  (Jolden  Mouse. 
(PI.  V,  fig.  11;  pi.  VI,  figs.  7-7a;  pi.  VII,  fig.  2;  pi.  VIII,  figs.  5-5a.) 

Arvicola  nuttalli  Harlan,  Monthly  Am.  Jour,  of  Geol.  and  Nat.   Sci.,  Phila.,  I, 

pp.  446-447,  Apr.,  1832;  Med.  and  Phys.  Researches  or  Orig.  Memoirs,  Phila., 

pp.  55-56,  col.  i>l.,  L835. 
Hesperomys  nuttalli  P.aird,  Mamm.  N.  Am.,  Pac.  R.  R,  Rei)ts.,  VIII,  pp.  467^68, 

1857. 
Peromyscus  nuttalli  Bangs,  Proc.  Post.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XXVIII,  p.  197,  Mar., 

1898. 

Type  locality. — Norfolk,  Va. 

Geographic    distribution. — Southeastern    Virginia    and    northern 
North  Carolina ;  west  to  central  Kentucky. 

Characters. — In   general   those   of   the   subgenus   Ochrotomys,   of 

which  it  is  the  only 


Peromyscus  nutfolli 
R  n.  aureotus. 


species.  Pelage  very 
soft  and  thick ;  color 
chiefly  rich  tawny 
ochraceous ;  ears 
same  color  as  body; 
abdomen  suffused 
w  it h  ochraceous; 
proximal  half  of 
hind  foot  hairy ; 
skull  and  teeth  some- 
what peculiar. 

Color.  —  Upper- 
parts  in  all  pelages 
rich  tawny  ochra- 
ceous, nearly  clear  on 
sides,  lightly  mixed 
with  dusky  on  back 
in  fresh  pelage ;  face 
and  head  exactly  like  sides;  underparts  creamy  white  suffused  with 
ochraceous  on  abdomen,  this  often  extending  to  entire  underparts 
except  chin  and  throat;  hairs  with  slate-colored  bases  throughout, 
except  on  chin  and  throat  and  a  small  inguinal  area  where  they 
are  creamy  white  to  the  roots;  ears  tawny  ochraceous  like  sides; 
whiskers  mixed  brownish  and  whitish,  no  dusky  spot  at  base  and  no 
orbital  ring;  forearm  extensively  ochraceous;  feet  creamy  white;  tail 
pale  brownish  (near  broccoli  brown)  above,  creamy  white  below. 
Young :  Similar  to  adults  but  slightly  paler ;  ears  thickly  haired  and 
conspicuously  bright  ochraceous. 

Skull. — Somewhat  similar  in  general  form  to  that  of  leucopus  but 
relatively  broader;  braincase  rather  full,  somewhat  elevated;  nasals 
rather   short,    usually    somewhat    compressed    posteriorly;    rostrum 


Fig.  9.- 


-Dlstribution   of   PerGmyscus   nuttalli  and  P.   n. 
aureolus. 


1909.]  SUBGENUS    OCHROTOMYS.  225 

rather  broad,  particularly  across  lacrymals;  interpterygoid  fossa 
broad  and  nearly  square-angled  anteriorly;  posterior  palatine 
foramina  about  opposite  middle  of  m2,  decidedly  nearer  to  inter- 
pterygoid fossa  than  to  plane  of  front  of  ml;  molar  teeth  peculiar 
(see  subgeneric  diagnosis). 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adults  from  the  Dismal  Swamp, 
Virginia:  Total  length,  181  (170-190);  tail  vertebrae,  85  (80-93); 
hind  foot,  19.7  (19-20)  ;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  15.5  (14.4-16.4). 

Type  specimen. — Not  known  to  be  in  existence. 

Remarks. — The  many  characters  of  this  species  make  it  unmis- 
takable. To  those  unfamiliar  with  it  the  color  of  the  ears  alone  will 
serve  as  a  means  of  certain  identification,  for  it  is  the  only  species  in 
the  genus  having  ochraceous  ears,  the  same  color  as  the  body.  It  is 
perhaps  best  known  under  the  name  aureolus,  which  has  long  been  in 
use.  The  name  nuttalli,  employed  by  Baird  in  1857  and  then  dis- 
carded by  later  authors,  was  revived  by  Bangs  in  1898.  The  original 
description  by  Harlan  does  not  mention  any  characters  that  are 
diagnostic;  indeed  it  states  that  the  animal  was  "  fawn-coloured  above, 
whitish  beneath,''  which  really  applies  better  to  leueopus  than  to  this 
species.  However,  a  colored  figure  published  two  years  later  by  the 
same  author  more  nearly  represents  this  species  than  leueopus  or 
gossypinus,  the  only  others  which  might  have  been  found  at  Norfolk, 
the  type  locality.  It  represents  a  mouse  with  ears  colored  like  the 
body  and  with  the  underparts  washed  with  buffy.  It  shows  also  the 
body  color  extending  entirely  over  the  feet,  a  peculiarity  not  found 
in  any  of  the  species  and  which  might  be  taken  to  discredit  the  figure 
altogether.  Since,  however,  nothing  definite  can  be  proved  it  seems 
best  to  follow  current  usage  and  allow  the  name  nuttalli  to  stand  for 
the  species  under  consideration.  Specimens  from  the  Dismal  Swamp, 
Virginia,  only  a  few  miles  from  Norfolk,  are  larger  and  have  larger 
molar  teeth  than  specimens  from  more  southern  localities  and  seem 
subspecifically  separable.  The  name  nuttalli  therefore  will  stand  for 
this  northern  form,  and  for  the  southern  and  more  widely  ranging 
form  the  well-known  name  aureolus  is  available. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  90,  from  localities  as  follows : 

Kentucky:   Eubauks,  7. 

North   Carolina:  Asheville,   1;    Buncombe,    3:    Highlands,    1;    Magnetic 

City,  foot  of  Roan  Mountain,  7:   Weaverville,  29. 
Tennessee:   High  Cliff,  1;  Knoxville,  1. 
Virginia:  Dismal  Swamp,  40. 

PEROMYSCUS  NUTTALLI  AUREOLUS  (Aud.  and  Bach.).  Southern  Golden 

Mouse. 

Mm    (Calomys)    aureolus    Audubon   and   Bachman,    Proc.   Acad.    Nat.    Sci.,    I, 

pp.  98-99,  1841. 
Peromyscus  aureolus  Trouessart,  Catal.  Mamm.,  p.  517,  1897, 

66268— No.  28—09 15 


226  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Type  locality.— ■"  In  the  oak  forests  of  South  Carolina." 

Geographic  distribution. — Southeastern  United  States  from  North 
Carolina  to  northern  Florida;  west  to  eastern  Texas  and  Oklahoma. 
Lower  Austral  zone. 

Characters. — Similar  to  nuttalli,  but  averaging  smaller;  skull  and 
molar  teeth  smaller. 

Color. — As  in  nuttalli ;  at  the  extreme  of  its  range  possibly  averag- 
ing very  slightly  paler. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  nuttalli,  but  smaller  and  narrower  ac- 
tually and  relatively;  molar  teeth  quite  decidedly  smaller. 

Measurements. — Average  of  7  adults  from  Milton,  Fla. :  Total 
length,  172.5  (164-184);  tail  vertebras,  83  (80-88);  hind  foot,  18.8 
(17-20)  ;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  14.1  (13.4-14.6).  Of  a  large  male 
from  Augusta,  Ga.:  Total  length  175;  tail  vertebras  90;  hind  foot  19; 
ear  from  crown  11.5;  ear  from  notch  17. 

Type  specimen. — Not  known  to  be  extant. 

Remarks. — The  amount  of  difference  between  this  form  and  typical 
nuttalli  is  not  great,  but  is  reasonably  constant  in  the  material  thus 
far  examined.  Two  small  series  from  Eubanks,  Ky.,  and  Magnetic 
City,  N.  C,  respectively,  have  been  referred  to  nuttalli  on  account 
of  their  rather  large  teeth.  Their  skulls,  however,  are  not  very  large, 
and  it  is  not  improbable  that  larger  series  from  these  localities  would 
prove  to  be  more  or  less  intermediate.  A  large  series  from  Raleigh, 
N.  C,  seems  referable  to  aureolus,  though  somewhat  intermediate. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  160,  from  localities  as  follows : 

Alabama:   Brewton,  1  ;  Huntsville,  1  :  Mobile  Bay,  1. 

Arkansas:   Beebe,  1. 

Florida:   Enterprise,  2 :   Gainesville,  2;   Jacksonville,  1;  Milton,  8;  New 

Berlin,   1;    San   Mateo    ( 10    m.    southeast),    1;    Tallahassee,   3;    Whit- 
field, 6.° 
Georgia:  Augusta,  8;  Hoschton,  1:  Pinetucky,  <>;  Kieeboro?  ("Southern 

States,"'  Leconte),  1. 
Louisiana:   Mansfield,  1. 
Missouri:   St.  Louis,  1. 
North  Carolina:  Apex,  2:  Bertie  County.  2:  Chapanoke,  4;  Raleigh,  02; 

Roanoke  Rapids,  1. 
Oklahoma:   Redland,  2. 

South  Carolina:   Calhoun  Falls,  8;  Charleston,  1;  Columbia,  1. 
Texas:   Joaquin,  1. 

Subgenus  PODOMYS  nobis. 

Type. — Hesperomys  foridanus  Chapman  (=Peromyscus  flori- 
danus). 

Subgeneric  characters. — Plantar  tubercles  of  hind  foot  5  instead 
of  6,  as  in  the  other  subgenera  of  Peroniyscus;  digital  tubercles  3, 
phalangeal  2,  the  latter  much  reduced  in  size  and  subcircular  in  shape. 

a  Carnegie  Museum. 


1909.]  ,  SUBGENUS    PODOMYS.  227 

Molar  teeth  slightly  more  hypsodont  than  in  Peromyscus,  less  so  than 
in  Onychomys;  accessory  tubercles  in  salient  inter  angles  of  molars 
very  small,  as  seen  in  transverse  section,  never  forming  a, loop  which 
extends  to  the  outer  edge  of  the  tooth,  as  in  Peromyscus.  Mammae : 
6  (L,  |,  a.,  £,  p.,  \). 

Species. — One,  the  type  only. 

Remarks. — The  constancy  of  the  number  and  relative  size  of  the 
plantar  tubercles  throughout  the  genus  Peromyscus  is  so  great  that 
the  decided  departure  shown  by  /'.  fioridanus  must  be  considered  of 
more  than  specific  importance.  In  other  respects  the  species  does  not 
differ  so  greatly  from  Peromyscus,  although  its  skull  is  well  charac- 
terized specifically,  and  its  teeth  are  somewhat  peculiar.  The  reduc- 
tion in  the  number  of  plantar  tubercles  and  the  large,  slightly  more 
hypsodont  teeth  suggest  the  possibility  that  this  form  may  be  inter- 
mediate between  Peromyscus  and  Onychomys. 

Fresh  or  alcoholic  specimens  are  necessary  for  an  appreciation  of 
the  character  of  the  plantar  tubercles,  as  in  dry  specimens  the 
tubercles  are  so  much  distorted  that  their  character,  or  even  their 
number*,  may  be  mistaken. 

PEROMYSCUS  FLORIDANUS  (Chapman). 
(PI.  V.  fig.  14;  pi.  VI,  figs.  6-6a;  pi.  VII,  fig.  1;  pi.  VIII,  fig.  8.) 

Hesperomys  floridanus  Chapman,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  II,  p.  117, 

June,  1889. 
Hesperomys  macropus  Merriam,  N.  Am.  Faima  No.  4,  pp.  53-54,  Oct.  8,  1890. 

Lake  Worth,  Florida. 
Peromyscus  floridanus  Bangs,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  X,  p.  122,  189G. 

Type  locality. — Gainesville.  Fla. 

Geographic  distribution. — The  central  part  of  peninsular  Florida 
from  coast  to  coast. 

Characters. — Size  large  (hind  foot  25-27)  ;  tail  shorter  than  head 
and  body;  ears  large  and  thinly  haired;  proximal  fifth  of  sole  of 
hind  foot  hairy,  remainder  nearly  naked;  plantar  tubercles  5  (see 
siibgeneric  diagnosis)  ;  color  paler  than  in  leucopus  or  gossypinus. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  Top  of  head,  neck,  back,  and  upper  sides 
pale  ochraceous  buff  finely  mixed  with  dusky,  producing  a  pale 
grayish-cinnamon  effect ;  lower  sides  from  nose  to  base  of  tail  rich 
ochraceous  buff,  very  lightly  or  not  at  all  mixed  with  dusky;  sub- 
auricular  tufts  mixed  pale  ochraceous  buff  and  dusky;  thin  hairiness 
of  outside  of  ears  dusky,  of  inside  whitish;  underparts  creamy  white, 
often  with  an  ochraceous  buff  pectoral  spot ;  feet  and  forelegs  chiefly 
white,  upper  side  of  hind  feet  somewhat  dusky  at  base ;  tail  brownish 
dusky  above,  creamy  white  below.  Worn  pelage:  Similar  to  unworn 
pelage,  but  sides  more  broadly  ochraceous  and  back  less  dusky:  tail 
often    ding}'    and    very    indistinctly    bicolor.     Adolescent    pelage: 


228  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Scarcely  different  from  adult  pelage,  possibly  a  little  more  dusky 
with  sides  less  broadly  ochraceous.  Young  in  first  coat :  General 
effect  of  upperparts  varying  from  smoke  gray  to  drab  gray,  shading 
into  mouse  gray  on  middle  of  back. 

Skull. — Size  large  and  depth  relatively  great;  supraorbital  border 
rather  sharp  and  shelf  like ;  posterior  end  of  nasals  slightly  exceeding 
ascending  branches  of  premaxillaries ;  palatine  slits  rather  short  and 
expanded;  interpterygoid  fossa  rather  wide  and  nearly  right-angled 
anteriorly.  Molars  large  and  broad,  the  tubercles  considerably  ele- 
vated; accessory  tubercles  between  outer  salient  angles  small  or 
scarcely  evident. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adults  from  Fort  Gardner,  Fla. : 
Total  length,  199.8  (190-221)  ;  tail  vertebra?,  86.2  (80-95)  ;  hind  foot, 
26.6  (26-27.5)  ;  ear  from  notch,  22.5  (22-25). 

Type  specimen. — No.  1812  American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
New  York.  Skin  without  skull.  Immature.  Sex  (?).  Oct.,  1888. 
J.  H.  P.  Bell.  Skin  in  rather  poor  condition,  both  hind  legs  dang- 
ling, distal  half  of  tail  gone. 

Remarks. — P.  floridanus  is  the  largest  species  of  Peromyscus  native 
in  the  eastern  United  States.  This  fact  alone  serves  to  distinguish 
it  without  reference  to  its  subgeneric  characters.  The  limited  dis- 
tribution of  this  very  distinct  form  suggests  that  it  may  be  one  of  the 
well-known  stranded  forms  representing  a  group  of  former  wide  dis- 
tribution.   Of  its  habits  in  Florida,  Bangs  says:a 

It  lives  only  in  the  higher  sandy  ridges,  where  there  is  plenty  of  black-jack 
oak  and  turkey  oak,  and  where  the  bare  white  sand  is  in  places  covered  by  scat- 
tered patches  of  scrub  palmetto.  It  is  the  characteristic  small  mammal  of 
such  places,  commonly  known  as  '  black-jack  ridges,'  and  I  have  never  found 
it  elsewhere. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  147,  from  localities  as  follows : 

Florida:  Anastasia  Island,  S;  Blitch  Ferry,  1;  Canaveral,  2;  Citronelle, 
4;  Crystal  River,  1;  Eau  Gallie,  5;  Enterprise,  69;  Fort  Gardner, 
Kissimee  River,  29;  Gainesville.  2;  Lake  Worth,  8;  Micco,  9; 
Miami,  3;  Ocklawaha  River,  2:  Sebastian,  1;  Tarpon  Springs,  3. 

Subgenus  HAPLOMYLOMYS  Osgood. 

Haplomylomys  Osgood,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XVII,  pp.  53-54,  fig.  1,  Mar. 
21,  1904. 

Type. — Hesperomys  eremicus  Baird  (  =  P<ro///yscus  eremicus). 

Characters. — Tail  rather  long,  always  longer  than  head  and  body; 
plantar  tubercles  6;  mammae  4  (i.,  f,  a.,  -§-,  p.,  £  )  ;  skull  with 
cranium  rather  large  and  rostral  region  relatively  weak;  first  and  sec- 
ond upper  molars  usually  with  three  salient  and  two  reentrant  outer 
angles  at  all  stages  of  wear;  accessory  tubercles  between  outer  pri- 

°Proc.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XXVIII,  p.  194,  Mar.,  1898, 


1909.]  SUBGENUS   HAPLOMYLOMYS.  229 

mary  tubercles  very  rudimentary  or  absent;  lower  molars  corre- 
spondingly simple.     (See  PL  VIII,  figs.  3— i). 

Species. — P.  eremicus,  P.  californicus,  P.  goldmani,  and  P. 
erinitus. 

Remarks. — The  simple  character  of  the  molar  teeth  is  usually 
diagnostic  of  this  group.  No  accessory  cusps  are  evident  either  in 
transverse  or  longitudinal  views  of  the  molars,  except  in  P.  erinitus, 
and  in  this  species  they  are  extremely  reduced.  The  presence  of 
these  accessory  cusps  in  the  other  subgenera  is,  however,  not  always 
obvious  at  all  stages  of  wear.  Therefore  it  often  requires  close 
examination  to  determine  properly  the  position  of  individual  speci- 
mens. The  external  appearance  of  the  members  of  this  subgenus  is 
slightly  peculiar  but  not  readily  described,  although  experienced 
workers  find  little  difficulty  in  its  recognition.  P.  calif  ornicus  and 
P.  eremicus  are  usually  recognized  by  their  naked  or  nearly  naked 
soles,  but  this  peculiarity  does  not  extend  to  P.  erinitus  and  P. 
goldmani.  P.  erinitus  is  the  most  aberrant  member  in  this  group 
on  account  of  the  approach  to  the  subgenus  Peromyscus  indicated  by 
its  molar  teeth,  but  since  it  has  only  two  pairs  of  mammas  it  seems 
best  to  include  it  here. 

Key  to  species  of  the  subgenus  Haplomylomys. 
ADULTS. 

Size  large;  hind  foot  25-29 P.   californicus 

Size  smaller  ;   hind  foot  19—24. 
Hind  foot    19-22. 

Zygomata  compressed  anteriorly  ;  nasals  attenuate,  slightly  or  not  at  all  exceeded 

by  premaxilla? P-   erinitus 

Zygomata  less  compressed  anteriorly  ;  nasals  broader  and  flatter  ;  decidedly  ex- 
ceeded by  premaxillae P.   eremicus 

Hind  foot  22-24;  sides  of  head  ochraceous P.  goldmani 

Key  to  subspecies  of  Peromyscus  erinitus. 

Size  smaller;  hird  foot  19-20;  greatest  length  of  skull  usually  less  than  24;  color  pale 

Southern  Nevada  to  northern  Lower  California P.  c.  stepliensi 

Size  larger  ;  hind  foot  20-21  ;   greatest  length  of  skull  usually  more  than  24  ;   color  not 
so  pale.     Great  Basin  region  from  Oregon  and  Idaho  to  Arizona  and  New   Mexico. 
Color  more  buffy  ochraceous  with  a  minimum  of  dusky  mixture— P.  c.  auripectus 
Color  more  grayish  with  a  larger  mixture  of  dusky P.  erinitus 

PEROMYSCUS  CRINITUS  (Merriam).    Canyon  Mouse. 

(PI.  Ill,  fig.  9.) 

Hesperomys  erinitus  Merriam,  N.  Am.  Fauna,  No.  5,  pp.  53-54,  July  30,  1891. 
Peromyscus  truei  erinitus  Trouessart,  Catal.  Mamm.  Viv.  et  Foss.,  p.  517,  1897. 
Peromyscus  erinitus  scitulns  Bangs,  Proc.  New  Eng.  Zool.  Club,  I,  p.  67,  July 

31,  1899.— Gardnerville,  Nev. 
Peromyscus  erinitus  Bangs,  supra  tit. 

Type  locality. — Shoshone  Falls,  Snake  River,  Idaho. 

Geographic  distribution. — Rocky  cliffs  and  canyons  of  southern 
Idaho,  eastern  Oregon,  eastern  California,  northern  Nevada,  and 
northwestern  Utah.    Upper  Sonoran  zone. 


230 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.  28. 


l*»  o 


/  *yo* 


Characters. — Size  medium;  tail  longer  than  head  and  body,  thickly 
covered  with  long,  soft  hairs,  terminating  in  a  distinct  pencil;  ears 
rather  large;  pelage  usually  long  and  lax;  hind  foot  hairy  on  proxi- 
mal fourth  or  naked  in  median  part  to  calcaneum;  skull  with  rather 
wide,  shallow  braincase,  and  long,  slender  nasals. 

Color. — Adult  in  new  fall  pelage:  Upperparts  pale  ochraceous  buff 
uniformly  mixed  with  dusky;  forehead,  nose,  and  upper  face  slightly 
grayish;  underparts  white,  frequently  with  a  faint  pectoral  spot  of 
buff;  tail  bicolor,  sooty  blackish  above,  white  below;  hands  and  feet 
white.  Immature:  Less  buffy  than  adult,  general  color  more  grayish. 
Skull. — Braincase  broad  and  somewhat  flattened;  zygomata  com- 
pressed  anteriorly;    rostrum    slightly   depressed   and   more    or   less 

rounded  dorsally ;  nasals 
long  and  somewhat  com- 
pressed posteriorly ;  ascend- 
ing branches  of  premaxillse 
usually  attenuate  and  rare- 
ly exceeding  nasals;  audi- 
tal  bulla?  moderate;  molar 
teeth  with  accessory  tuber- 
cles between  outer  angles 
very  small  and  inconspicu- 
ous, worn  teeth  often  show- 
ing same  simple  enamel 
pattern  as  in  P.  eremicus. 

Measurements. — Average 
of  9  topotypes:  Total 
length,  176  (172-184)  ;  tail 
vertebras,  95  (92-97)  ;  hind 
foot,  21 ;  ear  from  notch 
(dry),  10.3  (15.4-17.5). 

Type  specimen.  —  No. 
fflfl  U.  S.  National  Mu- 
seum, Biological  Survey  Collection.  $  adult.  Oct.  10,  1890.  C.  Hart 
Merriam  and  Vernon  Bailey.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — P.  crinitus  is  a  very  distinct  species  confined  chiefly  to 
the  Great  Basin  region.  It  is  apparently  rare,  for  it  has  been  ob- 
tained at  only  a  small  number  of  localities  and  in  limited  numbers. 
Externally  it  is  characterized  by  soft  silky  pelage,  much  as  in  P. 
eremicus,  and  by  a  hairy  crested  tail.  It  appears  to  be  more  closely 
related  to  P.  eremicus  than  to  any  other  species  and  apparently  con- 
nects Peromyscus  proper  and  Haplomylomys.  It  is  referred  to 
Haplomylomys  because  it  has  four  mamnue.  as  in  the  other  species  of 
Haplomylomys,  instead  of  six  as  in  the  subgenus  Peromyscus.  Many 
specimens  show  the  simple  enamel  pattern  as  in  P.  eremicus  and  P. 


*  ft    ,/T      ' 


R  crinitus 
£  c. Stephens/ 


Pc.  aur /pectus {  o 


Z&'S^^l 


Fig.  10. — Distribution    of    Peromyscus    crinitus    and 
subspecies. 


1909.]  •  SUBGENUS   HAPLOMYLOMYS.  231 

californicus,  but  examination  of  large  series  of  all  ages  proves  the 
existence  of  the  small  tubercles  as  in  typical  Peromyscus,  but  so  re- 
duced in  size  as  to  be  almost  obsolete.  P.  crinitus  may  be  distin- 
guished from  eremicus,  regardless  of  other  characters,  by  the  rostral 
part  of  the  skull.  In  crinitus  the  rostrum  is  more  elongate,  depressed, 
and  rounded;  the  zygomata  are  much  more  compressed  anteriorly; 
and  the  premaxilhe  do  not  exceed  the  posterior  ends  of  the  nasals. 
The  pelages  of  crinitus  differ  chiefly  in  the  amount  of  dusky  admix- 
ture present.  The  new  fall  pelage  is  strongly  dusky  and  the  general 
effect  of  the  upperparts  is  decidedly  grayish.  In  summer  (June  and 
July)  specimens  become  worn,  the  dusky  fades  to  brownish,  and  the 
buff  or  ochraceous  buff  ground  color  becomes  dominant.  Immature 
specimens  are  invariably  grayish  in  general  color. 

P.  crinitus  scitulus  seems  to  be  the  same  as  crinitus,  having  been 
based  on  August  specimens  in  which  the  pelage  appears  more  fulvous 
than  in  the  Shoshone  Falls  specimens  taken  in  October. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  63,  from  localities  as  follows : 

California:   Arnedee,  6;  Coleville,  2:  Susanville,  1. 

Idaho:   Shoshone  Falls,  12:  Silver  Creek,  1. 

Nevada:  Anderson  Ranch,  Douglas  County,  12;  Elko,  1;  Gardnerville,  9; 

Granite  Creek,  3;   Pyramid  Lake,  4;   Smoke  Creek  Desert.  1. 
Oregon:   Crooked   River    (20    m.    southeast   Prineville),    2;    Haruey,    4; 

Narrows,  1. 
Utah:   Beaver  River,  near  Fort  Cameron,  3;  Parawan,  1  (not  typical). 

PEROMYSCUS  CRINITUS  AURIPECTUS   Allen.     Buff-breasted  Canyon 

Mouse. 

Sitomys  atiripeetus  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  V,  pp.  7r>-7<*>,  Apr. 

28,  1893. 
Peromyscus    auripectus    Allen,    Bull.    Am.    Mus.    Nat.    Hist.,    N.    Y.,    VII,    pp. 

226-227,  June  29,  1895. 

Type  locality. — Bluff  City,  San  Juan  River,  Utah. 

Geographic  distribution. — Known  from  a  limited  number  of  locali- 
ties in  northeastern  Arizona,  southeastern  Utah,  and  adjacent  parts 
of  Colorado  and  New  Mexico. 

Characters. — Similar  in  general  to  P.  crinitus,  but  lighter  colored 
and  more  buffy;  tail  heavily  haired;  skull  as  in  crinitus. 

Color. — Full  winter  pelage :  Upperparts  rich  ochraceous  buff, 
faintly  lined  with  dusky  on  back,  nearly  clear  on  sides;  head  and 
face  ochraceous  buff;  ears  dusky  brownish  edged  with  buffy  white; 
lanuginous  ear  tufts  buffy  sometimes  mixed  with  white;  underparts 
creamy  white,  frequently  with  a  buffy  ochraceous  pectoral  spot :  en- 
tire underparts  occasionally  suffused  with  buffy;  tail  dusky  brownish 
above,  white  below ;  hands  and  feet  white. 

Skull. — As  in  P.  crinitus;  possibly  averaging  slightly  larger. 


232  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  t*0.  28. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes:  Total  length, 
177.7  (174-182)  ;  tail  vertebrae,  93  (89-98)  ;  hind  foot,  20.8  (20-21) ; 
ear  from  notch  (dry),  17.3  (16.6-18). 

Type  specimen. — No  §|4t  American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
New  York.  ?  adult.  May  14,  1892.  C.  P.  Rowley.  Specimen  in 
fair  condition;  skull  with  several  slight  imperfections. 

Remarks. — In  full  winter  pelage,  this  is  a  very  attractive  species. 
Its  rich  buff  color  is  nearly  unmixed  with  dusky  and  it  is  therefore 
quite  conspicuous.  It  is  really  very  closely  related  to  crinitus,  the 
chief  difference  being  in  color.  Specimens  from  the  Grand  Canyon, 
Arizona,  distinctly  tend  toward  P.  c.  stephensi.  The  pectoral  spot 
is  variable  and  not  always  present.  It  is  rather  frequent  among 
specimens  from  the  type  locality,  but  occurs  in  very  few  of  a  series 
from  Holbrook,  Arizona,  and  is  then  imperfectly  developed.  The 
Holbrook  specimens,  however,  have  a  decided  buffy  suffusion  through- 
out the  underparts. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  105,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows: 

Arizona:  Grand  Canyon,  near  Mountain  Spring,  9;  Holbrook,  36;  Keain 
Canyon,  9 ;  Painted  Desert,  Little  Colorado  River,  4. 

Colorado:  Ashbaugh  Ranch,  2;  Coventry,  2;  Grand  Junction,  1  ;a  Mesa 
Verde,  1 ;  Plateau  Creek,  1 . 

New  Mexico:  Cbaco  Canyon  4. 

Utah:  Bluff  City,  26;  Cainesville,  1;  Henry  Mountains  (east  base  Mount 
Ellen),  1;   Noland  Ranch,  4;   Uncompahgre   Indian   Reservation,  4. 

PBROMYSCUS  CRINITUS  STEPHENSI  Meabns.     Stephens  Canyon  Mouse. 

(PI.   Ill,   fig.   10.) 

Peromyscus  stephensi  Mearns,  Proc.  TT.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  XIX,  p.  721,  July  30,  1899. 
Peromyscus  petraius  Elliott,  Field  Col.  Mus.,  Zool.  Ser.,  Ill,  p.  244,  Jan.,  1904. — 
Lone  Pine.  California. 

Type  locality. — "  The  lowest  water,  on  the  wagon  road,  in  a  can- 
yon, at  the  eastern  base  of  the  Coast  Range  Mts.,  San  Diego  Co., 
California,  near  the  Mexican  Boundary  Line." 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  auripectus,  but  smaller  and  paler. 

Geographic  distribution. — Rocky  situations  in  the  Lower  Sonoran 
zone  from  northeastern  Lower  California  northward  to  the  desert 
valleys  and  ranges  of  the  Death  Valley  region  and  eastward  across 
southern  Nevada  to  southwestern  Utah  and  northwestern  Arizona. 

Color. — General  color  much  as  in  P.  eremicus;  ground  color  of 
upperparts  pale  ochraceous  buff;  facial  region  slightly  grayish;  a 
uniform  mixture  of  dusky  brownish  covers  upperparts  except  a 
narrow  buff  lateral  line;  underparts  white  or  creamy  white,  occa- 
sionally with  a  buff  pectoral  spot.  In  worn  pelages  the  amount  and 
intensity  of  the  dusky  admixture  varies  greatly;  in  moderate  wear 

0  Collection  of  E.  R.  Warren. 


1009.]  SUBGENUS   HAPLOMYLOMVS.  233 

the  dusky  changes  to  cinnamon  and  in  extreme  wear  it  almost  en- 
tirely disappears,  leaving  only  clear  pale  buff;  the  eyelids  and  whis- 
kers are  dusky  at  all  times. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  auripectus  but  smaller;  lighter  and  more 
frail  throughout;  zygomata  much  compressed  anteriorly;  rostrum 
attenuate ;  molar  teeth  small. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length,  193;  tail  vertebra,  108;  hind 
foot,  19.  Average  of  10  adults  from  Funeral  Mountains,  California : 
Total  length,  170  (161-176)  ;  tail  vertebra?,  94  (88-101)  ;  hind  foot, 
20;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  16  15.3-16.5). 

Type  specimen. — No.  61026  U.  S.  National  Museum.  9  adult. 
May  9,  1894.  Collected  by  Dr.  E.  A.  Mearns.  The  specimen  is  in 
very  worn  pelage  and  therefore  very  pale;  moreover,  it  is  slightly 
overstuffed,  which  also  increases  paleness.  The  specimen  is  perfect 
except  for  two  slight  breaks  in  the  skull,  one  in  the  right  zygoma 
and  the  other  in  the  left  side  of  the  basioccipital. 

Remarks. — This  species  is  not  definitely  distinguishable  from  P. 
eremicus  by  color  alone,  although  one  who  has  handled  large  numbers 
of  each  may  become  sufficiently  expert  to  discriminate  them  accurately 
in  the  majority  of  cases.  The  hairiness  of  the  tail  is  usually  sufficient 
to  distinguish  stephensi  from  eremictis,  and  a  comparison  of  skulls 
usually  removes  all  doubt.  The  long  attenuate  rounded  rostrum  of 
stephensi  is  always  easily  recognized  in  contrast  to  the  high,  flat 
rostrum  with  truncate  nasals  and  long  premaxillse  of  eremicus.  The 
species  is  not  numerously  represented  from  the  region  of  the  type 
locality,  but  was  taken  in  very  large  numbers  in  the  desert  ranges  of 
eastern  California  by  the  Death  Valley  Expedition.  These  northern 
specimens,  when  in  the  same  pelage,  do  not  differ  from  the  type  in 
color.  The  type  has  a  somewhat  longer  tail  and  shorter  hind  foot 
than  the  average  of  the  northern  specimens,  but  may  be  exactly 
matched  among  them,  so  there  seems  no  reason  for  recognizing  P. 
petraius,  the  type  of  which  has  been  examined,  P.  stephensi  inter- 
grades  with  P.  crinitus  as  well  as  with  P.  auripectus.  In  the  immense 
series  of  this  form  examined  great  variation  in  shade  of  color  occurs, 
due  to  the  various  stages  of  wear  in  the  pelage.  The  extent  to  which 
dusky  becomes  cinnamon  or  brown  or  other  shades  results  in  endless 
slight  variations  in  general  effect.  Some  series  are  entirely  bright 
cinnamon ;  others  are  pale  buffy  gray  mixed  with  dusky,  etc. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  449,  from  localities  as 
follows : 

Arizona:   Dolan  Spring,  2;  Tinajas  Altas,  1. 

California:  Amargosa  River,  2;  Argus  Mountains,  13;  Barstow,  6;  Ben- 
ton, 1;  Burns  Canyon,  San  Bernardino  Mountains,  1;  Cave  Camp, 
Pahrmnp  Valley,  G;  Copper  City,  5;  Coso,  2;  Coso  Mountains,  2; 
Daggett,    1;    Death    Valley,    3;    East   base    Coast    Range,    Mexican 


234  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

boundary,  1;  Emigrant  Spring,  13;  Funeral  Mountains,  17;  Granite 
Springs,  5;  Grapevine  Spring,  2 ;  Independence  Creek,  2;  Inyo  Moun- 
tains, 7 ;  Kern  River,  15  in.  northeast  of  Bakersrield,  1 ;  Little  Owens 
Lake,  7;  Lone  Pine,  33;  Lone  Willow  Spring,  21;  Long  Valley,  1; 
Ludlow,  4;  Morans,  1;  Morongo  Pass,  2;  Maturango  Spring,  14; 
New  York  Mountain.  4;  Oro  Grande,  14;  Owens  Lake,  4;  Palm 
Springs,  8;  Pamirnint  Mountains*,  113;  Pilot  Knob,  near  Yuma,  1; 
Providence  Mountains,  2:  Resting  Springs,  10;  San  Felipe  Valley,  2; 
Saratoga  Springs,  17 ;  Shepherd  Canyon,  8 ;  Twelve  Mile  Spring,  4 ; 
Victor,  5;  35  miles  south  of  Victor,  2;  Warrens  Well,  1;  White 
Mountains,  1 ;  Wild  Itose  Spring,  6. 

Lower  California:  Canyon  Esperanza,  2;  Cocopah  Mountains,  2;  Signal 
Mountain,  1.° 

Nevada:  Ash  Meadows,  3;  Charleston  Mountains,  16;  Gold  Mountain,  2; 
Grapevine  Mountains,  13;  Pahroc  Spring,  2;  Pahrump  Valley,  9; 
Thorp  Mill,  8. 

Utah:    St.  George,  11;  Santa  Clara,  2. 

Key  to  subspecies  of  Peromyscus  californicus. 

Size  larger;  molars  heavier.      Central  California P.  californicus 

Size  smaller;  molars  weaker.      Southern  and  Lower  California P.  c.  insignia 

PEROMYSCUS  CALIFORNICUS  Gambel.     Parasitic  Mouse. 

(PI.  VI,  fig.  5;  pi.  VIII,  fig.  4.) 

Mils  californicus  Gambel,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  IV,  p.  78,  August,  1S4S. 
[Hesperomys]   parasiticus    (Cooper),  Baird,  Mamm.  N.  Am.,  U.  S.  Pac.  It.  R. 

Reports,  VIII,  p.  479,  1857. — Nomen  nudum. 
P[eromyscus]  californicus  Thomas,  Ann.  &  Mag.  Nat.  Hist,  ser.  G,  XIV,  p.  364, 

Nov.,  1894. 

Type  locality. — Monterey,  California. 

Geographic  distribution. — Upper  Sonoran  and  Transition  zones  of 
the  coast  region  of  California  from  San  Francisco  Bay  south  to  the 
vicinity  of  Santa  Barbara,  where  intergra elation  with  subspecies  in- 
signis  occurs. 

General  characters. — Size  very  large,  exceeding  all  other  species 
in  the  United  States ;  color  dark,  buffy  pectoral  spot  frequently  pres- 
ent;  pelage  long  and  lax;  sole  of  pes  naked  to  end  of  calcaneum  (oc- 
casionally very  narrowly  naked  or  covered  medially  by  ends  of 
lateral-rooted  hairs  on  tarsus  between  end  of  metatarsals  and  end 
of  calcaneum)  ;  tail  longer  than  head  and  body,  well  haired,  but  an- 
nulations  not  thoroughly  concealed;  ears  very  large  and  leafy,  very 
thinly  haired  within  and  without ;  skull  of  moderate  size  and  regu- 
lar proportions;  first  and  second  upper  molars  without  cusplets  be- 
tween outer  angles  between  tubercles. 

Color. — Topotype  Xo.  31978  (Fresh  winter  pelage;  date  Oct.  1; 
second  molt  nearly  complete)  :  Ground  color  of  upperparts  russet 
(more  grayish  on  back  and   more  ruddy   on   sides)    blending  with 

a  Collection  of  F.  Stephens. 


1909.]  SUBGENUS   HAPLOMYLOMYS.  235 

broccoli  brown  on  head,  except  checks,  which  are  bordered  below  by 
a  light  line  of  russet;  orbital  ring  dusky;  upperparts  everywhere 
much  mixed  with  black,  which  is  somewhat  concentrated  in  middle 
of  back;  sides  much  paler  in  general  effect  than  back;  underparts 
creamy  white,  except  base  of  tail,  which  is  russet ;  forelegs  pale  rus- 
set, becoming  dusky  near  end  of  carpus;  maims  white;  pes  white 
with  a  short  dusky  stripe  extending  down  from  hind  leg:  tail  bicolor, 
black  and  white  not  sharply  contrasted.  Worn  summer  pelage  (rep- 
resented by  Xo.  35405,  Mountain  View,  Calif.,  Aug.  3)  :  Upperparts 
cinnamon  heavily  mixed  with  Mars  brown,  back  only  slightly  darker 
than  sides ;  underparts  k  bluish  '  white. 

Skull. — Size  large;  proportions  regular;  nasals  moderate,  rela- 
tively shorter  than  in  P.  sitkensis;  braincase  rather  full;  audital 
bulla?  large;  molar  teeth  heavy;  enamel  pattern  as  shown  in  partly 
worn  teeth  with  two  simple  involutions  on  outer  sides  of  first  and 
second  molars. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes:  Total  length, 
243  (238-260)  ;  tail  vertebra-,  133  (127-146)  ;  hind  foot,  27  (26-29)  ; 
ear  from  notch  (dry),  22.3  (21.3-23.5). 

Type  specimen. — The  specimen  upon  which  the  original  descrip- 
tion of  Mus  californicus  was  based  was  lost  before  it  reached  any 
museum.    In  his  description,  Gambel  says  of  it : 

I  captured  but  a  single  specimen  of  this  species  in  a  field  near  Monterey, 
upper  California,  which,  with  those  of  the  former  [Dipodomys  agiMs],  I  had 
the  misfortune  to  lose. 

Remarks. — This  mouse  easily  ranks  as  the  largest  species  of  the 
genus  in  the  United  States.  The  only  other  California  species  with 
which  it  might  be  confused  is  P.  truei,  as  a  very  large  example  of 
truei  is  sometimes  found  which  in  size  approximates  many  small 
examples  of  californicus.  This  is  particularly  true  of  the  skulls, 
which  are  sometimes  almost  exactly  alike  in  size  and  contour.  They 
may  always  be  distinguished,  however,  by  the  dentition,  as  the  rudi- 
mentary cusps  in  the  lateral  angles  of  the  molars  are  well  developed 
in  truei  and  entirely  absent  in  californicus.  Specimens  from  within 
the  range  above  defined  vary  somewhat.  Those  from  Monterey,  the 
type  locality,  fortunately  represent  neither  extreme  as  regards  either 
size  or  intensity  of  color.  The  characters  of  californicus  which  dis- 
tinguish it  from  insignis  (large  size  and  dark  color)  are  accentuated 
in  specimens  from  Boulder  Creek  and  other  localities  in  the  Santa 
Cruz  Mountains.  On  the  other  hand,  specimens  from  several  localities 
in  Santa  Barbara,  Ventura,  and  Los  Angeles  counties  are  referred 
to  californicus,  though  unquestionably  all  are  intermediate,  and  possi- 
bly some  specimens  from  this  region  will  prove  to  be  actually  more 
like  insignis  than  californicus.  Two  immature  and  otherwise  un- 
satisfactory specimens  from  Three  Rivers  and  Cain  Flat  are  some- 


236  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

what  doubtfully  referred  to  calif  ornicus.  These  are  the  only  records 
of  the  species  from  any  part  of  the  Sierra  Nevada. 

As  shown  by  Allen,a  females  of  this  species  are  slightly  larger  than 
males,  as  in  most  species  of  the  genus.  The  presence  of  a  fulvous 
pectoral  spot  is  more  usual  in  calif  ornicus  than  in  insignis.  In  many 
individuals  it  is  entirely  absent,  while  others  show  all  degrees  of  its 
development  from  a  mere  trace  to  entire  occupation  of  the  ventral 
surface.  The  tendency  to  a  white  tip  at  end  of  tail  is  also  somewhat 
irregular.  In  a  series  of  18  adults  from  Monterey,  4,  or  about  20  per 
cent,  have  white-tipped  tails,  which  is  the  same  percentage  (40  out  of 
207)  noted  by  Allen  (loc.  cit.)  in  a  very  large  series.  As  a  rule  the 
amount  of  white  is  small,  but  the  tails  of  No.  35408  from  Mountain 
View  and  No.  107821  from  Pescadero  Creek  have  fully  an  inch  of 
terminal  white.  The  pelage  changes  of  this  species  are  not  peculiar, 
but  on  account  of  the  size  of  the  animal  they  may  be  followed  more 
readily  than  in  the  smaller  species.  The  juvenile  pelage  is  slate  gray 
(No.  5,  Ridgway).  The  first  evidence  of  the  adolescent  pelage  is  a 
faint  fulvous  wash  on  the  sides;  this  increases  in  intensity  until  the 
sides  are  clothed  in  new  glossy  pelage,  while  the  middle  of  the  back 
still  remains  dull  plumbeous.  The  growths  on  the  two  sides  usually 
approach  each  other  and  finally  unite  in  the  middle  of  the  back,  the 
occiput,  nape,  and  rump  being  the  last  parts  to  acquire  the  new  coat. 
In  many  cases  this  method  of  change  is  followed  exactly  and  the  line 
of  demarcation  between  the  juvenile  and  first  adult  pelage  is  sharply 
distinct  from  beginning  to  end  and  the  whole  process  is  easily  fol- 
lowed; in  others  the  last  stages  of  change  are  almost  imperceptible. 
This  first  adult  condition  of  pelage  is  closely  similar  to  the  later  full 
pelage  as  described  above  under  Color.  It  is  paler  and  less  rufescent 
than  the  full  pelage ;  the  light  subterminal  zone  of  color  in  the  hairs 
which  determines  the  general  body  color  is  narrower,  thus  allowing 
more  of  the  plumbeous  undercolor  to  show  through.  The  black  tends 
to  be  well  distributed  instead  of  being  somewhat  concentrated  in  the 
middle  of  the  back  as  in  the  full  pelage.  Immature  pelages  are  to  be 
found  in  almost  every  series  of  specimens,  as  the  animals  seem  to 
breed  throughout  the  year.  Specimens  of  equal-sized  young  in  soft 
plumbeous  pelage  have  been  examined  as  follows:  Jan.  2  (Santa 
Paula)  ;  Feb.  18  (Santa  Monica)  ;  April  29  (Twin  Oaks)  ;  May  11 
(San  Diego)  ;  June  25  (Bear  Valley)  ;  Aug.  1  (Mountain  View)  ; 
Oct.  25  (Santa  Cruz  Mountains)  ;  Nov.  12  (Dulzura)  ;  Dec.  27  (Pa- 
cific Grove).  This  includes  nearly  every  month  in  the  year  and  both 
northern  and  southern  localities. 

The  molt  of  the  adult  is  somewhat  irregular  and  does  not  seem  to 
be  entirely  dependent  upon  season.     The  majority  of  specimens  seem 


°Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  VIII,  p.  2G7,  1S9G. 


1909.]  SUBGENUS    HAPLOMYLOMYS.  237 

to  indicate  two  molts,  one  in  early  summer  and  another  in  late  fall. 
Both  of  these  are  very  insidiously  accomplished.  The  winter  pelage 
is  acquired  late  in  October  or  November  and  persists  until  the  follow- 
ing spring. 

The  name  parasitic  mouse,  first  given  to  this  species  by  Doctor 
Cooper,  refers  to  the  habit  of  living  in  or  about  the  large  '  nests ' 
or  '  houses '  of  Neotoma  fuscines.  Other  mice  also  inhabit  these 
places  and  P.  calif  ornicus  is  found  elsewhere ;  moreover,  it  is  probable 
that  only  deserted  nests  are  frequented,  so  that  the  species  is  not 
strictly  speaking  parasitic.  As  the  habit  is  very  characteristic  of 
P.  calif  ornicus,  however,  the  name  may  well  be  retained. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  698,  from  the  following  lo- 
calities : 

California:  Alum  Rock  Park,  172;  Arroyo  Seco  River,  near  Paraiso 
Springs,  3 ;  Bear  Valley,  San  Benito  County,  9 ;  Bear  Basin,  Monterey 
County,  3 ;  Berkeley,  14 ;  Big  Basin,  Santa  Cruz  County,  1 ;  Big  Pine 
Mountain,  1 ;  a  Boulder  Creek,  5 :  Cain  Flat,  Mineral  King  Road,  1  ; 
Calabasas,  1 ;  Carmel  River,  14 ;  Carpenteria,  2 ;  Cone  Peak,  Monterey 
County,  4 ;  Fort  Tejon,  2 ;  Fremont  Peak,  Gabilan  Range,  4 ;  Gaviota 
Pass,  1;  near  Gilroy,  1;  Hueneme  (10  miles  east),  3;  Indian  Canyon, 
2 ;  a  Indian  Valley,  Monterey  County,  4 ;  King  City,  1 ;  La  Honda,  31 ; 
Las  Virgines  Creek,  2  ;  Little  Pine  Canyon,  2  ;  a  Mansfield,  1 ;  May  field, 
2;  Menlo,  2;  Mono  Flats,  2;«  Monterey,  20;  Mount  Hamilton,  21; 
Mountain  View,  7:  Nordboff,  1;  Paeheco  Pass,  4;  Pacheco  Peak,  6; 
Palo  Alto,  2 ;  Paso  Robles,  4 ;  Upper  Pescadero  Creek,  14 ;  Pillareitos 
Lake,  San  Mateo  County,  1:  Pine  Valley,  near  Tassajara  Springs,  2; 
Point  Pinos,  2 ;  Portola,  242 ;  Posts,  3 ;  Pozo,  1 ;  San  Luis  Obispo,  5 ; 
San  Mateo,  2 ;  San  Pablo  Creek,  Contra  Costa  County,  1 ;  San  Rafael 
Mountains,  2;anear  San  Simeon,!;  Santa  Barbara,!;  Santa  Monica, 
3;  Santa  Paula,  12;  bead  of  Santa  Ynez  River,  3;  a  Stanford  Univer- 
sity, 7 ;  Soledad,  1 ;  Sur,  2 ;  Sur  River,  near  moutb,  4 ;  Tassaiara 
Springs  (6  miles  soutb),  10;  Tejon  Canyon,  4;  Tbree  Rivers,  1; 
Ventura  Rivei*,  7;  Woodside,  San  Mateo  County,  7;  Zaca  Lake,  2.a 

PEROMYSCUS    CALIFORNICUS    INSIGNIS    Rhoads.     Southern    Parasitic 

Mouse. 

Peromyscus  insignis  Rboads,   Proc.   Acad.  Nat.   Sci.  Pbila.    (1895),   pp.  33-34, 

Mar.   19,    1895. 
Peromyscus  califomicus  insignis  Mearns,  Bull.  No.  56,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  p.  429, 

Apr.  13,  1907. 

Type  locality. — Dulzura,  San  Diego  County,  Calif. 

Geographic  distribution. — Upper  and  Lower  Sonoran  zones  of  the 
western  valleys  and  foothills  of  southwestern  California  and  thence 
south  into  northern  Lower  California. 

Characters. — Similar  to  Peromyscus  califomicus,  but  slightly 
smaller  and  paler;  skull  smaller;  molar  teeth  lighter. 

°  Santa  Barbara  County. 


238  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Color. — Very  similar  to  that  of  P.  calif  ornicus,  but  averaging  very 
slightly  paler;  rufous  shades  generally  less  intense;  pectoral  spot 
usually  faint  or  absent;  rufous  at  base  of  tail  nearly  obsolete;  plum- 
beous undercolor  paler;  black-tipped  hairs  in  middle  of  back  less 
numerous. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  P.  calif  ornicus  but  smaller;  teeth  smaller 
and  lighter;  anterior  palatine  foramina  shorter;  audital  bullae  very 
slightly  smaller. 

Measurements. — Average  of  6  adult  topotj^pes:  Total  length,  233 
(220-245);  tail  vertebra?,  134  (124-140);  hind  foot,  25;  ear  from 
notch  (dry),  20.3  (20-20.7). 

Type  specimen. — No.  8308  Collection  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences, 
Philadelphia;  formerly  No.  1308  Collection  of  S.  N.  Rhoads. 
$  adult.  August  21,  1893.  C.  H.  Marsh.  Skin  in  good  condition, 
underparts  slightly  greasy ;  skull  with  interparietal  slightly  indented 
and  broken. 

Remarks. — Typical  insignis  may  be  easily  distinguished  from  typ- 
ical calif  ornicus  by  its  smaller  size  and  light  skull  and  teeth.  The 
difference  in  color  is  slight,  and  therefore  comparison  should  be  con- 
fined to  specimens  absolutely  comparable  as  regards  both  age  and 
pelage.  Fully  adult  specimens  in  winter  pelage  may  be  found  that 
are  practically  indistinguishable.  The  first  or  young  adult  pelage 
of  insignis  is  usually  paler  than  in  calif ornicus;  the  worn  and  wear- 
ing summer  pelage  is  also  a  trifle  paler.  However,  it  is  possible  to 
find  specimens  of  each  form  so  nearly  alike  in  all  pelages  that  it  seems 
only  safe  to  say  that  the  tendency  to  a  gray  phase  is  stronger  in 
insignis.  P.  insignis  is  more  apt  to  be  mistaken  for  P.  truei  than  is 
P.  califomicus,  but  as  stated  under  califomicus,  the  dentition  fur- 
nishes characters  which  are  unmistakable. 

/Specimens  examined. — Total  number  251,  from  localities  as  follows : 

California:  Banning,  2;  Cajon  Pass,  7;  Campo,  6;  Coabuila  Mountain, 
Riverside  County,  1;  Densmores,  Riverside  County,  1;  Dulzura,  80; 
Glendora,  3;  Grapeland,  3;  Jacumba,  5;  Jaruul  Creek,  2;  La  Jolla,  3; 
La  Musa,  1;  Mountain  Spring,  2;  Radee,  3:  San  Bernardino  Peak, 
5;  San  Bernardino  Valley,  2;  San  Diego,  10;  San  Gabriel  Mountains, 
1;  Santa  Ana  Mountains,  1;  Santa  Ysabel,  16;  Ternescal,  3;  Twin 
Oaks,  18 ;  Walker  Basin,  1 ;  «  Witeb  Creek,  5. 

Lower  California:  El  Rayo,  2;  Ensenada,  3;  20  m.  east  of  Ensenada,  1; 
Juneolito  Spring,  1  ;  Las  Eneinas,  8;  Nacboguero  Valley,  22;  Rancbo 
Viejo,  2;  Rosarito,  2;  San  Antonio,  6;  San  Pedro  Martir  Mountains, 
2 ;  San  Quentin,  1 ;  San  Tehno,  4 ;  San  Ysidro  Rancb,  1 ;  Tecate  Val- 
ley, 14 ;  Trinidad,  1. 

Key  to  subspecies  of  Peromyscus  eremicus. 

Habitat  southern  California. 

Paler;  underparts  usually  white.     East  of  coast  ranees P.  eremicus 

Darker;  underparts  usually  huffy.     West  of  coast  ranges /'.  e.  fraterculus 

°  Collection  of  F.  Stepbens. 


1909.]  SUBGENUS    HAPLOMYLOMYS.  239 

Habitat  mainland  of  Lower  California. 
Underparts   usually   white. 

Paler;  t.-ill  shorter;  molars  large.     Northeastern P.  eremicus 

Darker;  tail  longer;  molars  smaller.      Southern P.  e.  eva 

Underparts  usually  huffy  with  a  pectoral  spot.     Northwestern P.  e.  fratcrculits 

Habitat  islands  off  the  coast  of  Lower  California. 

Underparts  with  an  ochraceous  buff  pectoral  spot. 

Size  larger.     Cedros  Island P.  e.  cedrosensis 

Size  smaller.      Espiritu  Santo  Island P.  e.  insuUcola 

Underparts  without   pectoral   spot. 

Size  larger  ;  upperparts  chiefly  ochraceous.     Ceralbo  Island. 

P.  c.  (iriiis 
Size  smaller;  upperparts  chiefly  grayish.     Margarita  Island. 

P.  e.  polypoliua 
Habitat  Arizona,  New  Mexico,  Texas,  and  Mexico. 

Tail  more  or  less  bicolor. 

Color  paler;  underparts  white P.  eremicus 

Color  darker ;    underparts  white,   often  with   a   buffy 

pectoral  spot P.  e.  anthonyi 

Tail  dusky  all  around.     Mexico P.  e.  phoeurus 

PEROMYSCUS  EREMICUS  (Baird).    Desert  Mouse. 

(PI.  Ill,  fig.  11;  pi.  VI,  fig.  0;  pi.  VII,  fig.  4;  pi.  VIII,  fig.  3.) 

Hesperomys  eremicus  Baird,  Mamm.  N.  Am.,  Pac.  R.  R.  Repts.,  VIII,  pp.  479- 

480, 1857. 
Peromyscus  eremicus  Allen,  Pull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  X.  Y.,  VII,  p.  226,  June 

29, 189.r>. 
Peromyscus  eremicus  arenarius  Mearns,  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  XIX,  p.  138,  May 

25,  1896.— Near  El  Paso,  Tex.  ^ 

Peromyscus  merriami  Mearns,  Proc.  U.  S.  Xat.  Mus.,  XIX,  p.  138,  May  25,  1896. 

Sonoyta,  Sonora,  Mex. 

Type  locality. — Old  Fort  Yuma,  Calif.,  opposite  Yuma,  Ariz. 

Geographic  distribution. — Lower  Souoran  zone  of  southeastern 
California  and  northeastern  Lower  California  east  of  the  mountain 
raHges  as  far  south  as  the  vicinity  of  San  Luis  Bay;  eastward  to 
western  Texas,  and  south  to  border  States  of  eastern  Mexico ;  north- 
ward along  the  Colorado  River,  at  least  to  the  vicinity  of  the  mouth 
of  the  Little  Colorado,  also  extending  from  the  Colorado  River 
along  the  Virgin  Valley  to  St.  George,  Utah,  and  northwestward, 
crossing  southern  Nevada,  to  the  Death  Valley  region  of  California. 

General  characters. — Size  medium ;  tail  decidedly  longer  than  head 
and  body,  finely  annulated  and  closely  covered  with  short  hairs,  with 
very  slight  or  no  pencil  at  tip;  ears  relatively  large  and  leafy,  very 
thinly  haired  or  almost  naked;  sole  of  hind  foot  naked  to  end  of 
calcaneum,  at  least  medially;  pelage  soft  and  silky;  color  generally 
shades  of  rather  pale  buff;  black  lining  and  grizzling  exceedingly  fine 
aid  uniformly  distributed  over  upperparts,  not  concentrated  medially. 

Color. — Adult  topotype  No.  60172,  collected  April  3,  still  in  winter 
pelage:  Ground  color  of  upperparts  ochraceous  buff;  entire  dorsum 
with  a  fine  sprinkling  of  dusky,  this  not  concentrated  at  any  point. 


240 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.  28. 


but  uniformly  distributed;  a  broad  lateral  line  pure  ochraceous  buff; 
sides  and  top  of  head  slightly  grayish;  tail  dusky  above,  whitish  be- 
low; underparts  pure  white  or  slightly  tinged  with  yellowish  or  buff; 
traces  of  pectoral  spot  sometimes  present.  As  the  pelage  wears,  the 
black  mixture  in  the  upperparts  becomes  paler  (brownish)  and  less 
distinct,  and  the  ground  color  shows  through  more  strongly.  The 
lateral  line  is  less  sharply  contrasted  and  gradually  the  entire  upper- 
parts  become  a  dingy  butf  faintly  sprinkled  with  cinnamon.  Ado- 
lescent pelage:  Similar  in  general  to  adult,  but  decidedly  less  buffy 
and  more  dusky,  producing  a  general  effect  of  pale  drab;  lateral  line 

narrow. 

Skull. — Size  me- 
dium: braincase 
rather  high  and 
somewhat  elongate ; 
infraorbital  region 
well  developed, 
much  heavier  than 
in  P.  stephensi/ 
nasals  rather  broad, 
slightly  concave 
near  posterior  end- 
ings; maxillaries 
always  ending  pos- 
terior to  nasals: 
audita!  bullae  and 
anterior  palatine 
foramina  of  mod- 
erate size. 

Measurements. — 

Fig.  11. — Distribution  of  Peromyscus  eremicus  and  subspecies.     Avei*a°e        of        10 

adults  from  northeastern  Lower  California,  near  the  type  locality: 
Total  length,  183  (172-192)  ;  tail  vertebras,  101  (94-108)  ;  hind  foot, 
20.5  (20-21)  ;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  17.5  (17.3-17.8).  Three  topo- 
types,  respectively:  202,  193,  186;  107,  103,  96;  21,  21,  20. 

Type  specimen. — The  original  description  of  this  species  was  based 
on  6  specimens,  3  from  Fort  Yuma,  Cal.,  and  3  from  Colorado  Bot- 
tom, California,  an  indefinite  locality,  doubtless  very  near  Yuma. 
Three  of  these  are  still  in  the  U.  S.  National  Museum  in  more  or  less 
imperfect  condition.  Xo.  ifH?  which,  being  the  first  mentioned, 
might  naturally  be  considered  the  type,  is  represented  by  fragments 
of  the  skull  only,  the  mandibular  rami,  a  portion  of  one  maxillary, 
and  5  loose  teeth.  The  skin  evidently  has  been  lost  or  mislaid  since 
Baird's  work  was  done.  Xo.  2575,  which  is  in  effect  the  type,  is 
still  preserved  in  alcohol  and  is  in  fairly  good  condition,  having  lost 


1909.]  SUBGENUS    HAPLOMYUOJW  VS.  241 

but  a  small  amount  of  hair  on  the  sides  and  middle  of  the  belly.  Its 
skull  has  been  removed  and  is  practically  perfect;  the  teeth  are 
entirely  unworn,  indicating  that  the  animal  was  scarcely  adult. 
The  third  existing  specimen,  No.  1334,  from  Colorado  Bottom,  is  a 
dry  skin,  somewhat  distorted,  but  exhibiting  the  characters  of  the 
species  very  well ;  the  fourth,  from  the  same  locality,  is  at  present 
in  the  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology,  Cambridge,  Mass.  If 
Fort  Yuma  be  considered  the  type  locality  of  P.  eremicus,  and  there 
seems  to  be  no  reason  why  it  should  not,  the  above-mentioned  alco- 
holic specimen  No.  2575  becomes  the  type  to  all  intents  and  purposes. 
Remarks. — Typical  Peromyscus  eremicus  occupies  a  comparatively 
extensive  range  in  southern  California,  Arizona,  New  Mexico,  and 
adjoining  parts  of  Mexico,  and  is  characteristic  of  the  Lower  Sonoran 
zone  in  this  region.  About  the  periphery  of  this  range  it  intergrades 
with  several  more  or  less  marked  subspecies.  More  slightly  char- 
acterized forms  not  recognized  by  name  occur  in  several  restricted 
areas,  and  throughout  the  range  there  are  occasional  slight  variations 
in  shade  of  color.  It  is  easily  distinguishable  from  the  other  species 
of  the  region,  not  only  by  its  dentition,  but  by  its  long,  terete,  un- 
t ufted  tail  and  naked  heels.  It  is  very  similar  in  color  to  P.  stephensi 
but  that  species  is  smaller  and  has  a  penicillate  tail.  It  does  not 
undergo  marked  changes  of  pelage,  and  it  molts  in  the  same  manner 
as  P.  calif  ormcus,  of  which  it  is  scarcely  more  than  a  pale  miniature. 
The  form  called  P.  eremicus  arenarius  appears  to  be  too  slight  for 
recognition  by  name.  A  good  series  from  the  Franklin  Mountains, 
Texas,  near  the  type  locality  of  arenarius  reveals  not  the  slightest 
difference  in  color  from  typical  eremicus  in  exactly  corresponding 
pelage.  The  only  character  is  an  exceedingly  slight  average  de- 
crease in  the  size  of  the  ears.  Another  incipient  form  occurs  in 
southern  Utah,  Nevada,  and  the  Panamint  and  Death  Valley  region 
of  California.  The  so-called  P.  merriami  is,  indeed,  larger  than 
typical  eremicus,  or  at  least  larger  than  the  majority  of  specimens 
from  the  habitat  of  typical  eremicus,  but  only  slightly  larger,  and 
not  in  the  least  different  otherwise.  The  larger  specimens  of  a  series 
from  one  locality,  Sonoyta,  have  been  selected  and  called  merriami, 
while  the  remaining  smaller  ones  are  unquestioned  eremicus.  Among 
the  ten  specimens  identified  by  the  original  describer  as  merriami 
absolute  uniformity  in  size  does  not  obtain,  or  in  other  words  there 
is  a  gradation  from  the  smallest  eremicus  to  the  largest  '  merriamV 
At  other  localities  throughout  the  range  of  eremicus  occasional  speci- 
mens have  been  taken  which  are  larger  than  the  average  and  about 
the  size  of  the  Sonoyta  specimens.  Undeniably  there  are  more  large 
individuals  from  Sonoyta  than  from  any  other  locality,  but  it  seems 
too  much  of  an  assumption  that  they  are  specifically  distinct.    Speci- 

66268— No.  28—09 1G 


242  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.   28. 

mens  from  Calamahue,  Yubay,  and  neighboring  localities  in  north- 
east Lower  California  are  tentatively  referred  to  eremicus  although 
their  slightly  longer  tails  and  creamy  nnderparts  seem  to  indicate 
a  decided  tendency  toward  P.  e.  era. 

Specimens    examined. — Total     number     824,     from    localities    as 
follows : 

Arizona:  Adonde,  11 ;  Beale  Spring,  2;  Big  Sandy  Creek,  2;  Bill  Williams 
River,  2:  Colorado  River  at  Boundary  Monument  No.  204,  16;  Dolau 
.Spring,  4;  Ehrenberg,  1 ;  Fort  Grant,  7;  Fort  Huachuca,  8  (approach- 
ing anthonyi)  ;  Fort  Lowell,  3;  Fort  Mohave,  4;  Gila  City,  9;  Grand 
Canyon,  12;  Granite  Mountains,  near  Tule  Wells,  1;  Harper  Ferry, 
5;  La  Osa,  11;  Little  Meadows,  2;  Mineral  Park,  4;  Mud  Spring,  15, 
Nortons,  2;  Painted  Desert.  1:  Phoenix,  2;  San  Pedro  River,  1; 
Tinajas  Altas,  9;  Tucson,  1;  Mountains  near  Tucson,  5;  Tule  Wells, 
2 :  Willow  Spring,  1 ;  Yuma,  7. 

California:  Banning,  11;  Barstow,  19;  Big  Laguna,  1;  Colorado  Bottom, 
2:  Daggett,  1;  Death  Valley,  3:  Fort  Yuma.  13;  Furnace  Creek,  5; 
Grapevine  Ranch,  8;  La  Puerta,  10;  Mohave  Desert,  east  of  Morongo 
Valley,  2;  Morongo  Pass,  10;  Needles,  0;  New  River,  1;  Oro  Grande, 
1;  Palm  Groves.  6;  Palm  Springs,  47;  Pauamint  Mountains,  3; 
Pananiint  Valley,  36;  Pilot  Knob,  5;  Providence  Mountains,  9;  Rest- 
ing Springs,  59;  San  Felipe  Canyon  (approaching  fraterculus) ,  11; 
San  P^elipe  Valley,  1;  12-mile  Spring,  2:  Vallecitos,  2;  Victorville,  1;  ° 
Warrens  Well,  2;  Whitewater,  8. 

Nevada:  Amargosa  River,  4;  Ash  Meadows,  2S;  Bunkerville,  2;  Charles- 
Ion  Mountains,  0;  Colorado  River,  Lincoln  County,  2;  Pahrump 
Valley,  32;  St.  Thomas,  1;   Vegas  Valley,  0. 

New  Mexico:  Carlsbad.  5;  Jarilla,  1;  Organ  Mountains,  7;  San  Andres 
Mountains,  6;  Tularosa,  1<»:  Mai  Pais  Spring,  25  miles  north  of 
Tularosa,  3. 

Texas:  Boquillas,  1;  Chinate  Mountains,  1;  Comstock,  2;  East  Painted 
Cave,  1;  Franklin  Mountains,  near  El  Paso,  19;  Marfa,  10;  near  El 
Paso,  21;  Langtry,  2:  Presidio  County,  3:  Sierra  Blanca,  2;  Ter- 
lingua,  1. 

Utah:   St.  George,  7;  Santa  Clara,  9. 
MEXICO: 

Chihuahua:  Chihuahua,  31;  Escalou,  10;  near  Fort  Bliss,  Tex.,  1;  Santa 
Rosalia,  4:   Torreon,  1. 

Coahuila:  Carneros,  2  (aberrant)  ;  Jaral,  8:  Jimulco,  6  (approaching 
phwurus)  ;  Monclova,  8. 

Durango:   Inde,  1. 

Lower  California:  Agua  Dulce.  1  :  b  Black  Mountain,  1;  Calamahue,  4;  b 
Cocopah  Mountains,  6:  Esperanza  Canyon.  12  (approaching  frater- 
culus) ;  Gardner  Lagoon,  2;  Hardy  River,  5;  Matomi,  5;  Palomar, 
4  ;  Parral,  6 :  The  Remada,  (5 :  Rosarito  Divide,  1 ;  San  Francisquito, 
16 ;  6  Seven  Wells,  1 :  Yubay,  5.6 

Nuevo  Leon:    Sierra  Encarnaciou,  1   (aberrant). 

Sonora:  Cerro  Blanco,  3;  Poso  de  Luis,  (i ;  Providencia  Mines,  11;  Quito- 
baquita,  14 ;  Sonoyta,  15. 


"Collection  of  J.  Grinnell.     6Approaching  /'.  <.  era. 


1909.]  SUBGENUS   HAPLOMYLOM  Ys.  243 

PEROMYSCUS  EREMICUS  FRATERCULUS   (Milleb). 

Vesperimus  fraterculus  Miller,  Am.  Nat.,  XXVI,  pp.  261-203,  March,  1892. 
Sitomys  eremicus  fraterculus  Rhoads,  Am.  Nat.,  XXVII,  p.  833,  Sept..  1893. 
Sitomys   herroni   Rhoads,  Am.   Nat.,   XXVII,  pp.  832-833,    Sept.,   1893: — Reche 

Canyon,  San  Bernardino  County,  Calif. 
Sitomys   herroni   mgellus   Rhoads,   Proc.   Acad.   Nat.    Sci.   Phila.,   pp.   2.".T-2."».s, 

Oct.  23  1894. — AV.  Cajon  Pass,  San  Bernardino  County,  Calif. 
[Peromy8CUS]  fraterculus  Trouessart,  Catal.  Mamm.  pt.  Ill,  p.  515,  1897. 
Peromyscus  eremicus  fraterculus  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  X, 

p.  154,  1898. 
Peromyscus   homochroia   Elliot,   Field  Col.   Mus.,   Chicago,   Zool.   Ser.,    Ill,   pp. 

158-9,  Apr.,  1903. — San  Queutin,  Lower  California. 

Type  locality. — Dulzura,  San  Diego  County,  Calif. 

ideographic  distribution. — Extreme  southwestern  California,  west 
of  the  mountains  from  the  vicinity  of  Los  Angeles  south  to  north- 
western Lower  California. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  P.  eremicus,  but  decidedly  darker; 
more  reddish  brown  in  summer,  more  blackish  in  winter;  underparts 
creamy  or  buff  instead  of  pure  white;  tail  somewhat  longer. 

Color. — Cotype  in  winter  pelage:  Ground  color  of  upperparts 
cinnamon  rufous  richly  sprinkled  with  black,  which  is  somewhat 
concentrated  in  middle  of  back;  head  with  more  or  less  grayish, 
particularly  in  postorbital  region;  underparts  creamy  white  with  a 
small  rufous  pectoral  spot.  No.  34086,  San  Diego,  Calif.,  in  slightly 
worn  'left-over'  winter  pelage:  Ground  color  cinnamon-rufous,  as 
in  winter  pelage;  tips  of  hairs  not  black,  but  brown  or  brownish 
dusky,  producing  a  more  rufescent  general  effect  than  in  the  winter 
pelage. 

Skull. — Practically  as  in  P.  eremicus. 

Measurements. — Average  of  3  specimens — 2  cotypes  and  1  topo- 
type:  Total  length,  191;  tail  vertebra-,  112;  hind  foot,  20. 

Type  specimen. — A  male  and  a  female  type  were  designated  by  the 
describer  of  this  species  in  accordance  with  the  one-time  idea  that 
this  was  desirable.  At  present  these  may  be  considered  as  cotypes  of 
equal  importance,  or  the  male  may  be  selected  for  a  type,  as  has  been 
done  frequently  by  ornithologists  in  similar  cases.  Both  specimens. 
Nos.  \\\\  (  $  )  and  Vs¥  (  9  )?  formerly  in  the  private  collection  of 
Gerrit  S.  Miller,  jr.,  are  now  in  the  British  Museum. 

Remarks. — P.  e.  fraterculus  is  a  very  well-marked  subspecies. 
Typical  specimens  are  so  much  deeper  colored  than  eremicus  that  they 
are  recognizable  at  a  glance.  It  is  geographically  separated  from 
eremicus  by  a  more  or  less  continuous  range  of  mountains,  in  the  in- 
terdigitating  canyons  of  which  intermediate  specimens  are  found, 
some  nearer  to  fraterculus  and  others  referable  to  en  micus.  Among 
such  intermediates  are  those  from  Reche  Canyon  which  have  been 
called  *  herroni  '  and  which  are  easily  referable  to  fraterculus  unless 


244  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

such  slight  intermediates  without  definite  range  arc  to  be  recognized. 
The  type  of  herroni  is  nearer  fraterculus  than  most  others  from  the 
San  Bernardino  Mountains,  since  it  has  the  entire  underparts  suffused 
with  buff,  a  condition  never  found  in  typical  eremicus.  '/'.  h.nigellus  ' 
appears  to  be  identical  with  fraterculus.  P.  e.  fraterculus  ranges 
south  along  the  coast  of  Lower  California  and  meets  P.  e.  era,  the 
specimens  called  '  propinquus  '  being  almost  exact  intermediates. 
Sped  mens  examined. — Total  number  230,  from  localities  as  follows : 

California:  Aguanga,  3;  Burbank,  1  ;  Cajon  rass,  4;  Campo,  3;  Chihua- 
hua Mountains,  San  Diego  County,  1;  Dulzura,  10;  Glendora,  1; 
Hueneme  (9  m.  east).  2:  Jamul  Creek,  near  El  Nido,  13;  Jacumba, 
11:  Lytle  Creek,  1  (approaching  eremicus);  Mountain  Spring,  11 
(approaching  eremicus);  Nordhoff,  1;  Radec,  1;  Recbe  Canyon,  10 
(approacbing  eremicus);  Redlands,  1;  Riverside,  10;  Rose  Canyon, 
San  Diego  Co.,  4:  San  Bernardino,  2;  San  Bernardino  Valley,  19 
(approaching  eremicus);  San  Diego,  8:  San  Fernando,  5;  Santa 
Ysalx'l,  8;  Summit,  Coast  Range,  San  Diego  County,  1;  Temeseal,  2; 
Mouth  Tia  Juana  River,  2;  Twin  Oaks,  2;  West  Riverside,  2. 

Lower  California:  Canyon  Salado,  1;  Ensenada,  4;  Las  Eneinas,  2: 
Nachoguero  Valley,  1;  Pinon,  2;  Ranebo  Viejo,  3;  San  Antonio,  7; 
Sau  Antonio  River,  8;  San  Fernando,  11;  San  Matias  Spring,  9;  San 
Quentin,  19;  Socorro,  1;  Tecate  Valley,  14;  Trinidad,  8;  Valla- 
dores.  1. 

PEROMYSCUS  EREMICUS  CEDROSENSIS  Allen.     Cerros   Island  Mouse. 

Peromyscus  cedrosensis  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y„  X,  pp.  154-155, 
Apr.   12,   1898. 

Type  locality. — Cerros  Island,  off  west  coast  of  central  Lower  Cali- 
fornia. 

Geographic  distribution. — Cerros  Island,  Lower  California. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  P.  e.  era ;  color  averaging  slightly 
darker  and  richer;  paler  than  in  P.  e.  fraterculus ;  ears  smaller;  skull 
slightly  larger  with   longer   nasals. 

Color. — Similar  to  that  of  fraterculus,  but  averaging  paler;  lateral 
line  rather  broad  and  conspicuous  ochraceous  buff;  pectoral  spot 
usually  present;  underparts  buffy;  tail  slightly  lighter  below  than 
above. 

Skull. — Much  as  in  P.  e.  fraterculus,  but  with  rostrum  and  nasals 
averaging  longer  and  more  slender;  rostrum  somewhat  depressed; 
brainca'se  high  and  rounded. 

Measurements. — Average  of  8  topotypes:  Total  length,  193  (181— 
200);  tail  vertebra\  110  (106-114);  hind  foot  (dry),  20;  ear  from 
notch  (dry),  16  (15.5-16.5). 

Type  specimen. — 'No.  if!!!  American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
New  York.  $  adult.  April  1,  1897.  A.  W.  Anthony.  Skin  in  good 
condition;  skull  badly  broken,  lacking  all  the  anterior  part  of  the 
cranium ;  rostrum,  nasals,  and  upper  molars  in  good  condition. 


1909.]  SUBGENUS    HAPLOMYL.OMYS.  245 

Remarks. — This  insular  form  is  almost  identical  in  color  with  the 
mainland  intermediates  between  fraterculus  and  eva.  The  material 
representing-  it  is  in  rather  poor  condition  and  it  is  difficult  to  observe 
any  characters  of  importance.  It  is  perhaps  nearer  in  color  to 
fractercuius  than  to  eva,  since  its  underparts  are  huffy  with  a  well- 
marked  pectoral  spot.  The  color  of  the  upperparts  is  intermediate. 
The  rather  elongate  rostrum  is  perhaps  the  best  character  observable 
in  the  material  at  hand. 

Specimens  era  mined. — Total  number  11,  all  from  the  type  locality. 

PEROMYSCUS  EREMICUS  EVA  Thomas. 

Peromyscvs  era  Thomas,  Ann.  &  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  Lond.,  Ser.  7,  I,  pp.  44-45, 

Jan.,   1898. 
Peromyscus  eremicus  propmquus  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist..   X.  V.,  X, 

p.  354,  Apr.  2,  189S.— San  Pablo  Point,  lat.  27°  20'  X.,  Lower  California. 

Type  locality. — San  Jose  del  Cabo,  Lower  California.  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Lower  Sonoran  zone  of  the  central  and 
southern  part  of  the  peninsula  of  Lower  California,  from  Cape  St. 
Lucas  north  to  the  vicinity  of  latitude  29°  N.,  meeting  the  ranges  of 
P.  eremicus  and  P.  e.  fraterculus. 

Characters. — Similar  in  general  to  P.  e.  fraterculus,  but  tail  longer; 
pelage  shorter  and  slightly  harsher;  color  more  rufescent ;  ears  av- 
eraging slightly  smaller;  general  appearance  of  a  small  Oryzomys; 
skull  essentially  as  in  P.  eremicus. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  Upperparts  ochraceous  buff  copiously 
mixed  with  fine  dusky  lines  uniformly  distributed,  except  on  lower 
sides;  general  effect  of  back  between  isabella  color  and  cinnamon; 
lateral  line  usually  distinct  only  from  axillary  region  to  hip.  often 
widened  on  middle  of  side  to  a  broad  area  of  clear  ochraceous  buff; 
head,  including  nose,  cheeks,  and  orbital  region  pale  gray  tinged  with 
ochraceous;  a  narrow  dusky  orbital  ring  scarcely  extending  beyond 
eyelids;  ears  pale  brownish,  almost  naked;  underparts  pure  creamy 
white  without  pectoral  spot ;  tail  usually  dusky  above  and  slightly 
paler  below,  often  quite  uniform  blackish  all  around ;  feet  white, 
tarsal  joints  marked  with  dusky.  Worn  pelage:  General  effect  of 
both  sides  and  back  bright  ochraceous  buff  scarcely  at  all  modified 
by  the  slight  mixture  of  dusky  cinnamon. 

Skull. — Essentially  as  in  P.  eremicus  and  P.  e.  fraterculus,  but 
averaging  smaller  with  a  smaller,  narrower  braincase  and  weaker 
molars. 

Measurements. — Average  of  ten  adults  from  Santa  Anita :  Total 
length,  198  (185-218)  ;  tail  vertebrae,  114  (100-128)  :  hind  foot.  20.4 
(20-21) ;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  16.6  (15.6-17.2). 

Type  specimen,— No.  98.3.1.88  British  Museum.  $  adult.  July  29, 
1896.    Dane  Coolidge.    Specimen  in  good  condition. 


246  NORTH    AMERICAN     FAUNA.  [NO.   28. 

Remarks. — This  is  one  of  the  most  strongly  marked  forms  of  the 
eremicus  series.  Its  resemblance  to  a  small  Oryzomys  or  some  of 
the  Mexican  species  of  Reithrodontomys,  as  originally  noted  by 
Doctor  Thomas,  is  quite  striking.  However,  it  can  be  ranked  only 
as  a  subspecies  of  eremicus,  for  complete  Lntergradation  is  found 
both  with  typical  eremicus  and  with  P.  e.  fraterculus.  The  supposed 
relationship  to  aztecus  hazarded  by  Thomas  after  Coues  is  therefore 
out  of  consideration.  Specimens,  from  Cape  St.  Lucas  northward  to 
the  vicinity  of  latitude  28°  north  are  quite  uniform  in  color  and  pre- 
serve the  same  general  characters,  the  only  important  variation  being 
in  size.  In  this  respect  there  is  considerable  variation  in  every  series. 
The  largest  specimens  are  from  Aguaje  de  Santana,  from  which  lo- 
cality the  largest  individual  presents  the  following  measurements: 
Total  length,  228 ;  tail  vertebrae,  188 ;  hind  foot,  22.  Other  specimens 
from  the  same  and  neighboring  localities  do  not  differ  materially 
from  specimens  of  eva  from  the  type  locality.  The  supposed  form 
called  '  P.  e.  propinquus '  proves  to  be  almost  exactly  intermediate 
between  eva  and  fraterculus.  Such  a  form  can  not  be  characterized 
and  it  can  not  be  restricted  to  a  definite  range.  It  is  placed  under  era 
rather  than  fraterculus  chiefly  on  account  of  its  long  tail.  The  diffi- 
culty of  properly  allocating  such  a  form  is  well  shown  by  a  series  of  6 
specimens  from  San  Andres.  Three  of  these  have  white  underparts 
without  pectoral  spots  as  in  era,  while  the  remaining  three  have  buffy 
underparts  and  pectoral  spots  as  in  fraterculus.  The  measurements, 
cranial  characters,  and  color  of  upperparts  are  exactly  intermediate. 
Specimens  from  Yubay,  Calamahue,  and  San  Francisquito  appa- 
rently are  intermediate  between  eva  and  typical  eremicus  and  on  the 
whole  seem  nearer  eremicus.  A  skin  without  skull  from  Carmen 
Island  may  represent  an  undescribed  form. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  100,  from  localities  as 
follows : 

Lower  California:  Aguaje  de  Santana,  6;  Calmalli,  2;  Carmen  Island,  1  ; 
Cape  St.  Lucas,  2 ;  Comondu,  5 ;  El  Potrero,  3 ;  La  Faz,  1 ;  Matancita, 
2;  Paso  Hondo,  1;  Peseadero,  1;  Playa  Maria  Pay,  2  (approaching 
fraterculus)  ;  San  Andres,  6  (approaching  fraterculus)  ;  San  Ignacio, 
4;  L'o  in.  west  of  San  Ignacio,  9;  San  Jorge  0;  San  Jose  del  Cabo, 
!>:  San  Pablo  Point,  4;  Santa  Anita,  23;  Santa  Clara  Mountains,  2; 
Sierra  Laguna,  4;  Tres  Pachitas,  4;  Turtle  (or  San  Bartolome) 
Pay.  3. 

PEROMYSCUS  EREMICUS  INSULICOLA  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Espiritu  Santo  Island,  off  east  coast  of  southern  Lower  California, 
Mexico.     No.  147010  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological  Survey  Collection. 
$  adult.     Feb.  9,  1900.     E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A.  Goldman. 

Geographic  distribution. — Confined  to  Espiritu  Santo  Island. 
Lower  California, 


1909.]  SUBGENUS    HAPLOM  YLOM  VS.  247 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  e.  era,  but  color  slightly  darker;  pec- 
toral region  with  an  elongate  stripe  of  ochraceous  buff. 

Color. — Much  as  in  P.  e.  era,  but  somewhat  darker  throughout; 
upperparts  a  deeper  shade  of  ochraceous  buff  and  mixture  of  dusky 
more  copious,  producing  a  more  vinaceous  general  effect ;  underpa it s 
creamy  white  with  a  sharply  defined  elongate  pectoral  stripe  extend- 
ing backward  to  front  of  abdomen;  tail  chiefly  dusky,  scarcely 
lighter  below  than  above. 

Skull. — About  as  in  P.  e.  eva;  narrower  and  lighter,  with  weaker 
molars  than  in  arius. 

Measurements. — Two  adult  topotypes,  respectively:  Total  length, 
196,  200;  tail  vertebrae,  115,  113;  hind  foot,  20,  19.5;  ear  from  notch 
(dry),  16.5,  10.7. 

Remarks. — Although  but  few  specimens  from  Espiritu  Santo 
Island  are  available,  they  are  so  obviously  different  from  P.  e.  era  of 
the  adjacent  mainland  that  it  seems  necessary  to  name  them.  The 
prominent  pectoral  spot  and  slightly  darker  upperparts  distinguish 
them  at  once  from  typical  era,  but  in  color  they  are  very  similar  to 
specimens  which  are  intermediate  between  eva  and  fraterculus.  From 
these,  however,  they  differ  in  having  smaller  skulls  and  weaker 
molars. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  3,  all  from  the  type  locality. 

PEROMYSCUS  BREMICUS  AVIUS  «  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Ceralbo  Island,  off  east  coast  of  southern  Lower  California,  Mexico. 
No.  147024  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological  Survey  Collection.  §  adult. 
Feb.  13,  1JMM5.     E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A.  Goldman. 

Geographic  distribution. — Confined  to  Ceralbo  Island,  Lower  Cal- 
ifornia. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  e.  era,  but  size  slightly  larger;  ears 
smaller;  color  of  underparts  buffy  instead  of  pure  white;  skull  rather 
larger,  with  molar  teeth  relatively  heavy. 

Color. — Upperparts  essentially  as  in  P.  e.  eva,  chiefly  ochraceous 
buff  mixed  wth  fine  lines  of  dusky,  averaging  slightly  darker  and 
richer  than  in  era;  entire  underparts  except  throat  and  inguinal 
region  cream  buff;  tail  quite  definitely  bicolor,  blackish  brown  above, 
dull  whitish  below. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  P.  e.  era,  but  larger  and  heavier;  inter- 
parietal rather  larger;  molar  teeth  decidedly  larger  and  heavier, 
about  equaling  those  of  fraterculus. 

Measurement*. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes:  Total  length,  194 
(186-209)  ;  tail  vertebrae,  105  (100-116)  ;  hind  foot,  21.6  (21.5-22)  ; 
ear  from  notch  (dry),  14.5  (13.4—16). 

"arius,  out  of  the  way:   remote:   unfrequented. 


248  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.   28. 

Remarks. — The  principal  characters  distinguishing  this  form  are 
its  rather  large  size,  small  cars,  buffy  instead  of  white  nnderparts, 
and  large  teeth.  It  is  represented  by  a  good  series  in  which  these 
characters  are  quite  constant.  Although  the  underparts  are  largely 
buffy,  there  is  no  indication  of  a  pectoral  spot.  This  form,  therefore, 
differs  from  insulicola  of  Espiritu  Santo  Island  in  this  respect  as  well 
as  in  its  larger  skull  and  teeth,  etc. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  17,  all  from  the  type  locality. 

PEROMYSCUS  EREMICUS  POLYPOLIUS  subsp.  now 

Type  from  Margarita  Island,  off  west  coast  of  southern  Lower  California.     No. 
4     146074   U.   S.   National   Museum,   Biological   Survey   Collection.    t$    adult. 
Nov.  30,  1905.     E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A.  Goldman. 

Geographic  distribution. — Confined  to  Margarita  Island,  Lower 
California. 

Characters. — Somewhat  similar  to  P.  e.  eva,  but  color  much  more 
grayish;  skull  with  rostrum  more  depressed;  braincase  shorter  and 
more  inflated. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  Upperparts  from  head  to  rump  mixed 
gray,  dusky,  and  pinkish  buff,  gray  predominating  on  head,  shoulders, 
and  back  and  buffy  becoming  stronger  toward  rump ;  upper  sides  like 
back;  lower  sides  broadly  pinkish  buff  or  pale  ochraceous  buff,  this 
being  reduced  to  a  narrow  streak  on  lower  cheeks;  underparts  pale 
cream  buff,  never  so  nearly  white  as  in  P.  e.  eva;  pectoral  spot  rarely 
developed;  feet  white,  tarsal  joints  dusky,  tail  dusky  above,  dull 
whitish  gray  often  mixed  with  dusky  below.  Worn  pelage:  Less 
grayish  than  unworn  pelage;  general  effect  of  upperparts  pinkish 
buff  considerably  modified  by  dusky  and  gray. 

Skull. — Similar  in  general  to  that  of  P.  e.  eva,  but  rostrum  more 
slender  and  more  depressed ;  infraorbital  part  of  zygomata  weaker 
and  more  compressed;  braincase  relatively  shorter,  broader,  deeper, 
and  more  inflated ;  molars  slightly  larger. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes:  Total  length,  192 
(183-200)  ;  tail  vertebra?,  109.5  (100-117)  ;  hind  foot,  19.5  (19-20)  ; 
ear  from  notch  (dry),  15.7  (14.6-16.8). 

Remarks. — This  form,  like  margaritae  of  the  maniculatus  group, 
is  well  distinguished  from  its  relatives  of  the  mainland.  Its  deriva- 
tion from  P.  e.  eva  is  scarcely  to  be  doubted,  however,  and  variation 
is  occasionally  sufficient  to  nearly  or  quite  cover  the  characters  shown 
hy  the  majority  of  specimens.  The  gray  color  is  quite  distinctive, 
the  head  being  nearly  of  the  same  gray  color  as  usual  in  the  eremicus 
group,  but  this  color  is  continued  on  the  shoulders  and  back,  and  the 
ochraceous  is  largely  confined  to  the  rump  and  lower  sides.  The 
back  is  a  peculiar  '  peppery  '  mixture  of  gray  and  dusky  with  slight 
tinges  of  buff. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  22,  all  from  the  type  locality. 


1§09.]  SUBGENUS    HAPLOMYLOMVS.  249 

PEROMYSCUS   EREMICUS   ANTHONYI    (Mebbiam).     Anthony   Dknkrt 

Mouse. 

Wesperomys   (Vespertmus)   anthonyi  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  IV,  pp. 

5-7,  Apr.  15,  1887. 
[Peromyscus]  anthonyi  Trouessart,  Catal.  Mamm.,  Pt.  Ill,  p.  517,  1897. 
Peromyscus  eremicus  anthonyi  Mearns,  Bull.  No.  56,  IT.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  p.  438, 

Apr.  13,  1907. 

Type  locality. — Camp  Apache,  Big  Hachita.  Mountains,  Grant 
County,  N.  Mex. 

Geographic  distribution. — Extreme  southeastern  Arizona  and 
southwestern  New  Mexico  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Mexican  boundary 
line  and  south  through  the  State  of  Sonora  west  of  the  Sierra  Madre 
to  northern  Sinaloa. 

General  characters. — Very  similar  to  P.  eremicus,  but  darker  and 
more  richly  colored,  but  not  so  extreme  in  this  respect  as  P.  e.  f rater- 
cuius;  ears  very  slightly  smaller;  pectoral  spot  usually  present. 

Color. — No.  22529  from  Deming,  X.  Mex.  Winter  pelage 
(Dec.  2)  :  Ground  color  and  broad  lateral  line  rich  ochraceous  buff; 
entire  upperparts  heavily  sprinkled  with  black,  this  not  concentrated 
medially,  but  uniformly  distributed ;  head  grayish  drab,  suffused  with 
buff,  particularly  on  cheeks;  underparts  creamy  white,  except  a 
prominent  ochraceous  buff  pectoral  spot,"  extending  from  breast 
between  forelegs  almost  to  middle  of  belly;  tail  blackish  above  and 
paler  below,  but  not  sharply  bicolor;  feet  creamy  white,  'ankles' 
dusky.  Worn  pelage:  As  in  P.  eremicus,  but  darker  and  duller. 
Immature :  Much  darker  and  more  decidedly  blackish  than  in 
eremicus. 

Skull. — As  in  P.  eremicus. 

Measurements. — One  adult  male  from  Deming,  N.  Mex. :  Total 
length,  197;  tail  vertebra?,  105;  hind  foot,  21.  Average  of  10  adults 
from  Alamos,  Sonora,  Mexico:  Total  length,  194  (188-202);  tail 
vertebra?,  108  (102-113)  ;  hind  foot,  21.5  (21-22). 

Type  specimen. — No.  ffff,  Collection  of  C.  Hart  Merriam.  $  im- 
mature. Collected  May  10,  1886,  by  A.  W.  Anthony.  Skin  and 
skull  in  good  condition,  but  showing  no  subspecific  characters  on 
account  of  immaturity. 

Remarks. — The  type  locality  of  this  subspecies,  which  was  described 
before  Mexican  specimens  had  been  collected,  is  unfortunately  near 
the  northern  limit  of  the  form,  where  it  is  beginning  to  merge  with 
true  eremicus.  It  reaches  its  greatest  differentiation  in  southern 
Sonora,  but  at  best  is  only  slightly  characterized  by  its  richer  and 
more  blackish  color,  and  although  separated  geographically,  it  closely 
resembles  fraterculus.  Skulls  from  different  parts  of  its  range  vary 
slightly  in  size,  but  show  no  constant  difference  from  those  of  typical 
eremicus. 

0  Such  a  pectoral  spot  is  very  frequently  but  not  always  present. 


250  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  Tno.   28. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  121,  from  localities  as  follows: 
Arizona:"  Calabasas,  1;   Fairbank,   1;   Fort  Verde,  8;   San  Bernar<lin< 

Ranch.  2;  Tombstone,  1;  Tonto  Creek,  2;  Tubac,  4. 
Chihuahua:   Near  Batopilas,  12. 
New   Mexico:"   Boundary   line,   100  miles  west  of  El   Paso,   11;    Camp 

Apache,   Grant  County,  5 ;   Carrizalillo,   1 ;   Deming,  5 ;  Dog  Spring, 

Grant  County,  2;   Florida  Mountains.  1;   Hachita,  4;  Lat.  31°  47', 

long.  30°  15',  13:  Bedrock  1  ;  Silver  City  1. 
Sonora:  Alamos,  15:  Camoa,  4:  Guaymas,  2;  Hermosillo,  17;  Magdalena, 

2 ;  Oposura,  2. 
Sinaloa:   Culiacan,  4. 

PEBOMYSCFS  EBEMICFS  TIBUBONENSIS   (Mearns).     Tiburon  Desert 

Mouse. 

Pcromj/sciift  tiburonensis  Mearns,  Proc.  F.  S.  Nat.  Mus.  XIX,  pp.  720-721,  July 
30,  1807. 

Type  locality. — Tiburon  Island,  off  coast  of  Sonora,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Tiburon  Island  and  immediately  adja- 
cent mainland. 

General  characters. — Decidedly  smaller  than  P.  e.  anthonyi,'  skull 
slightly  different ;  otherwise  similar. 

Color. — Darker  than  P.  eremicus,  about  as  in  P.  e.  anthonyi.  Type 
specimen  with  pure  white  underparts  and  no  pectoral  spot. 

/Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  P.  eremicus,  but  smaller;  rostrum  more 
depressed;  braincase  relatively  deeper;  teeth  and  audital  bulla? small, 
about  in  proportion  to  size  of  skull. 

Measurements. — Dry  skin  of  type:  Total  length,  170;  tail  verte- 
bra3, 92 ;  hind  foot,  18 ;  ear  from  notch,  15. 

Type  specimen. — No.  63186,  U.  S.  National  Museum.  $  adult. 
Dec.  25,  1895.  J.  W.  Mitchell.  The  skin  of  the  type  is  a  renovated 
specimen  in  fair  condition.  The  tail  vertebrae  have  not  been  removed 
and  a  small  patch  of  'hair  is  gone  from  the  left  side.  The  skull  is 
perfect,  except  for  one  slightly  broken  zygoma. 

Remarks. — Small  size  seems  to  be  the  only  important  character 
distinguishing  this  form  from  P.  e.  anthonyi  The  tail  of  the  type 
has  the  appearance  of  being  more  hairy  than  in  most  specimens  from 
the  mainland,  but  this  may  be  due  to  its  being  a  midwinter  specimen, 
added  to  the  fact  that  the  skin  of  the  tail  is  somewhat  shriveled 
around  the  vertebra?  instead  of  being  smoothly  stretched  over  a  wire. 
Specimens  from  the  mainland  of  Mexico  on  the  Coastal  Plain  are 
indistinguishable  from  the  type  of  tiburonensis.  One,  from  Ortiz, 
though  about  the  same  size  as  tiburonensis,  has  a  small  pectoral  spot 
as  in  anthonyi. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  4,  from  localities  in  Mexico 
as  follows : 

Sonora:   Batamotal,  2;  Ortiz,  1;  Tiburon  Island,  1. 

"Among  these  many  approach  eremicus. 


1000.1  SUBGENUS    BAPLOMYLOMYS.  251 

PEROMYSCUS  EREMICUS  PHLEURUS  Osgood. 

Peromy8cus  eremicus  phwurus  Osgood,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XVII,  pp.  75-70, 
Mar.  21,  1904. 

Type  locality. — Hacienda  la  Paracla,  San  Luis  Potosi,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Middle  part  of  the  Mexican  tableland 
in  the  States  of  San  Luis  Potosi,  Zacatecas,  and  Nuevo  Leon. 

General  character*. — Similar  to  P.  eremicus,  but  darker,  with  tail 
uniform  blackish  brown  above  and  below  instead  of  decidedly  bicolor, 
as  in  eremicus,  or  indistinctly  bicolor,  as  in  some  specimens  of  P.  e. 
anthonyi. 

Color. — Similar  in  general  to  eremicus,  but  shades  of  buff  deeper 
and  entire  upperparts  much  more  heavily  mixed  with  black;  under- 
pays, except  tail,  white;  pectoral  spot  not  present;  tail  blackish 
brown  above  and  below,  this  most  evident  in  winter  pelage,  when 
the  hairiness  of  the  tail  is  best  developed;  feet  white,  '  ankles  '  dusky. 

Skull. — Practically  as  in  eremicus  and  anthonyi 

Measurements. — Average  of  9  adults:  Total  length,  189  (176- 
195);  tail  vertebrae,  98  (92-103);  hind  foot,  21;  ear  from  notch 
(dry),  16  (15.2-16.8). 

Type  specimen. — No.  50438  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  ?  adult.  Aug.  20,  1892.  E.  W.  Nelson  and 
PI  A.  Goldman.     Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — This  form  is  the  southernmost  representative  of  the 
eremicus  group.  Its  range  is  practically  continuous  with  that  of 
eremicus,  which  extends  from  west  Texas  down  through  Chihuahua, 
but  it  is  cut  off  by  mountain  ranges  from  anthonyi,  which,  curiously, 
it  most  closely  resembles.  The  extreme  form  of  anthonyi  from 
southern  Sonora  occasionally  has  the  distal  third  of  the  tail  black 
all  around,  and  thus  very  much  resembles  phceurus.  This  is  probably 
an  accidental  parallelism,  as  shown  also  by  some  specimens  of  frater- 
culus  which  are  strikingly  like  anthonyi,  although  there  is  even 
greater  isolation  in  this  case. 

Specimens  c.r<//nined.—Tot&\  number  2S,  from  localities  as  follows: 

Coahuila:   Sabinas,  3;  Saltillo,  2. 

Nuevo  Leon:  Doctor  Arroyo,  5. 

San  Luis  Potosi:  Ahualnlco,  2;  Hacienda  La  Parada,  7:  Jesus  Maria,  7. 

Zacatecas:   Cauitas,  2. 

PEROMYSCUS  GOLDMANI  Osgood. 
Prronu/scitx  goldmani  Osgood,  Proc.  Biol.  So<\.  Wash..  XVII,  ]».  75,  Mar.  21,  1904. 

Type  locality. — Alamos,  Sonora,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Known  only  from  the  type  locality. 

Characters. — Similar  in  general  to  P.  eremicus  anthonyi;  size 
larger  (hind  foot  24  in  type)  ;  pelage  somewhat  coarser;  color  more 
fulvous  and  more  uniform;  heel  slightly  hairy;  tail  long  and  cylin- 


252  •  NOKTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

drical,  covered  with  short  hairs;  skull  relatively  heavy  and  rather 
elongate. 

Color. — Entire  upperparts  and  sides  ochraceous  buff,  finely  mixed 
with  black,  much  darker  and  richer  than  in  anthonyi,  and  without 
the  grayish  cast  usually  so  characteristic  of  the  eremicus  group; 
underparts  creamy  white,  with  a  small  ochraceous  bnff  pectoral  spot. 

Skull. —  Larger,  longer,  and  narrower  than  in  eremicus  or  anthonyi; 
braincase  relatively  much  narrower:  nasals  longer  and  more  com- 
pressed posteriorly;  interorbital  constriction  narrow;  bony  palate 
rather  short. 

Measurement*. — Type:  Total  length,  217;  tail  vertebra,  117;  hind 
foot,  24:  ear,  from  notch  (dry),  IN. 2. 

Type  sped  men. — No.  1)0340  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  adult.  Dec.  19, 1898.  E.  A.  Goldman.  Speci- 
men in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — In  color  and  size  this  species  resembles  P.  spidlegus 
closely,  and.  without  examination  of  its  skull  and  teeth,  its  affinity 
to  the  eremicus  group  would  scarcely  be  suspected. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  2,  both  from  the  type  locality. 

Subgenus  BAIOMYS  True. 

Baiomys  True.  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mns.,  XVI,  p.  T.r)S,  Feb.  7,  1804. 

Type. — Hesperomys  {Vesper! mas)  taylori  Thomas  (=Peromyseus 
taylori) . 

Characters. — Size  very  small,  hind  foot  usually  less  than  17;  tail 
decidedly  shorter  than  head  and  body;  ears  relatively  small  and 
slightly  more  rounded  than  in  subgenus  Peromyscus  ;  soles  of  hind 
feet  almost  or  quite  naked ;  plantar  tubercles  0 ;  coronoid  process  of 
mandible  large,  broad,  and  strongly  recurved;  anterior  palatine 
foramina  long  and  usually  ending  posterior  to  the  plane  of  the  front 
of  the  first  molars;  posterior  palatine  foramina  about  opposite  middle 
of  m  2 ;  interorbital  space  relatively  wide,  usually  more  than  half  as 
wide  as  widest  part  of  frontals;  upper  incisors  relatively  heavy; 
accessory  cusps  of  m  1  and  m  2  very  small  and  not  obvious  in  transverse 
view  until  a  late  stage  of  wear;  inner  reentrant  angle  of  m  3  relatively 
small  and  usually  obliterated  at  an  early  stage  of  wear. 

Species. — P.  taylori  and  P.  musculus. 

Remarks. — The  members  of  this  group  are  always  recognizable  by 
their  small  size.  However,  the  discrepancy  between  them  and  the 
smallest  forms  (pallescens  and  polionotus)  of  the  subgenus  Pero- 
myscus is  very  slight.  The  most  decided  character  of  Baiomys 
appears  in  the  coronoid  process  of  the  mandible,  which  is  nearly  or 
quite  as  well  developed  as  in  Onychomys.  but  this  too  is  rather  vari- 
able in  Peromyscus.     The  skull  is  characterized  by  slight  peculi- 


1909.]  SUBGENUS    BAIOMYS.  253 

arities,  none  of  which  seem  of  more  than  specific  value.  The  denti- 
tion is  nearly  as  in  typical  Peromyscus,  the  deviation  from  the  normal 
type  being  no  greater  than  in  various  specific  groups.  The  plantar 
tubercles  number  <'»,  as  in  Peromyscus,  but  they  appear  to  be  less 
variable  in  shape  (see  PL  VIII,  fig.  7). 

Key  to  species  of  Subgenus  Baiomys. 

Size  smaller:  hind  foot  13—15;  greatesl   lengtb  of  skull  usually  less  than  2<». 

P.   taylori.       I  p.  253) 
Size  larger;  hind  foot  15—17;  greatesl   lengtb  of  skull  usually  20  or  more, 

P.  muaculua  i  p.  257) 

Key  to  subspecies  of  Peromyscus  taylori. 

Habitat   Texas  and  northeastern   Mexico. 

Color  more   grayish /'.    taylori 

Color  more  sooty 'P.    t.   subater 

Habitat  western  and  central   Mexico. 

Color  paler,  general  effect  broccoli  brown  or  fawn /'.  I.  paulus 

Color  darker,  chiefly  sooty  or  very  dark  brown.    -  -  P.   /.  analogu8 


Pig..   12. — Distribution  of  the  subgenus  Baiomys. 


PEROMYSCUS  TAYLORI   (Thomas). 

(PI.  IV,  fig.  10;  pi.  VIII,  fig.  7.) 

Hesperomys    {Vespervmus)    taylori   Thomas,   Ann.   &    Mag.    Nat.    Hist.,    ser.   5, 

XIX,  p.  66,  Jan.,  1887. 
Peromyscus    {Baiomys)    taylori  Allen.   Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  VIII, 

p.  65,  Apr.  22.  1896. 
Baiomys  taylori  Mearns,  Bull.  No.  56,  D.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  p.  381,  Apr.  13,  1907. 


254  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Type  locality. — San  Diego,  Tex. 

Geographic  distribution. — Southern  Texas  from  the  vicinity  of 
Matagorda  Bay  westward  to  Bexar  County  and  thence  south  to  the 
Rio  Grande;  south  into  Nuevo  Leon  and  thence  to  southern  Tamauli- 
pas.    Lower  Sonoran  zone. 

Characters. — Size  small  (hind  foot  13-15)  ;  tail  much  shorter  than 
head  and  body;  general  color  more  grayish  than  in  allied  forms; 
skull  smaller  and  lighter  than  in  P.  museulus. 

Color.-—  Unworn  pelage:  Upperparts  pale  drab  or  ecru  drab  rather 
heavily  mixed  with  dusky,  producing  a  general  effect  of  hair  brown 
on  the  back  and  broccoli  brown  on  the  sides;  head  and  face  about 
like  sides;  no  orbital  ring,  spot  at  base  of  whiskers,  nor  obvious 
lateral  line;  underparts  smoke  gray  washed  with  cream  buff:  feet 
smoke  gray;  tarsal  joints  slightly  dusky:  ears  thinly  clothed  with 
grayish  hairs,  producing  same  general  effect  as  main  body  color; 
fail  rather  indistinctly  bicolor,  dull  dusky  above,  smoke  gray  below. 
Worn  pelage:  More  brownish  than  unworn  pelage;  general  effect 
of  upperparts  grayish  isabella  color  or  wood  brown  slightly  darker 
in  middle  of  back. 

Skull. — Size  very  small,  decidedly  smaller  than  that  of  P.  museu- 
lus; dorsal  outline  evenly  arched;  nasals  short  and  broad,  slightly 
exceeded  by  ascending  branches  of  premaxillse ;  interorbital  space 
broad  and  rather  sharp-angled;  palatine  slits  long  and  nearly 
parallel-sided;  audital  bullae  moderate.  (For  general  characters,  see 
subgeneric  diagnosis.) 

Measurements. — Average  of  7  adults  from  Browmsville,  Tex. :  Total 
length,  97  (87-110)  ;  tail  vertebrae,  38  (34-45)  ;  hind  foot,  14.3 
(13.4-15);  ear  from  notch  (dry),  9  (8.8-10).  Of  5  adults  from 
Camargo,  Tamaulipas:  110  (104-118);  44   (40-50);  14.7   (14.5-15). 

Type  specimen. — No.  87.11.24.1  British  Museum. 

Remarks. — This  is  the  smallest  species  of  the  genus  Peromyseus 
and  one  of  the  smallest  of  all  rodents.  It  differs  from  museulus, 
the  only  other  species  of  the  subgenus,  chiefly  in  its  smaller  size.  Its 
subspecies  are  but  slightly  characterized,  being  in  most  respects, 
save  shade  of  color,  like  the  typical  form.  Although  as  yet  there  are 
gaps  of  considerable  extent  between  the  known  ranges  of  the  sub- 
species, the  forms  are  so  closely  allied  that  there  is  little  doubt  of 
complete  intergradation. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  102,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows: 

Nuevo  Leon:   Monterey,  1;  Santa  Catarina,  1. 

Tamaulipas:  Alta  Mira,  2;  Camargo,  5;  Hidalgo,  7:  Matamoras.  5;  Vic- 
toria, 0. 

Texas:  Beeville,  1;  Boerne,  3;  Brownsville.  31;  Matagorda,  4;  Matagorda 
Peninsula,  7 ;  Rockport  1 ;  San  Antonio,  2G ;  San  Diego,  2. 


L909-]  SUBGENUS    BAIOMYS.  255 

PEROMYSCUS    TAYLORI    SUBATER    Bailey. 

Peromyscus   taylori  subater  Bailey,  N.  Aru.   Fauna  No.  25,   pp.  102-103,  Oct. 
24.  1905. 

Type  locality. — Bernard  Creek,  near  Columbia,  Brazoria  County, 
Tex. 

Geographic  distribution. — Coast  region  of  southeastern  Texas 
from  the  vicinity  of  Matagorda  Bay  eastward.  Austroriparian 
zone. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  taylori,  but  darker  and  more  sooty. 

Color. — Unworn  pelage:  General  effect  of  upperparts  dark  gray- 
ish brown  or  sepia,  sometimes  almost  black  in  middle  of  back;  sides 
usually  showing  more  or  less  buffy;  underparts  cream  buff  to  clay 
color,  becoming  slightly  paler  and  more  grayish  on  throat  and  chin; 
tail  rather  more  distinctly  bicolor  than  in  P.  taylori.  "Worn  pelage: 
General  effect  of  upperparts  pale  reddish  sepia,  slightly  darker  in 
middle  of  back. 

Skull. — As  in  P.  taylori. 

Measurements. — Average  of  7  topotypes:  Total  length,  99  (88— 
104)  ;  tail  vertebra-,  39  (36-44)  ;  hind  foot,  14.5  (14-15)  ;  ear  from 
notch  (dry),  9  (8-9.4). 

Type  specimen.— No.  ffflf  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  9  adolescent.  Feb.  25,  1892.  W.  Lloyd.  Speci- 
men in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — This  is  a  slight  form  differing  from  true  taylori  in 
its  more  sooty  coloration.  Intergradation  with  taylori  apparently 
occurs  in  the  vicinity  of  Matagorda  Bay.  The  most  extreme  example 
(the  type)  is  in  unworn  pelage  and  exceedingly  dark,  the  middorsal 
region  being  almost  black,  but  specimens  in  worn  coat  approach 
taylori  more  closely.  The  average  difference  in  color,  however,  is 
considerable.  At  Richmond,  Tex.,  Mr.  Bailey  (1.  c.)  found  these 
mice  "  fairly  common  under  the  rich  carpet  of  grass  on  the  open 
prairie.  Their  tiny  runways,  leading  from  one  little  burrow  to  an- 
other, wound  about  over  the  surface  of  the  ground  among  the  plant 
stems  and  indicated  habits  so  similar  to  those  of  Microtus  that  at 
first  I  thought  I  had  discovered  traces  of  a  diminutive  species  of  that 
genus.'' 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  15,  from  localities  as  follows: 

Texas:  Austin  Bayou,  near  Alvin,  2;  Bernard  Creek,  near  Columbia,  7; 
Richmond,  4 ;  Sour  Lake,  1  :  Virginia  Point,  1. 

PEROMYSCUS  TAYLORI  PAULUS  Allen. 

Peromyscus  paulus  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIX,  pp.  598-599,  Nov. 

14,  1903. 
Peromysvus   allex   Osgood,   Proc.   Biol.    Soc.    Wash.,   XVII,   pp.   7(3-77,    .Mar.   21, 

1904. — Colima,  Colima.  Mexico. 


256  NORTH   AMERICAN     FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Type  locality. — Rio  Sestin,  northwestern  Durango,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Lower  Sonoran  and  Arid  Tropical  parts 
of  western  Mexico,  from  central  Chihuahua  south  and  west  through 
Durango,  Sinaloa,  and  Jalisco  to  Colima. 

( 'haracters. — Size,  proportions,  and  cranial  characters  about  as  in 
P.  taylori;  color  averaging  more  brownish  and  more  strongly  tinged 
with  fawn. 

Color.-r- Similar  in  general  to  that  of  P.  taylori  but  averaging  less 
grayish.  Unworn  pelage :  General  effect  of  upperparts  broccoli 
brown  tinged  with  fawn  color.  Worn  pelage:  General  effect  of 
upperparts  brownish  fawn  color  or  almost  clear  fawn  color. 

Skull. — Not  definitely  distinguishable  from  that  of  P.  taylori; 
nasals  possibly  averaging  slightly  shorter. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length,  108;  tail  vertebra?,  44;  hind 
foot  (dry),  14.  Two  adults  from  Durango,  Durango:  Total  length 
110,  110;  tail  vertebrae,  49,  43;  hind  foot,  15,  14;  ear  from  notch 
(dry),  9.6,  9.8. 

Type  specimen. — No.  21165  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
New  York.  $  adult.  April  15,  1903.  J.  H.  Batty.  Specimen  in 
fair  condition. 

Remarks. — It  is  surprising  that  this  form  differs  so  slightly  from 
P.  taylori  The  only  distinguishing  character  is  the  fairly  constant 
tendency  toward  pinkish  fawn  color.  Specimens  from  Colima  rep- 
resenting '  ailed' '  show  very  little  of  this  fawn  color,  but  differ  so 
slightly  that  they  seem  scarcely  worthy  of  recognition.  The  cranial 
characters  vary  slightly,  and  chiefly  in  size,  specimens  from  Colima 
being  quite  the  smallest  examined.  In  color  there  is  scarcely  any 
difference  from  musculus,  which,  however,  is  decidedly  larger. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  TO,  from  localities  as  follows: 

Chihuahua:   Balleza,  1  ;  Casas  Grandes,  1. 

Colima:   Colima,  10. 

Durango:   Durango,  3:  Rancho  Santuario,  2;  Rio  Sestin,  15;  Rosario,  1; 

San  Gabriel,  2. 
Jalisco:  Atemajac,  12;  Etzatlan,  6. 
Sinaloa:   Mazatlan,  5;  Rosario,  8. 
Tepic:  Acaponeta,  4. 

PEROMYSCUS  TAYLORI  ANALOGUS  subsp.  now 

Type  from  Zamora,  Michoacan.  No.  120261  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  adult.  Jan.  15,  1903.  E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A. 
Goldman. 

Geographic  distribution. — West  central  Mexico,  from  Jalisco  and 
Michoacan  eastward  to  the  Valley  of  Mexico. 

Characters. — Size,  proportions,  and  cranial  characters  about  as  in 
taylori  and  paulus;  color  decidedly  darker;  feet  and  toes  usually 
more  or  less  dusky. 


1909.]  SUBGENUS    BAIOMYS.  257 

Color. — Much  as  in  nigrescens  and  subater,  decidedly  darker  than 
in  paulus,  musculus,  etc.  Unworn  pelage :  General  effect  of  sides, 
sepia ;  of  back,  blackish  sepia ;  underparts  slaty  gray,  heavily  washed 
with  wood  brown ;  fore  and  hind  feet  and  toes  entirely  dusky  brown- 
ish or  slightly  mixed  with  grayish.  Worn  pelage :  Upperparts  vary- 
ing from  brownish  sepia  to  raw  umber,  darkest  in  middle  of  back. 

Skull. — Essentially  as  in  /'.  t.  paulus. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length,  110;  tail  vertebrae,  48;  hind 
foot,  14;  ear  from  notch  (dry),  9.9.  Average  of  eight  topotypes:  112 
(105-123);  45.7   (39-53);  14.4   (13.5-15);  9.9   (9.6-10.3). 

Remarks. — This  form  is  very  similar  in  color  to  subater  and 
nigrescens.  All  three  have  doubtless  developed  dark  hues  from  ap- 
proximately the  same  cause,  since  all  inhabit  more  humid  regions 
than  their  paler  relatives.  P.  t.  analogus  averages  slightly  larger 
than  paulus  and  taylori,  but  the  difference  is  not  of  great  importance, 
as  size  is  quite  variable  throughout  the  group.  Specimens  from  Patz- 
cuaro  and  Acambaro,  Michoacan,  and  also  from  Mascota  and  Tepic 
apparently  tend  toward  paulus.  The  dusky  feet  of  this  form  are 
found  in  the  majority,  but  not  in  all  specimens. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  83,  from  localities,  as  follows : 

Jalisco:  Araeca,  10;  Mascota,  6;  Ocotlau,  8. 

Mexico:  Tlalpam,  25. 

Michoacan:  Acambaro,  3:  Los  Reyes,  8;  Patzcuaro,  4;  Zaniora,  10. 

Tepic:  Tepic,  9. 

Key  to  subspecies  of  Peromyscus  musculus. 

Color  paler,  general  effect  broccoli  brown  or  wood  brown.     Western  and  southern  Mexico, 

P.  musculus 

Color  darker,  chiefly  rich  dark  brown  or  sooty. 

Color  more  brownish.     State  of  Veracruz , P.  m.   brunneu.8 

Color  more  blackish.     Chiapas  and  Guatemala '_P.  m.  nigrescens 

PEROMYSCUS  MUSCULUS    (Merriam). 
(PL  IV,  fig.  11;  pi.  V,  fig.  10;  pi.  VI,  fig.  10;  pi.  VII,  fig.  11.) 

Sitomys  musculus  Merriam.  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  VII,  pp.  170-171,  Sept.  29, 

1892. 
Peromyscus  musculus  Allen  and  Chapman,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y., 

IX,  p.  203,  June  10,  1897. 
Baiomys  musculus  Mearns,  Bull.  No.  50,  1'.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  p.  381,  Apr.  13,  1907. 

Type  locality. — Colima,  Colima,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Arid  tropical  parts  of  central  and 
southern  Mexico  from  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec  north  to  central 
Veracruz  and  northwest  to  Colima  and  possibly  to  central  Sinaloa. 

Characters. — Similar  in  color  and  general  characters  to  P.  taylori 
paulus,  but  decidedly  larger  (hind  foot  15-17)  ;  skull  larger  and 
heavier. 

6626S— No.  28—09 17 


258  NOKTH    AMEKICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

Color. — Practically  as  in  P.  t.  paulus,  averaging  slightly  less  fawn. 
Unworn  pelage:  Ground  color  of  upperparts  clay  color  heavily 
mixed  with  dusky,  producing  a  general  effect  varying  from  dark 
broccoli  brown  to  isabella  color,  scarcely  or  not  at  all  darker  in  mid- 
dle of  back;  underparts  dull  cream  buff,  sometimes  becoming  grayish 
white  on  throat;  feet  white  or  grayish  white,  tarsal  joint  slightly 
dusky;  tail  indistinctly  bicolor,  brownish  above,  grayish  white  below. 
"Worn  pelage :  Upperparts  nearly  uniform  cinnamon,  lightly  sprin- 
kled with  dusky  or  sometimes  paler,  almost  clay  color. 

Skull. — Decidedly  larger  than  in  P.  taylori  and  subspecies;  brain- 
case  actually  and  relatively  broader;  nasals  usually  not  exceeded  by 
ascending  branches  of  premaxilla?;  molars  larger  and  heavier. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  adult  topotypes :  Total  length,  124.7 
(116-135)  ;  tail  vertebras,  50.8  (42-56)  ;  hind  foot,  16.5  (16-17)  ;  ear 
from  notch  (dry),  11.2  (10.5-12). 

Type  sped  men. — No.  flffj  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  $  adult.  March  9, 1892.  E.  W.  Nelson.  Speci- 
men in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — The  distinction  between  this  species  and  P.  taylori  is 
chiefly  one  of  size.  Representatives  of  the  two  species  are  found  to- 
gether at  least  at  one  locality,  Colima,  and  there  they  are  distinct 
with  no  suggestion  of  interbreeding.  At  other  localities,  so  far  as 
known,  only  one  species  occurs,  though  each  species  varies  in  size  so 
it  is  sometimes  difficult  to  decide  whether  one  is  dealing  with  small 
examples  of  musculus  or  with  large  ones  of  the  taylori  series.  The 
subspecies  of  musculus,  like  those  of  taylori,  are  chiefly  characterized 
by  color  alone,  apparently  controlled  by  the  relative  humidity  of  their 
respective  habitats.  Specimens  from  Culiacan,  Sinaloa,  and  Val- 
paraiso, Zacatecas,  are  tentatively  referred  to  musculus,  though  their 
skulls  are  somewhat  peculiar. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  204,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows: 

Colima:  Armeria,  8;  Colima,  10. 

Guerrero:  Aeapnleo,  3;  AyuSinapa,  1:   Chilpancihgo,  14;   El   Limon,   3; 

near  Ometepec,  7;  Rio  Balsas,  1  :  Tlalixtaquilla,  3:  Tlapa,  1. 
Jalisco:  Plantinar,  1:  Zapotlan,  3. 
Michoacan:   La  Huacana,  1;  La  Salada,  11. 
Morelos:  Cnernavaca,  9:  Pnente  de  Ixtla.  2;  Yauteper,  12. 
Oaxaca:   Chicapa,  2;  Huilotepec,  12;  Juquila.  8;  Llano  Grande,  3:  Oaxaca. 

15:  Pinotepa,  2;  Reforma,  S:  San  Bartolo,  1  :  Tenuantepec,  26;  near 

Totolapa,  1  :  Yaganiza,  1;  Yalalag,  1. 
Puebla:  Acatlan,  1;  Piaxtla,  4. 
Sinaloa:   Culiacan,  2. 

Veracruz:  Carrizal.  4:  Chichicaxtle,  4;  Santa  .Maria,  9. 
Zacatecas:  Valparaiso,  10. 


1909.]  SUBGENUS    BAIOMYS.  259 

PEROMYSCUS  MUSCULUS  BRUNNEUS  Allen  and  Chapman. 

Peromyseus  musculus  brunneus  Allen  and  Chapman.  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist., 
N.  Y.,  IX.  pp.  208-204,  June  16,  1S97. 

Type  locality. — Jala  pa,  Veracruz,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — East  central  Mexico,  in  slightly  more 
humid  parts  than  those  inhabited  by  P.  musculus. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  ■musculus,  but  darker  and  more  richly 
colored ;  very  slightly  smaller. 

Color. — Similar  in  general  to  that  of  P.  musculus,  but  darker  and 
more  brownish;  general  effect  of  upperparts  varying  from  reddish 
sepia  to  raw  umber  and  Prout  brown;  underparts  dull  clay  color 
slightly  mixed  with  grayish  and  slaty ;  feet  whitish  gray ;  tail  very 
indistinctly  bicolor,  brownish  above,  soiled  whitish  gray  below. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  P.  musculus,  but  averaging  slightly 
smaller;  nasals  somewhat  shorter. 

Measurements. — Average  of  20  topotypes:  Total  length,  118  (110- 
130);  tail  vertebrae,  46.8  (10-51);  hind  foot,  15.3  (14.5-16.5):  ear 
from  notch  (dry),  10.7  (10.4-11.2). 

Type  specimen. — No.  iffff  American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
New  York.  ?  adult,  April  13,  1897.  F.  M.  Chapman.  Skin  in 
good  condition ;  skull  with  small  puncture  in  supraoccipital  and 
unimportant  breaks  in  zygoma  and  basioccipital. 

Remarks. — This  form  is  characterized  chiefly  by  its  rich  brownish 
color.  Tt  inhabits  slightly  more  humid  places  than  typical  m  usculus. 
which  lives  near  it  in  comparatively  arid  conditions.  Doubtless  its 
range  will  prove  to  be  rather  more  extensive  than  at  present  known. 
It  is  somewhat  intermediate  between  musculus  and  nigrescens,  but 
appears  never  to  be  as  sooty  as  nigrescans  and  also  differs  slightly  in 
cranial  characters. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  42,  from  localities  as  follows : 
Veracruz:  Jalapa,  39;  Texolo,  3. 

PEROMYSCUS   MUSCULUS   NIGRESCENS   Osgood. 

Peromyseus  musculus  nigrescens  Osgood,  Proc.  Biol.  Soe.  Wash.,  XVII,  i>.  Ti'., 
March  21,  11)04. 

Type  locality. — Valley  of  Comitan,  Chiapas,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Southern  Mexico  (State  of  Chiapas) 
and  northern  Guatemala. 

Characters. — Similar  to  P.  musculus  and  P.  m.  brunneus,  but- 
darker  and  more  sooty ;  skull  slightly  characterized. 

Color. — Upperparts  mixed  Vandyke  brown  and  sooty,  the  sooty 
slightly  concentrated  in  middle  of  back;  underparts  cream  buff,  to 
roots  of  hairs  in  middle  of  belly,  on  tips  only  at  sides;  feet  usually 


260 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


I  no.  28. 


dull  whitish  gray,  sometimes  slightly  brownish  dusky;  tail  indis- 
tinctly bicolor,  dusky  above,  grayish  white  mixed  with  brownish 
below. 

Skull. — Slightly  smaller  and  more  elongated  than  in  P.  musculus 
and  P.  m.  brunneus;  braincase  narrower;  interorbital  space  narrower. 

Measurements. — Average  of  ten  adult  topotypes:  Total  length, 
115.5  (113-120)  ;  tail  vertebrae,  43  (40-45)  ;  hind  foot,  15  (14.5-16)  ; 
ear  from  notch  (dry),  11  (9.8-12). 

Type  specimen. — No.  76827  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.  ?  adult.  Dec.  0,  1895.  E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A. 
Goldman.    Specimen  in  good  condition. 

Remarks. — In  the  m/usculus  series  this  form  is  analogous  to  the 
dark  forms  of  the  taylori  series.  It  differs  slightly  in  cranial  char- 
acters from  P.  m.  brunneus,  but  is  only  a  few  degrees  darker  in 
color.  Its  range  is  apparently  cut  off  from  that  of  brunneus  by  the 
arid  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec,  inhabited  by  typical  museulus. 

Specimens .  examined. — Total  number  53,  from  localities  as  fol- 
lows : 

Chiapas:  Ocozucuautla,  2;  Ocuilapa,  4;  San  Bartolome,  2;  Sau  Vicente, 
1 ;   Tonala,  8 :   Tuxtla  Gutierrez,  4 ;   Valley  of  Comitan,  22 ;   Valley 
of  Jiquipilas,  1. 
Guatemala:  Jacaltenaugo,  8;  Nenton,  1. 

Table  of  external  measurements  of  Peromyscus. 
External  measurements — averages  and  extremes. 


Species. 

Total  length. 

Tail  ve 

rtebrae. 

Ex- 
tremes. 

Hind  foot. 

Ear,  from  notch 
(dry). 

Num- 
ber 

Aver- 
age. 

Ex- 
tremes. 

Aver- 
age. 

Aver- 
age. 

Extremes. 

Aver- 
age. 

Extremes. 

meas- 
ured. 

P.  maniculatus 

179 
190 
177 
180 
183 

174-198 
176-206 
171-187 
171-194 
172-189 
173-188 
150-172 
185-214 
191-205 
178-204 

84 

96.8 

91.6 

87.8 

83 

71 
111 

98 

94 
102 
112 

75 

76.2 

79.3 

86 

96 

72.4 

70 

63.7 

61.5 

51 

68 
71.5 

72 
75 
82 
77 
74 
96 
84 

75-  95 
85-108 
82-  97 
82-  93 
78-  90 
93-  98 
62-  78 
105-123 
91-105 
83-101 

21 

21.4 

21 

21.2 

21 

20 

22.8 

23 

22.  5 

22.7 

24.5 

20.  5 

21.25 

22.1 

20.  5 

21.5 

20 

20 

20.1 

19.5 

16 

21.4 
22 

22.5 
20.  7 
21 

21.3 
20.6 
22 
21 

19  -23 
20. 8-21. 8 

20  -22 
20    -22 

P.  m.  gracilis 

17.4 

16. 7-18. 3 

10 

P.  m.  abietorum 

10 

P.  m.  argentatus 

23 

15.7 
15.8 
15.8 
16.6 
15.3 
15.8 
14.7 
16.1 
16.1 

15    -16 
15. 2-16 
15    -16.8 
15. 9-17. 1 
14. 5-16. 8 
15    -16.4 

14  -15.2 

15  -17 
14.8-18 

10 

P.  m.  nubiterrae 

19. 5-21 
19    -21 
22    -24 
22    -23.5 
22    -23.5 

2 

P.  m.  arcticus 

P.  m.  oreas 

160 

201 

198.4 

192 

197 

209 

167 

180.9 

180.8 

172 

193 

161 

160 

158 

149 

25 

12 

P.  m.  hylaeus 

P.  m.  algidus 

20 
20 

P.  m.  kceni 

20 

P.  m.  macrorhinus. . . 

P.  m.  artemisiae 

P.  m.  saturatus 

200-217 
155-180 

105-117 
69-  86 

24 
19 

-25 

-22 

6 
6 
10 

P.  m.  hollisteri 

P.  m.  austerus 

P.  m.  rubidus 

P.  m.  gambeli 

167-188 
163-190 
189-203 
157-173 
150-170 
147-170 
142-158 
161-140 
121-130 
145-173 
150-183 
168-182 
152-176 
162-178 
157-168 
156-172 
1&5-214 
176-195 

73-  84 
79-  96 
90-100 
70-  77 
56-  75 
56-  71 
56-  65 
70-  54 
50-  52 
59-  75 
65-  78 

64-  82 

65-  80 
79-  86 

74-  81 
68-  78 
88-105 
77-  92 

21 
20 

21 

-22.5 

-21 

-22 

16.8 

15 

15.8 

14.9 

15.5 

14.8 

12.5 

12.6 

11.7 

14.9 

15.5 

14.9 

16.4 

16.3 

16.5 

15.3 

15.7 

15.5 

15.2-17.2 
14     -15.5 
15. 2-16. 9 
14. 2-15. 8 
14.  1-16.  6 
14    -15.7 

10 
10 
6 
10 

19 
20 
19 
19 
15 
21 

-21 
-21 
-20. 5 
-18 

-17 
-22 

15 

P.  m.  nebrascensis 

10 
10 

P.  m.  bairdi 

11.5-14 
11.2-12.7 
13.8-15.3 
14.2-16.9 
14.5-15.5 
15.2-17.7 
15.  4-18 
14. 6-17. 5 

14  -17 

15  -16.8 
14.  6-17.  4 

P.  m.  palleseens 

P.  m.  blandu's 

126 
161 
162 
173 
166 
171 
163 
164 
196 
L86 

9 

7 
10 

P.  m.  labecula 

P.  m.  sonoriensis 

P.  m.  coolidgei 

P.  m.  margaritae 

P.  m.  dementis 

P.  m.  catalinae 

P.  m.  dubius 

22 

20 

-24 
-21.5 

10 

10 
7 

20 
20 
21 

20 

-22 
-21.5 
-23 
-22 

10 

Id 
10 

5 

1909.]  TABLE    OF    EXTERNAL    MEASUREMENTS.  261 

External  measurements — averages  and  extremes — Continued. 


Species. 


P.  m.  geronimensis . . 

P.  m.  cineritius 

P.  m.  magdalenae. . . 

P.  sitkensis ;. . 

P.  s.  prevostensis 

P.  polionotus 

P.  p.  niveiventris 

P.  p.  phasma 

P.  p.  rhoadsi 

P.  melanotis 

P.  leucopus 

P.  1.  noveboracensis  . 

P.  1.  ammodytes 

P.  1.  fusus 

P.  1.  aridulus 

P.  1.  ochracens 

P.  1.  tornillo 

P.  1.  arizonae 

P.  I.  texanus 

P.  1.  mesomelas 

P.  1.  castaneus 

P.  1.  afflnis 

P.  1.  cozumelae 

P.  gossypinus 

P.  g.  megacephalus. . 

P.  g.  palmarius 

P.  g.  anastasae 

P.  boylei 

P.  b.  iowleyi 

P.  b.  attwateri 

P.  b.  spicilegus 

P.  b.  simulus 

P.  b.  madrensis 

P.  b.  evides 

P.  b.  levipes 

P.  b.  azteeus 

P.  oaxacensis 

P.  hylocetes 

P.  pectoralis 

P.p.  eremicoides 

P.  p.  laceianus 

P-  truei 

P.  t.  gilberti 

P.  t.  martirensis 

P.  t.  lagunae 

P.  t.  gratus 

P.  t.  gentilis 

P.  nasutus 

P.  polius 

P.  difBcilis 

P.  d.  amplus 

P.  d.  felipensis 

P.  bullatus 

P.  melanophrys 

P.  m.  zamorae 

P.  m.  consobrinus. . . 

P.  xenurus 

P.  mekisturus 

P.  lepturus 

P.  lophurus 

P.  simulatus 

P.  guatemalensis 

P.  furvus 

P.  nudipes 

P.  mexicanus 

P.  m.  totontepecus. . 

P.  m.  saxatilis 

P.  m.  teapensis 

P.  m.  gymnotis 

P.  allophylus 

P.  banderanus 

P.  b.  vicinior 

P.  b.  angelensis 

P.  yucatanicus 

P.  y.  badius 

P.  altilaneus 

P.  raegalops 


Total  length. 


Aver- 


178 

175 

184 

224 

216 

130 

139 

138.5 

126 

155 

166.5 

173.4 

173 

194.4 

169 


182 
186 
178 
169 
163 


184 


196 

178.8 

167.5 

197 

191 

205 

198 

208 

224 

222 

208 

229 

246 

227 

201 


187 

186 

200 

213 

193 

204 

201 

195 

218.5 

233 

248 

241.5 

200 

269 

259 

256 


249 
228 
208 
169 
267 
263 
261 
246 
257 
244 
245 


Ex- 
tremes. 


202 

234 

233 

235 

216 

193.4 

228 

282 


170-182 
171-184 
175-200 


205-230 
125-137 
128-153 


132-168 
158-177 
163-188 
161-190 
190-203 
160-177 
173-180 
171-202 
178-193 
160-195 


156-169 
180-182 
163-198 
160-171 

iss-'jii;, 
172-183 


lVi-L'l).' 

180-207 
196-218 
189-210 


212-230 
198-234 
215-238 
241-260 
220-237 
195-209 
180-195 
185-192 
180-195 
186-206 
205-222 
182-210 
191-225 
194-210 
180-210 
210-234 
212-255 
235-260 
225-248 


Tail  vertebrae. 


Aver-        Ex- 
age,      tremes. 


262-275 
249-280 
250-260 
246-248 


218-238 


252-290 
248-282 
250-280 
235-254 
244-268 
233-258 
234-254 
191-220 


228-245 
225-240 
222-258 
208-232 


81 

76 

88 

113.6 
105 

47 

52 

53 

47 

64 

77 

77.5 

79 

90.7 

69 


82.6 

82.6 

77 

76 

73 


83.8 


84 

74.5 

69.5 
103 

99 
103 
101 
111 
120 
112 
108 
113 
127 
113 
110.7 


96 

92 

98 

116.5 
105 
110.5 
111.7 

99 
117 
127 
136 
127 

93 
149 
144 
135 


155 
115 
105 
87 
138 
131 
130 
128 
131 
127 
129 


95 
119 
117 
120 
112 

96.7 
115 
150 


79-  85 
75-  78 
82-  96 


97- 

116 

41- 

52 

50-  60 

58-  66 
73-  80 
73-  83 
71-  88 
85-  96 
63-  73 
82-  82 
75-  97 
78-  85 
68-91 


68-  79 
81-  84 
76-  90 
72-  71 
78-  90 


92-112 
91-109 
97-112 
95-108 


105-122 
97-123 
107-121 
120-135 
106-117 
102-115 
102-111 
94-100 
86-102 
87-103 
112-122 
97-118 
103-125 
103-120 
91-105 
111-120 
115-143 
128-145 
118-132 


146-155 
137-152 
131-139 
142-140 


112-119 


132-153 
123-145 
121-135 
118-133 
124-136 
120-138 
121-136 
92-104 


115-127 
115-121 
112-128 
105-122 


Hind  foot. 


Aver- 
age. 


Extremes. 


22.  4 

2L8 

22.8 

26.5 

26.2 

16.6 

18.1 

18.7 

17 

20.7 

20.5 

21.4 

20 

22.4 

22 


22.5 

22.6 

21.5 

23 

21.5 


23.3 


24 

21.1 

21.4 

22 

21.6 

24.3 

23.4 

23 

26 

23.6 

24 

24. 5 

27 

26.1 

21 


22.1 

23.5 

22.5 

24 

22.4 

22.8 

23.8 

23.2 

25.8 

26.3 

27 

26.8 

23 

28 

28.4 

27.5 


24 
27 

24.5 

21 

30.7 

27.9 

28.6 

26.6 

28.2 

27.6 


25 

25 

24.5 

27 

23.8 

23.5 

28 

31 


21    -23 
22' "-2§" 


25    -28 
15.6-17.7 
17    -19 


20    -21.5 

20  -21 

21  -22 
19.  5-21 
21. 5-23. 5 
21    -23 
22. 5-22. 5 

21-24 

22-24 

20. 5-22. 8 


20  -22 

22  -24 

22  -24 
24  -23 

23  -26 
20  -22 


21  -23 

21  -23 

23  -25 

23  -25 


23 

-25 

23 

-25 

24 

-26 

25  -27 

20  -22 

20  -21 

22  -23 


22    -24 


Ear,  from  notch 
(dry). 


Aver- 


21. 

5-23 

22 

-24 

23 

-24. 5 

22 

-24 

25 

-26 

25. 5-28 

26 

-28 

25. 5-27. 5 

27 

-30 

26. 5-28 

28 

-28 

26 

-28 

30 

-32 

26 

-29 

26 

-30 

26 

-27 

28 

-29 

27 

-29 

27 

-28.5 

23 

-24 

24 

-25 

26. 5-28 

23 

-26 

16 


16.6 

16.5 

15.6 

13 

12.4 

14 


18 

13.7 

14.3 


14.5 


14.8 
13.5 
12.5 
14.3 
14.6 
15.7 
15.5 
14.7 


16.4 

17.2 

16.2 

16.3 

15 

15.6 

13.6 

16.2 

15.2 

16.7 

18 

15.5 

15.3 

15.8 

22.4 

19.2 

21.7 

19 

19 

18.6 

19.7 

18.1 

21.6 

20.9 

20.4 

25 

19.3 

20 

19 

21.  5 

18.4 

17.3 

16 

14.3 

20.6 

21.9 

19.1 

19 

16.9 

18.2 

17.7 

16 

17 

18 

16.2 

17.3 

17 

16.4 

20.6 

19 


Extremes, 


14.5-17.3 


15.5-17.8 
14.9-17.8 
14.  4-16. 4 
12  -13.4 
11. 6-13. 5 


17    -19.2 
13.  4-14 
13.6-14.7 


13.6-15.5 
i3.'<M5.'3 


14. 1-15.  6 


11.3-13.6 
13.5-15 
13.  7-15. 7 
15  -16.8 
15  -16.3 
14    -15 


15. 3-17. 5 
16. 6-18 
15.  5-17.  2 
15.  4-17. 3 


14.7-17.2 
12. 6-14.  5 
15. 6-16.  7 

14.  5-16 
15. 8-17. 5 
17. 5-18.  5 

15.  4-17. 2 
14.  3-16. 6 
15    -16.2 
21. 5-24 
18    -21 
21     -23 
18    -19.8 
17. 5-20. 2 

18  -19.3 
18. 5-20. 5 
17. 2-18. 5 
19. 7-23 
19.  5-21.8 

19  -21.7 


18. 5-21 
19  -21 
18    -19. 


16.  4-18. 2 


20    -21.5 
20    -23 
18. 4-19. 4 
17. 7-20. 5 

16  -17.8 
16. 6-19. 5 

17  -18.6 
15    -17 


17. 2-18. 5 

16  -16.5 

17  -17.7 
15. 2-18.  3 
16    -16.8 


Num- 
ber 
meas- 
ured. 


262 


NORTH    AM  EH  I  CAN     FAUNA.  [no.  28. 

1-j.rtcriKii  measurements — averages  <i>ni  extremes — Continued. 


Species. 

Total  length. 

Tail  vi 

rtebiae. 

Hind  foot. 

Ear,  from  notch 
(dry). 

Num- 
ber 

Aver- 
age. 

Ex- 
tremes. 

Aver- 
age. 

Ex- 
tremes. 

Aver- 
age. 

Extremes. 

Aver- 
age. 

Extremes. 

meas- 
ured. 

288 
259 
262 
316 
330 

148 

135 

132 

170.7 

175 

isi.  2 

85 

83 

86.2 
133 
134 
101 
112 
110 
114 

105 

109.5 

108 

92 

98 
117 

95 

93 

94 

38 

39 

45.7 
50.8 
46.8 
43 

30.5 

27.3 
30 
35.7 
32.8 

31.8 

19.7 

18.8 

26.6 

27 

25 

20.5 

20 

20 

20.4 

21.6 

19.5 

21.5 

18 

21 

24 

21 

20.8 

20 

14.3 

14  5 

14  4 

16.5 
15.3 
15 

23.3 

17 

19 

22.2 

23 

20 

22.5 

15.5 

141 

22.5 

22.3 

20.3 

17.5 

16.4 

16 

16.6 

14  5 

15.7 

16 

15 

16 

18.2 

16.3 

17.3 

16 

9 

9 

9.9 
11.2 
10.7 
11 

1 

P.  m.  melanurus 

P.  melanocarpus 

P.  zarhynchus 

238-278 

127-145 

26    -28.5 

15.8-17.8 

10 
1 

305-327 
310-350 
302-318 
320-375 
170-190 
164-184 
190-221 
238-260 
220-245 
172-192 

162-178 

162-188 
172-170 
155-205 
80-  93 
80-  88 
80-  95 
127-146 
124-140 
94-108 

33.5-38 
32    -34 
35    -32 
31    -33 
19    -20 
17    -20 
26    -27.5 
26    -29 

21. 2-24 
21.4-24.8 

10 

7 

2 

341.6 

181 

172.5 

199.8 

243 

233 

183 

191 

193 

198 

20    -24 
14  4-16.  4 
13.  4-14  6 
22    -25 
21.  3-23. 5 
20    -20.7 
17.3-17.8 
15.  5-17 
15.  5-16.  5 

15.  6-17. 2 

16.  5-16.  7 
13.  4-16 
14  6-16. 8 

10 

10 

P.  n.  aureolus 

7 
10 

P.  californicus 

10 

6 

P.  eremicus 

20    -21 

10 
3 

181-200 
185-218 
196-200 
186-209 
183-200 
188-202 

106-114 
100-128 
115-113 
100-116 
100-117 
102-113 

8 

20    -21 

20  -19.5 
21. 5-22 
19    -20 

21  -22 

10 

2 

P.  e.  avius 

194 

192 

194 

170 

189 

217 

176 

177.7 

170 

97 

99 

10 

P.  e.  polypolius . 

P.  e.  anthonyi 

10 
10 
1 

P.  e.  phaeurus 

176-195 

92-103 

15. 2-16. 8 

9 

1 

172-184 
174-182 
161-176 
87-110 
88-104 
108-110 
105-123 
116-135 
110-130 
113-120 

92-  97 
89-  98 
88-101 
34-  45 
36-  44 
43-  49 

39-  53 
42-  56 

40-  51 
40-  45 

15.  4-17. 5 
16. 6-18 
15.  3-16. 5 
8.8-10 
8-9.4 
9. 6-  9. 8 
9. 6-10. 3 
10. 5-12 
10.4-11.2 
9.8-12 

H 

P.  c.  auripectus 

P  c.  stephensi 

20    -21 

10 
10 

14  5-15 
14    -15 
14    -15 
13. 5-15 
16    -17 
14  5-16. 5 
14  5-16 

7 

7 

2 

P.  t.  analogus 

P.  musculus 

P.  m.  brunneus 

P.  m.  nigrescens 

112 
124.7 
118 
115.6 

8 
10 
20 
10 

1909. 


TABLE    OF    <  KAN1AL    MEASUREMENTS. 


263 


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1909.] 


TABLE    OF    CKANIAL    MEASl'KKMKNTS. 


205 


oo  oi oo t^- h- ic l-.  -  /.      co      os  ci  wiooo      *r*n      ooco*o  «-ici^HOOQO*o,oosco'<»"«9,CMeo  *- ■ 


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wcicco^oic5o5c5oi'^ooo;ocioioo^o^oc"'Gco6cfto^cccc    •  ©  cs  o  c>  os  oi  o-" 


iOt--COr^t^C10>CM         00    CM    »O00    CO  OS  CO    tO    *0    CO  "■tf    00  Cl  »C  i-t    »0  CO  00    id  "*  i-h  (M  *0    »0    *C  00  "5 

t^  i^  co"  cd  cd  cd*  cd  cd  i^»  r-.  r*  t-i  cc  od  t-~  cd  cd  t-*»  t^  cd 1^  !>■  cd  r*-  i--"  r-  t-*;  r^  t--  w  t-^  oo  cc  oo  n  co  o  to  o  n  <dd  »o  n  to  n  c  c  c  t- 


lOiOOJN^NCNt^         lOO  W5  CM  CO  CO         u^aCcOClCOOSc0^cO^COCOCOcCl---'*GSiO-*r<-H-'^cO         TfiO        ^  tt  O  ifj  « 


fWiOOON  00        CM  tH  "<i*  OS  OS  CO        iOTj»owCNMN'C^f-HWOJM'1'Xt^t--iO         t--  iCf  CNrHh-  t~  CO 

^^co^^^cc^^^^"^^o^ccco^^^Tp^fTr^^^^^^»o^o^^Vrcrc^cc"i'  ^co*eo,<r-,3'co'J,'^'cc,*»* 


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coco 

CM  CM 

1-1  X 


O  CO         iO  id  CO  GO  ^  CO         Cl  Cl  CO  CO  O  CO         co  cm         ">;      '         CO  W  »C  O  ^-  -^  C-l  CO  Cl 

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ABLE    <)!•'    CRANIAL    MEASUREMENTS. 


k2(>7 


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it  PLATE   II. 

[About  one  and  one-third  times  natural  size] 

Fig.  1.  Peromyscus  maniculatus   (Wagner).     Labrador.    (No.  3666  Mus.  Comp. 
Zool.,  Cambridge,  Mass.) 

2.  Peromyscus  maniculatus  arcticus  (Mearns).     Topotype.     Fort  Simpson, 

Mackenzie,    Canada.     Adult    male.     (No.    133957    U.    S.    Nat.    Mus., 
Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

3.  Peromyscus     maniculatus     austerus     (Baird).     Topotype.     Steilacoom, 

Wash.     Adult  male.     (No.  42935  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus..  Biological  Survey 
Coll.) 

4.  Peromyscus    maniculatus    hylaeus    Osgood.     Type.     Hollis,    Prince    of 

Wales   Island,   Alaska.     Adult   male.      (No.   127038   IT.    S.   Nat.   Mus., 
Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

5.  Peromyscus   maniculatus  uracil  is    (Le  Conte).     Mountain   View,   N.   Y. 

Adult  female.     (No.  93635  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

6.  Peromyscus  maniculatus  hollisteri  Osgood.     Type.     Friday  Harbor,  San 

Juan  Island,  Washington.     Adult  male.     (No.  130316  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus., 
Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

7.  Peromyscus  sitkensis  Merriam.     Topotype.     Sitka,  Alaska.     Adult  male. 

(No.  73816  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

8.  Peromyscus   maniculatus    keeni    (Rhoads).     Cumshewa    Inlet,    Moresby 

Island,  Queen  Charlotte  Islands,  British  Columbia.  Adult  female. 
(No.  100726  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
!».  Peromyscus  maniculatus  pallescens  Allen.  Topotype.  San  Antonio. 
Tex.  Adult  male.  (No.  87876  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus..  Biological  Survey 
Coll.) 
*  Pi.  Peromyscus  maniculatus  bairdi  (Hoy  and  Kennicott).  Onaga,  Kan. 
Adult  female.     (No.  33851  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

11.  Peromyscus    polionotus     (Wagner).     Gainesville,     Fla.    Adult    female. 

(No.  4659  Coll.  of  C.  Hart  Merriam.) 

12.  Peromyscus  maniculatus  gambeli  (Baird).     Topotype.     Monterey,  Calif. 

Adult  female.     (No.  447S0  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

268 


North  American  Fauna  No.  28,  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.     Biological  Survey. 


Plate  II. 


1.  P.  manieulatus. 

2.  P.  m.  arcticus. 

3.  P.  ru.  austerus. 

4.  P.  m.  hylaeus. 


Skulls  of  Peromyscus. 

5.  P.  m.  gracilis. 

6.  P.  m.  hollisteri. 

7.  P.  sitkensis. 

8.  P.  m.  keeni. 


9.  P.  m.  pallescens. 

10.  P.  m.  bairdi. 

11.  P.  polionotus. 

12.  P.  in.  gambeli. 


PLATE   TTI. 

[About  one  and  one-third  times  natural  size.] 

Fig.  1.  Peromyscus    leucopus    tornillo    Mearns.     Juarez.    Chihuahua,     Mexico. 
Adult  male.     (No.  58368  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

2.  Peromyscus  gossypinus   (Le  Coute).     Riceboro,  Ga.     Adult  male.     (No. 

45081  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

3.  Peromyscus    leucopus   cozumelte   Merriam.     Topotype.     Cozuinel    Island, 

off  Yucatan,   Mexico.     Adult  female.     (No.   108440   U.    S.   Nat.    Mus.. 
Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

4.  Peromyscus    leucopus    mesomelas    Osgood.     Topotype.     Orizaba.    Vera- 

cruz, Mexico.     (No.  58208  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

5.  Peromyscus  oaxacensis  Merriam.    Topotype.    Cerro  Sau  Felipe,  Oaxaca. 

Mexico.     Adult  female.     (No.  68598  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Sur- 
vey Coll.) 

6.  Peromyscus  lophurus  Osgood.     Type.     Todos  Santos,  Guatemala.     Adult 

male.     (No.  77210  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

7.  Peromyscus   simulatus   Osgood.     Type.     Jico,   Veracruz,    Mexico.     Adult 

female.     (No.  55028  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

8.  Peromyscus    hylocetes     Merriam.       Topotype.      Patzcuaro,     Michoacan. 

Mexico.     Adult  male.     (No.  50421  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey 
Coll.) 
P.  Peromyscus    crinitus    (Merriam).      Topotype.      Shoshone    Falls,    Idaho. 
Adult  female.      (No.  31656  IT.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

10.  Peromyscus  crinitus  stephensi  Mearns.     Panamint  Mountains,  California. 

Adult  male.     (No.  40788  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

11.  Peromyscus  eremicus  (Baird).    Hardy  River,  Lower  California,  Mexico. 

Adult  male.     (No.  81868  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

12.  Peromyscus  leucopus  texanus   (Woodhouse).     Brownsville,  Tex.     Adult 

male.      (No.  41753  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
270 


North  American  Fauna  No.  28,  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.      Biological  Survey. 


Plate  III 


1.  P.  1.  tornillo. 

2.  P.  gossypinus. 

3.  P.  1.  cozumelse. 

4.  P.  1.  mesomelas. 


Skulls  of  Peromyscus. 

5.  P.  oaxacensis. 

6.  P.  lophurus. 

7.  P.  simulatus. 
S.  P.  hylocetes. 


9.  P.  crinitns. 

10.  P.  c.  stephensi. 

11.  P.  eremicus. 

12.  P.  1.  texanus. 


PLATE  IV. 

[About  one  and  one-third  times  natural  size.] 

Fig.  1.  Peromyscus  boylei  (Baird).  Topotype.  Middle  Fork  American  River, 
California.  Adult  male.  (No.  43232  U.  8.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Sur- 
vey Coll.) 

2.  Peromyscus  boylei  levipes  Merriam.     Type.     Mount  Malinche,  Tlaxcala, 

Mexico.     Adult  male.     (No.  53673  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey 
Coll.) 

3.  Peromyscus  boylei  spicilegus  Allen.     Topotype.     San  Sebastian,  Jalisco, 

Mexico.     Adult  female.     (No.  58543  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey 
Coll.) 

4.  Peromyscus   boylei  simulus  Osgood.     Type.     San   Bias,   Tepic,   Mexico. 

Adult  male.     (  No.  88088  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

5.  Peromyscus  boylei  astecus   (Saussure).     Topotype.     Mirador,   Veracruz, 

Mexico.     Adult  female.     (No.  58543  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey 
Coll.) 

6.  Peromyscus  truei  (Shufeldt).     Topotype.     Fort  Wingate,  N.  Mex.    Adult 

female.     (No.  46789  IT.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

7.  Peromyscus   pectoralis    eremicoides    Osgood.     Type.     Mapimi,    Durango, 

Mexico.     Adult  male.     (No.  57729  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey 

Coll.) 
s.  Peromyscus    nasutus    (Allen).     Cold   Hill,    Colo.     Adult    female.     (No. 

(>;i2<;4  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
9.  Peromyscus  truei  gratus  Merriam.     Topotype.     Tlalpam,  D.  F.,  Mexico. 

Adult  male.     (No.  50613  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

10.  Peromyscus  taylori  (Thomas).     Brownsville,  Tex.     Adult  female.     (No. 

48813  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

11.  Peromyscus  musculus  Merriam.     Topotype.     Armeria,  Colima,  Mexico. 

Adult  female.     (No.  45441  II.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

12.  Peromyscus  lepturus  Merriam.     Topotype.     Mount  Zempoaltepec.  Oaxaca, 

Mexico.     Adult  male.     (No.  68615  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey 
Coll.) 

272 


North  American  Fauna  No.  28,  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.      Biological  Survey. 


Plate  IV. 


1.  P.  boylei. 

2.  P.  b.  levipes. 

3.  P.  b.  spiciiegus. 

4.  P.  b.  siruulus. 


Skulls  of  Peromyscus. 

5.  P.  b.  aztecus. 

6.  P.  truei. 

7.  P.  p.  eremicoides. 

8.  P.  nasiuus. 


9.  P.  t.  gratus. 

10.  P.  taylori. 

11.  P.  musculus. 

12.  P.  lepturus. 


66268— No.  28—09 18 


PLATE  V. 

[About  one  and  one-third  times  natural  size.] 

Fig.  1.  Peromyscus   banderanus  Allen.     Hacienda   Magdalena,  Coliina,  Mexico. 
Adult  male.     (No.  45330  F.  S.  Nat.  Mus..  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

2.  Peromyscus  guatemalensis  Merriam.     Topotype.    Todos  Santos,  Guate- 

mala.    (No.  76852  U.  S.  Xat.  Mus..  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

3.  Peromyscus   melanophrys    (Cones).     Yaganiza.   Oaxaca.   Mexico.     Adult 

male.     (No.  68606  F.  S.  Nat.  Mus..  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

4.  Peromyscus    yucatanicus    Allen    and     Chapman.     Fa     Vega,    Yucatan. 

Mexico.     Adult  female.      (No.  108424  F.  S.  Nat.  Mus..  Biological  Sur- 
vey Coll.) 

5.  Peromyscus  megalops  Merriam.     Mountains  near  Chilpancingo,  Guerrero, 

Mexico.     Adult  male.       (No.  70188  F.  S.  Nat.  Mus..  Biological  Survey 
Coll.) 

6.  Peromyscus    difflcilis     (Allen).     Topotype.     Valparaiso    Mountains.    Za- 

catecas.  Mexico.     Adult  female.      (No.  01829  F.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biologi- 
cal Survey  Coll.) 

7.  Peromyscus    furvus     Allen     and     Chapman.      Jico,     Veracruz.     Mexico. 

Adult  female.     (No.  55021  F.  S.  Xat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

8.  Peromyscus     mexicanus      (Saussure).     Topotype.     Mirador.      Veracruz. 

Mexico.     Adult  male.     (No.  58547  F.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey 
Coll.) 

9.  Peromyscus  {Peromyscus)  leucopus  noveboracensis  (Fischer).    Montauk 

Point.  New  York.     Adult  male.      (No.  56714  F.  S.  Nat.  Mus..  Biologi- 
cal  Survey  Coll.) 

10.  Peromyscus  (Baiomys)  musculus  (Merriam).     Armeria,  Colima,  Mexico. 

Adult  female.      (No.  45441  F.  S.  Nat.  Mus..  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

11.  Peromyscus  (Ochrotomys)  nuttalli  (Harlan).     Dismal  Swamp.  Virginia. 

Adult  male.      (No.  7510S  V.  S.  Nat.  Mus..  Biological   Survey  Coll.) 

12.  Peromyscus    (Haplomylomys)   eremicus    (Baird).     Hardy  River,  Lower 

California,  Mexico.     Adult  male.     (No.  81868  F.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biologi- 
cal Survey  Coll.) 

13.  Peromyscus   (Megadontomys)    thomasi  Merriam.     Topotype.     Mountains 

near  Chilpancingo.  Guerrero,  Mexico.     Adult  female.     (No.  70413  F.  S. 
Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

14.  Peromyscus   (Podomys)   fforidanus   (Chapman).     Cape  Canaveral.  Flor- 

ida.     Adult   female.      (No.   2341C.    F.    S.    Nat.   Mus.,   Biological   Survey 
Coll.) 

274 


North  American  Fauna  No.  28,  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.      Biological  Survey. 


Plate  V. 


1.  P.  banderanus. 

2.  P.  guatemalensis. 

3.  P.  melanophrys. 

4.  P.  yucatanicus. 

5.  P.  megalops. 


Skulls  of  Peromyscus. 

6.  P.  difficilis. 

7.  P.  furvus. 

8.  P.  mexicanus, 

9.  P,  1.  noveboracensis. 
10.  P.  musculus. 


11.  P.  nuttalli. 

12.  P.  eremicus. 

13.  P.  thomasi. 

14.  P.  floridanus. 


PLATE  VI. 

[About  one  and  one-third  times  natural  size.] 

Fig.  1.  Peromyscus  {Peromyscus)  zarhynchus  Merriain.  Topotype.  San  Cris- 
tobal, Chiapas,  Mexico.  Adult  male.  (No.  76097  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus., 
Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

2.2  a.  Peromyscus  (Megadontomys)  flavidus  Bangs.     Topotype.     Boquete,  Chir- 

iqui,  Panama.      (No.  10331  Mus.  Comp.  Zool.,  Cambridge,  Mass.) 

3.3  a.  Peromyscus     (Megadontomys)     thomasi    Merriam.     Topotypes.     Moun- 

tains near  Chilpancingo,  Guerrero,  Mexico.     (3.  No.  70144;  3a.  No. 
70143  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
4.  Peromyscus   (Peromyscus)   leucopus   (Raflnesque).     Houma,  La.    Adult 
female.     (No.  46011  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

5. 5  a.  Peromyscus   (Hanlomylomys)   californicus   (Gambel.)     Topotype.     Mon- 

terey, Calif.    Adult  male.     (No.  44777  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Sur- 
vey Coll.) 

6. 6  a.  Peromyscus      (Podomys)      floridanus      (Chapman).     Cape     Canaveral, 

Florida.    Adult  female.     (No.  23416  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Sur- 
vey Coll.) 

7,7a.  Peromyscus  (Ochrotomys)  nuttalli  (Harlan).  Dismal  Swamp,  Vir- 
ginia. Adult  female.  (No.  95886  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey 
Coll.) 

8, 8  a.  Peromyscus  (Peromyscus)  Icucoyus  noveboracensis  (Fischer).  Jaw. 
8.  East  Hartford,  Connecticut.  Adult  male.  (No.  64349  U.  S.  Nat. 
Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.)  8a.  Montauk  Point,  New  York. 
Adult  male.  (No.  56714  U.  S.  Nat  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coil.) 
9.  Peromyscus  (Haplomylomys)  eremicus  (Baird).  Jaw.  Hardy  River, 
Lower  California,  Mexico.  Adult  male.  (No.  81868  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus., 
Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
10.  Peromyscus  (Baiomys)  musculus  (Merriam).  Jaw.  Armeria,  Colima, 
Mexico.  Adult  female.  (No.  45441  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Sur- 
vey Coll.) 

276 


North  American  Fauna  No.  28,  U.  S.  Dept  Agr.     Biological  Survey. 


Plate  VI. 


1.  P.  zjirhvnchus. 

2,  2a.  P.  fl'avidus. 

3,  3a.  P.  thomasi. 

4.  P.  leucopus. 


Skulls  and  Jaws  of  Peromyscus. 


6,  5a.  P.  californicus. 

6,  6a.  P.  floridaims. 

7,  7a.  P.  nuttalli. 


8,  8a.  P.  1.  noveboracensis 

9.  P.  eremk'us. 
10.   P.  musculus. 


PLATE  VII. 

[About  one  and  one-third  times  natural  size.] 

Fig.  1.  Peromyscus  floridanus    (Chapman).     Cape  Canaveral,   Florida.     Adult 
female.     (No.  23416  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

2.  Peromyscus  nuttalli  (Harlan).     Dismal  Swamp,  Virginia.     Adult  male. 

(No.  75198  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

3.  Peromyscus  leucopus  noveboracensis   (Fischer).     East  Hartford,  Conn. 

Adult  male.      (No.  64349  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

4.  Peromyscus  crcmicus  (Baird).     Hardy  River,  Lower  California,  Mexico. 

Adult  male.     (No.  81868  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

5.  Peromyscus    thomasi    Merriam.     Topotype.     Mountains    near    Chilpan- 

cingo,  Guerrero,  Mexico.     Adult  male.      (No.  70144  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus., 
Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

6.  Peromyscus     mexicanus     (Saussure).     Topotype.     Mirador,     Veracruz, 

Mexico.    Adult  male.     (No.  5S547  II.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey 
Coll.) 

7.  Peromyscus  bullatus  Osgood.     Type.     Perote,  Veracruz,  Mexico.     Adult 

female.     (No.  54405  IT.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

8.  Peromyscus   flavidus    Bangs.      Topotype.      Boquete,    Chiriqui,    Panama. 

(No.  10331  Mus.  Comp.  Zool.,  Cambridge,  Mass.) 

9.  Peromyscus  boylei   (Baird).     Topotype.     Middle  Fork  American  River, 

California.    Adult  male.     (No.  43232  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Sur- 
vey Coll.) 

10.  Peromyscus  truei  (ShufelAt).    Topotype.    Fort  Wingate,  N.  Mex.    Adult 

female.     (No.  46789  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

11.  Peromyscus   musculus    (Merriam).     Armeria,     Colima,     Mexico.     Adult 

female.     (No.  45441  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

12.  Peromyscus  maniculatus  gracilis    (Le  Conte).     Mountain  View,   N.  Y. 

Adult  female.     (No.  93635  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

27S 


North  American  Fauna  No.  28,  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.      Biological  Survey. 


Plate  VII. 


1.  P.  floridanus. 

2.  P.  nuttalli. 

3.  P.  1.  noveboracensis. 

4.  P.  eremicus. 


Skulls  of  Peromyscus. 

5.  P.  thomasi. 

6.  P.  mexicanus. 

7.  P.  bullatus. 

8.  P.  flavidus. 


9.  P.  bovlei. 

10.  P.  truei. 

11.  P.  musculus. 

12.  P.  m.  gracilis. 


PLATE  VIII. 

[Teeth  about  seven  and  one-half  times  natural  size;  soles  about  two  and  one-half  times.] 

Figs.  1,  la,  lb,  lc.  Peromyscus  (Megadontomys)  thomasi  Merriam. 

1.  Side  view  of  upper  molars.     (No.  126887  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus., 

Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
la.  Worn   crowns  of    upper    molars.     (No.   126SS9   IT.    S.   Nat. 

Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
lb.  Worn   crowns   of   lower   molars.     (No.    126889    U.    S.    Nat. 

Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
lc.  Sole  of  bind  foot.     (No.  126889  tl.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological 

Survey  Coll.) 

2.  2a,  2b,  2c.  Peromyscus  (Peromyscus)  leucopus  uoreboracensis  (Fiscber). 

2.  Side  view  of  upper  molars.      (No.   449.39   U.   S.   Nat.   Mus.. 

Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
2a.  Worn  crowns  of  upper  molars.     (No.  96930  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus., 

Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
2b.  Worn  crowns  of  lower  molars.     (No.  96929  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus., 

Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
2c.  Sole  of  hind  foot.      (No.  82924  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological 

Survey  Coll.) 

3.  Peromyscus  eremicus  (Baird).    Side  view  of  upper  molars.     (No.  S1870 

U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.)     • 

4.  Peromyscus    {Haplomylomys)    califomicus   Gambel.     Crowns  of  upper 

molars.     (No.  97134  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
5,5a.  Peromyscus   (Ochrotomys)  nuttaUl  (Harlan). 

5.  Worn  crowns  of  upper  molars.    ( No.  75198  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus., 

Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
5a.  Sole  of  bind  foot.     (No.  140805  IT.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological 
Survey  Coll.) 

6.  Peromyscus   (Peromyscus)    maniculatus  gracilis    (Le  Conte).     Sole  of 

bind  foot.     (No.  147327  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

7.  Peromyscus    [Baiomys)    taylori    (Thomas).      Solo  of  bind  foot.      (No. 

18287  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

8.  Peromyscus  (Podomys)  floridanus  Chapman.     Sole  (if  hind  foot.     (No. 

111458  C.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

280 


North  American  Fauna  No.  28,  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.     Biological  Survey. 


Plate  VIII. 


F.  von  Itersen,  del. 


Molar  Teeth  and  Soles  of  Peromyscus. 


1,  la,  lb,  lc.  P.  thomasi. 

2,  2a,  26,  -2r\  P.  1.  noveboracensis. 

3.  P.  eremicus. 

4.  P.  ciUii'ornieus. 


5,  5a.  P.  nuttalli. 
fp.  P.  m.  gracilis. 

7.  P.  taylori. 

8.  P.  floridanus. 


INDEX. 


[New  names  in  black  face  type;  synonyms  in  italics.] 


abietorum,   Peromyscus,   45. 
affinis,  Hesperomys,  133. 
Peromyscus,  133. 
Vesperimus,  133. 
akeleyi,  Peromyscus,  63. 
albifrons,  Peromyscus,  108. 
nlK'idiiN,  reromyscus,  50. 
allew,  Peromyscus,  255. 
allophylus,  Peromyscus,  206. 
altilaneus,  Peromyscus,  197. 
amrrieanus,  Mus,  117. 

Sitomys,  117. 
Vesperimus,  113,  117. 
ammodytes,   Peromyscus,   121. 
amplus,  Peromyscus,  181. 
analogas,  Peromyscus,  256. 
anastasae,  Peromyscus,  141. 
angelensis,  Peromyscus,  210. 
anthoiiyi,  Hespcromys,  240. 
Peromyscus,  240. 
Vesperimus,  249. 
arbor  eus,  Peromyscus,  117. 
arcticus,  Hespcromys,  40,  49. 

Peromyscus,  49. 
arenarius,  Peromyscus,  104.   239. 
argentatus,   Peromyscus,  46. 
aridnliis,  Peromyscus,  122. 
arizonae,  Peromyscus,  126. 

Sitomys,  126. 
Arvicola  emmonsi,   117. 

nuttalM,  224. 
auritus,  Peromyscus,  214. 
artemisiae,    Peromyscus,   58. 

Sitomys,  5S. 
attwateri,  Peromyscus,  147. 
uureolus,  Calomys,  225. 
Mus,  225. 
Peromyscus,  225. 
auripectus,  Peromyscus,  231. 

Sitomys,  231. 

austerus,  Hespcromys,  63. 

Peromyscus,  63. 

aviuM,  Peromyscus,   247. 

B. 

badius,  Peromyscus,  212. 
Baiomys,  32,  252. 
Baiomys  musculus,  257. 
taylori,  253. 


bairdii,  Mus,  79. 

Peromyscus,  79. 
baliolus,  Peromyscus,  104. 
banderanus,   Peromyscus,  207. 
beatae,  Peromyscus,  153. 
bellus,  Peromyscus,  147. 
blandus,   Peromyscus,  84. 
boylii,  Hesperomys,  142. 
boyiei,    Peromyscus,    142. 
brunneus,   Peromyscus,   259. 
bullatus,  Peromyscus,  183, 

O. 

cacabaius,  Peromyscus-,  195. 
cdlifornicus,  Mus,  234. 

Peromyscus,  234. 
Calomys  aureolus,  225. 
campestris,  Hesperomys,   117. 
canadensis,  Sitomys,  42. 
callus,  Peromyscus,  127. 
carolinensis,  Mus,  135. 
castaneus,  Peromyscus,  133. 
catalinae,   Peromyscus,  97. 
cecilii,  Peromyscus,  109. 
cedrosensis,   Peromyscus,  244. 
cherrii,  Hesperomys,  75. 
Vesperimus,  75. 
cineritius,   Peromyscus,   100. 
dementis,    Peromyscus,    96. 
eounatus,  Hesperomys,  136. 
Color  descriptions,  21-22. 
comptus,  Peromyscus,  214. 
consobrinus,   Peromyscus,   188. 
coolidgei,  Peromyscus,  94. 
cozumelae,  Peromyscus,   135. 
Cricetus  myoides,  117. 
triii  it  us,  Hespcromys,  229. 
Peromyscus,  229. 
criatobalensis,  Peromyscus,  217. 

r>. 

deserticolus,  Hespcromys,  89. 
difflcilis,  Peromyscus,  178. 
Vesperimus,  178. 
dubius,  Peromyscus,  98. 
dyselius,  Peromyscus,  169. 
• 

Economic  status,   babits  and,  26-28. 
emmonsi,  Arvicola,  117. 

281 


282 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.   28. 


eremicoides,  PeromyscuB,  163. 
eremicus,  Hesperomys,  239. 
Peromyscus,  239. 
«■!•«•  nni>.  Peromyscus.  47. 
eva,  Peromyscus.  245. 
evides,  Peromyscus,   152. 
i  xiguus,  Peromyscus,  99. 

IP. 

felipensis,  Peromyscus,  182. 
flaccidus,  /'( romyscus,  125. 
flavidu8,  Megadontomys,  221. 

Peromyscus,  221. 
floridanus,  Hesperomys,  227. 
Peromyscus,  227. 
fraterculus,  Peromyscus,  24:*. 
Sitomys,  24:-!. 
Vtsjiei  imus,    24:?. 
fulvus,  Peromyscus,  86. 
furvus,  Peromyscus,   196. 
f usus,   Peromyscus.   1  22. 

Gr. 

gadovii,  Peromyscus,  185. 
gambeli,  Hesperomys,  67. 

Peromyscus,   67. 

Sitomys,  67. 
gaurus,  Peromyscus,  145. 
gentilis,  Peromyscus,  175. 
Genus  Peromyscus.  characters,  33. 
geronimensis,  Peromyscus,  99. 
gilberti,  Peromyscus,  169. 

Sitomys,  169. 
goldmani,   Peromyscus,  251. 
gossipinus,  Hypudaeus,  135. 
gossypinus,  Hesperomys,   135. 
Peromyscus,  135. 
gracilis,  Hesperomys,  42. 

Peromyscus,  42. 
gratus,  Peromyscus.  17::. 
jjuatemalensis,   Peromyscus,   193. 
gymnotis,  Peromyscus,  205. 

H. 

Habits  and  economic  status,   26-28. 
Haplomylomys.   :;.'!.   228. 
hemfonotis,  Peromyscus,  171. 
herroni,  Sitvmys,  243. 
Hesperomys,  32. 
Hesperomys  tiffin  is,  133. 

anthonyi,  249. 

arcticus,  40,  49. 

austerus,  62. 

aztecus,  156. 

boylii,  142. 

campestris,  117. 

cheirii,  75. 

cognatus,  136. 

ci  in  it  us,  2i".». 

deserticoJus,  89. 

fremitus,  239. 

florithiuiis,  227. 

gambeli,  07. 

gossi/pinus,   135. 


Hesperomys  gracilis,  42. 

leucopus,   1 1  •'!. 
macropus,  227. 

milllitltltit  its,  40. 

megaloti8,  165. 
melanopJirys,  L84. 
mexicanue,  198. 

nebrascensis,  75.  77. 

niveiven  I  ris,  105. 

nudipes,   195. 

nuttalU,  224. 

parasiticus,  2::4. 

in  fin  its,  72. 

sonoriensis,  89. 

taylori,  25.".. 

texa  ntt.  127. 
History  and  nomenclature.  11-14. 
holliateri,  Peromyscus,  02. 
homochroia,  Peromyscus,  24:;. 
liylaeus,   Peromyscus,  5:!. 
uylocetes,    Peromyscus,    159. 
Hypudaeus  gossipinus,  135. 

I. 

insignis,  Peromyscus.  237. 
insolatus,  Sitomys,  89. 
insulanus,  Peromyscus,  141. 
insnlicola,   Peromyscus,  246. 
Intergradation,   17-19. 

K. 

Keys,  23. 

keeni,  Peromyscus,  55. 
Sitomys,  55. 

I,. 

labecula,  Peromyscus,  87. 
laceianus,   Peromyscus.    104. 
laceyi,  Peromyscus,  148. 
lagunae,  Peromyscus,    172. 
Itisius,  Peromyscus,  165. 
lepturus,  1'eromyscus,  190. 
leucopus,  Hesperomys,  113. 

.i/1/.s,  ii a 

Mustiiliis,   1  1  •"!. 

Peromyscus.    113. 

Vesperimus,  113. 
leucuius,  Peromyscus,  185. 
levipes,  Peromyscus.    L53. 
lophurus,  Peromyscus,   192. 
luteus,  Peromyscus.  77. 

M. 

macropus,  Hesperomys,  227. 
macrorhinus.  Peromyscus,  57. 

x Hi) in  lis,  57. 
ruadrensis.    Peromyscus,    152. 
magdalenar,  Peromyscus,  101. 
major,  Sitomys,  145 
maniculatus,  Hesperomys,  40. 

Peromyscus.  40. 
liiargaritae,  Peromyscus,  95. 
martirensis.  Peromyscus.  171. 
Sitomiis,    171. 


1909.] 


INDEX. 


283 


Material,  10-11. 
mearnsii,  Vesperimus,  127. 
Measurements,  22-23. 

table  of  cranial,  26:?. 
table  of  external,  260. 
medius,  Peromyscus,  67.  ■ 
megacephalus,  Peromyscus,  138. 

Sitomys,  138. 
Megadontomys,  33,  218. 
Megadontomys  da  v  id  us,  221. 
nelsoni,  221. 
thomasi,  219. 
megalops,  Peromyscus.  213. 
megalotis,  Hesperomys,  165. 
mekisturus,  Peromyscus,   189. 
melanocarpus.   Peromyscus.   216. 
melanotis,  Peromyscus.  100. 
melanophrys,  Hesperomys,  184. 
Peromyscus,  184. 
melanurus,  Peromyscus,  215. 
merriami,  Peromyscus,  239. 
mesomelas,  Peromyscus,  132. 
metallicola,  Peromyscus,  145. 
mexicanus,  Peromyscus,  198. 
Hesperomys,  198. 
michiganensis,  Hits,  117. 

Peromyscus,  79. 
minnesotae,  Peromyscus,  117. 
mississippiensis,  Peromyscus,  138. 
montipinoris,  Peromyscus,  166. 
Mus  americanus,  117. 
aureolus,  225. 
bairdii,  79. 
californicus,  234. 
carolinensis,  135. 
leucopus,  113. 
michiganensis,  117. 
noveboraccnsis,  117. 
polionotus,  104. 
musculoides,  Peromyscus,  133. 
Musculus  leucopus,  113. 
musculus,  Baiomys,  257. 

Peromyscus,  257. 
Sitomys,  257. 
myoides,  Cricetus,  117. 

N". 

nasutus,  Peromyscus,  176. 

Vesperimus,  176. 
ncbrascensis,  Hesperomys,  75,  77. 
Peromyscus,  75,  77. 
nelsoni,  Megadontomys,  221. 

Peromyscus,  221. 
New  subspecies,  32. 
nicaraguae,  Peromyscus,  203. 
nigellus,  Sitomys,  243. 
nigrescens,  Peromyscus,  259. 
Nomenclature,  history  and,  11—14. 
noveboraccnsis,  Mus,  117. 

Peromyscus,  117. 
nubiterrae,  Peromyscus,  47. 
nudipes,  Hesperomys,  195. 

Peromyscus,  195. 

Vesperimus,  195. 
nuttalli,  Arvicola,  224. 

Hesperomys,  224. 

Peromyscus,  224, 


O. 

oaxacensis,  Peromyscus.  158. 
ochracens,   Peromyscus,    124. 
Oehrotomys,  .*!.",,  222. 
oreas,  Peromyscus,  51. 
oresterus,  Peromyscus,  89. 
orizabae,  Peromyscus,  202. 

P. 

pallescens,  Peromyscus,  83. 
palmarius,  Peromyscus,  139. 
parasiticus,  Hesperomys,  234. 
Peromyscus,  145. 
paulus,  Peromyscus,  255. 
pavidus,  Peromyscus,  17.'!. 
pectoralis,  Peromyscus,  160. 
Pelases,   19-21. 
penicillatus,  Peromyscus,  145. 
perimekurus,  Peromyscus,  65. 
Peromyscus,  genus,  32-33. 

subgenus,  33-34. 
Peromyscus  abietorum,  45-46. 

akeleyi,  63. 

afflnis,  133-134. 

albifrons,  108-109. 

:■  livid  us.  56. 

allex,  255. 
allophylus,  206-207. 
altilaneus,  197-198. 
ammodytes,  121-122. 
amplus,  181-182. 
analogous,  256—257. 
anastasae,  141. 
angelensis,  210. 
anthonyi,  249-250. 
arboreus,  117. 
arcticus,  49-51. 
arenarius,  104,  239. 
argentatus,  46. 
iiriiliiliiN,  122. 
arizonae,  126—127. 
artemisiae,  58-61. 
attwateri,  147-149. 
aureolus,  225—226. 
auripectus,  231-232. 
auritus,  214-215. 
austerus,  63-65. 
avius,  247—248. 
aztecus,  156-158. 
badius,  212. 
bairdi,  79-83. 
baliolus,  104. 
banderanus,  207-209. 
beatae,  153. 
bellus,  147. 
blandus,  84. 
boylei,  142. 
brunneus,  259. 
bullatus,  183-184. 
cacabatus,  195. 
californicus,  234-237. 
can  us,  127 
castaneus,  133. 
catalinae,  97. 
cecilii,  109. 
cedrosensis,  244—245. 
cineritius,  100. 


284 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.  28. 


Peromyscus  dementis,  90. 
comptus,  214. 
coolidgei,  94. 
consobrinus,  188. 
cozumelae,  135. 
crinitus,  229-231. 
Cristobal 'crisis,  217. 
difflcilis,  178-181. 
dubius,  98. 
dyselius,  169. 
eremicoides,  163-164. 
eremicus,  239-242. 
eremus,  47. 
eva,  245-24(1. 
evides,  152. 
exiguits.  99. 
felipensis,   182-183. 
flaccidus,  125. 
flavidus,  221-222. 
floridanus,  227—228. 
fraterculus,  24.">-244. 
fulvus,  86. 
furvus,  196. 
fusus,  122. 
gadovii,  185. 
gambeli,  67. 
gaums,  145. 
gentilis,  175. 
geronimensis,  99. 
gllberti,  169-171. 
goldmani,  251. 
gossypinus,  135-138. 
gracilis,  42-45. 
gratus,  173-174. 
guatemalensis,  193-195. 
gymnotis,  2()5-20(>. 
hemionotis,  171. 
holliateri,  02. 
homochroia,  243. 
hylaeus,  53. 
hylocetes,  159-160. 
insignis,  237-238. 
insula  nits,  141. 
insnllcola,  246-247. 
keeni,  55. 
labecula,  87. 
laceianus,  104-l(;.~p. 
laceyi,  148. 
lag  ii  nae,  172. 
la8W8,  165. 
lepturus,  190-192. 
leucopus,  113-117. 
leucurus,  185. 
levipes,  153-155. 
lophurus,  192. 
luteus,  77-79. 
macrorhinus,  57. 
inadrensis,  152. 
uiagrda  lenae,  101. 
maniculatus,  40—12. 
iiiiti'u'iiril.'ii'.  95. 
martiivnsis,  171-172. 
medius,  67. 

megacephalus,  138-139. 
megalops,  213-214. 
mekisturus,  189. 
melanocarpus,  216-217. 


Peromyscus  welanophrys,  184-180. 
melanotis,  109-112. 
iiii-I:i  n  ii  i-iin,  215—216. 
merriami,  239. 
mesomelas,  132. 
metulUcola,  145. 
mexieanus,  198-201. 
michigatiensis,  79. 
minnesotae,  117. 
mississippiensis,  138. 
montipinoris,  166. 
mu8culoides,  133. 
musculus,  257-258. 
nasutus,  176-177. 
nebrascensis,  75-77. 
nelsoni,  221. 
niearaguae,  203. 
nigrescens,  259-260. 
niveiventris,  105. 
noveboracensis,  117-121. 
nubiterrae,  47. 
nudipes,  195-196. 
nuttalli,  224-225. 
oaxacensis,  158-159. 
oehraceus,  124—120. ) 
oreas,  51-53. 
orizabae,  202. 
oresterus,  89. 
pallescens,  83-84. 
paliuarius,  139-140. 
parasiticus,  145. 
paulus,  255-256. 
par  id  us,  173. 
pectoralis,  160-162. 
penicillatus,  145. 
perimekurus,  65. 
petraius,  232. 
phaeui'us,  251. 
phasma,  107. 
polionotus,  104-105. 
polius,  177-178. 
l»ol  j  imiI  i  us,  248. 
prevostensis,  102. 
propinquus,  245. 
rhoadsi,  107-108. 
rowleyi.  145-147. 
rubidus,  65-67. 
ruflnus,  72-74. 
sagaw,  173. 
saturatus,  61. 
saxatilis,  203-204. 
scitulus,  229. 
simulatus,  193. 
simulus,  151. 
sitkensis,  101-102. 
sonoriensis,  89. 
spicilegus,  149-151. 
stephensi,  232-234. 
subarcticus,  58. 
subater,  255. 
subgriseus,  104. 
taylori,  253-2.">4. 
teapensis,  204. 
tehuantepccus,  199. 
texanus,  127-131. 
thomasi,  219-220. 
tiburonensis,  250. 


1909.] 


INDEX. 


285 


Peromyscus  tornillo,  125-126. 

totontepecus,  202—203. 

truei,  165-169. 

umbrinus,  40. 

vicinior,   209. 

xenurus,  188-189. 

yucatanicus,  211. 

eamelas,  109. 

zamorae.  187. 

zarhynchus,  217-218. 

zelotes,  173. 
petraius,  Peromyscus,  232. 
phaeurus,  Peromyscus,  251. 
phasma,  Peromyscus,  107. 
p  in  a  1  is ,  8  i  to  >n  ys ,  145. 
Podoiuys,  33,  226. 
polionotus,  Mas,  104. 

Peromyscus,  104. 
polius,  Peromyscus,    177. 
polypolius,  Peromyscus,  248. 
prevostensis,  Peromyscus.  102. 
propinquus,  Peromyscus,  245. 

R. 

Records  of  specimens,  23-24. 
rhoadsi,  Peromyscus,  107. 
robust  us,  Sitomys,  142. 
rowleyi,  Peromyscus,  145. 

Sitomys,  145. 
rubidus,  Peromyscus,  65. 
rufinus,  Hesperomys,  72. 

Peromyscus,  72. 

S. 

sagax,  Peromyscus,  173. 
saturatus,  Peromyscus,  61. 
saxatilis,  Peromyscus,  203. 
scitulus,  Peromyscus,  229. 
simulatus,  Peromyscus.   193. 
simulus.  Peromyscus.  151. 
sitkensis,  Peromyscus,  101. 
Sitomys,  32. 
Sitomys  americanus,   117. 

arizonae,  126. 

artemisiae,  58. 

auripectus,  231. 

canadensis,  42. 

fraterculus,  243. 

gambelU,  67. 

gilberti,  169. 

herroni,  243. 

insolatus,  89. 

keeni,  55. 

major,  145. 

martirensis,  171. 

megacephalus,  138. 

nigellus,  243. 

maerorhinus,  57. 

musculus,  257. 

pinalis,  145. 

robustus, 142. 

rowleyi,  145. 

subgriseus,  104. 

thurberi,  67. 
sonoriensis,  Hesperomys,  89. 
Peromyscus,  89. 


Species  and  subspecies,   list   of,  28-31. 
spicilegus,  Peromyscus,   149. 
stephensi,  Peromyscus,  232. 
subarcticus,  Peromyscus,  58. 
sulmrer,  Peromyscus,  255. 
Subgenera,  24-26. 
Subgenera,  key  to.  .".2. 
Subgenus  Baiomys,    252. 

Haplomylomys,  228. 

Megadontomys,  218. 

Ochrotomys,  222. 

Peromyscus,   33. 

Podomys,  226. 
subgriseus,  Peromyscus,  KM. 
Sitomys,  104. 

T. 
taylori,  Baiomys,  253. 

Hesperomys,  253. 

Peromyscus,  253. 

Vesperimus,  253. 
teapensis,  Peromyscus,  204. 
tchuantepecus,  Peromyscus,  199. 
tcxana,  Hesperomys,  127. 
texanus,  Peromyscus,  127. 
thomasi,  Megadontomys,  219. 

Peromyscus,  219. 
thurberi,  Sitomys,  67. 
tiburonensis,  Peromyscus,  250. 
tornillo,  Peromyscus,  125. 
totontepecus,  Peromyscus,  202. 
Trinodontomys,  33. 
truei,  Hesperomys,  165. 
Peromyscus,  165. 
Type  localities,  list  of,  28-31. 

XT. 

umbrinus,  Peromyscus,  40. 

V. 

Variation,  14    16. 
Vesperimus,  '■'<-. 
Vesperimus  aflinix,   133. 

americanus,  1  13,  117. 

anthonyi,  249. 

cher r ii,  75. 

difflcilis,  178. 

fraterculus,  243. 

leucopus,  113. 

mearnsii,  127. 

n  as  ut  us,  176. 

nudipes,  195. 

taylori,  253. 
vicinior,  Peromyscus,  209. 

X. 

xenurus,  Peromyscus,  188. 

Y. 

yucatanicus,  Peromyscus,  211. 


zamelas,  Peromyscus,  109. 
zamorae,  Peromyscus,  187. 
zarhynchus,  Peromyscus,  217. 
zelotes,  Peromyscus,  173. 


o 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT   OF   AGRICULTURE 

BUREAU  OF  BIOLOGICAL  SURVEY 


NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA 

No.   2  9 

[Actual  date  of  publication,  August  31,  1909] 


THE  RABBITS  OF  NORTH  AMERICA 


E.    W.    NELSON 

CHIEF    FIELD   NATURALIST,    BIOLOGICAL   SURVEY 


Prepared  under  the  direction  of 
Dr.  C.  HART    MERRIAM 

CHIEF   OF   BUREAU    OF   BIOLOGICAL   SURVEY 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT    PRINTING     OFFICE 
1909 


I-    E-9 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT   OF  AGRICULTURE 

BUREAU  OF  BIOLOGICAL  SURVEY 


NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA 

N"o.    29 

[Actual  date  of  publication,  August  31,  1909] 


THE  RABBITS  OF  NORTH  AMERICA 


E.    W.    NELSON 

CHIEF    FIELD   NATURALIST,    BIOLOGICAL   SURVEY 


Prepared  under  the  direction  of 

Dr.   C.   HART    MERRIAM 
CHIEF   OF   BUREAU   OF   BIOLOGICAL   SURVEY 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT     PRINTING     OFFICE 

1909 


SUPT 


W^N^\P&*\ 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL 


U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture, 

Bureau  of  Biological  Survey, 
Washington,  D.  C,  April  25, 1909. 

Sir:  I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  for  publication  as 
North  American  Fauna  No.  29  a  revision  of  The  Rabbits  of  North 
America,  by  E.  W.  Nelson,  Chief  Field  Naturalist  of  the  Biological 
Survey.  Rabbits  inhabit  nearly  all  parts  of  North  America,  where 
they  have  become  adapted  to  both  mountains  and  lowlands,  and  to 
the  varied  physical  and  climatic  conditions  from  the  tropical  forests 
to  the  arctic  tundras,  and  from  the  humid  marshes  of  the  seacoast 
to  the  arid  deserts  of  the  interior.  Many  of  the  species  are  destruc- 
tive to  nursery  stock  and  other  agricultural  crops;  as  an  offset,  their 
flesh  has  considerable  food  value,  furnishing  an  acceptable  article  of 
diet  to  thousands  of  our  people. 

Heretofore  there  has  been  no  treatise  by  means  of  which  our  Amer- 
ican rabbits  could  be  identified;  the  present  revision,  therefore,  will 
prove  not  only  a  much  needed  addition  to  zoological  literature  but 
also  a  welcome  aid  to  all  who  have  occasion  to  identify  or  study  these 
animals. 

Respectfully,  C.  Hart  Merriam, 

Chief,  Biological  Survey. 

Hon.  James  Wilson, 

Secretary  of  Agriculture. 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 

Introduction 9 

Relations  of  American  rabbits  to  agriculture 11 

Use  of  the  names  hare  and  rabbit 13 

Condition  of  the  young  at  birth 14 

Distribution  of  hares  and  rabbits  in  North  America 15 

Changes  in  distribution 20 

Habits 21 

Diseases 23 

Increase  after  epidemics 24 

Distribution  of  color 1 24 

Melanism  and  albinism 26 

Dichromatism 26 

Character  of  pelage 27 

Differences  in  pelage  due  to  age 28 

Molts  and  other  seasonable  changes  in  pelage 29 

Species  having  two  annual  molts 29 

Species  having  one  annual  molt 31 

Sexual  variation 32 

Individual  variation 32 

Skull  characters  and  variation 33 

Geographic  variation 34 

Instability  of  characters  due  to  geographic  variation 34 

Persistence  of  general  characters  under  similar  climatic  conditions 35 

Effect  of  isolation  under  like  climatic  conditions 36 

Genera  and  subgenera 37 

List  of  species  of  North  American  hares  and  rabbits,  with  type  localities 47 

Key  to  species  and  subspecies 49 

Genus  Lepus , 59 

Lepus  arcticus  group 59 

Lepus  campestris  group 72 

Lepus  americanus  group 84 

Lepus  callotis  group 115 

Lepus  calif  amicus  group 126 

Genus  Sylvilagus 159 

Sylvilagus  floridanus  group 159 

Sylvilagus  nuttalli  group 199 

Sylvilagus  auduboni  group 211 

Sylvilagus  cunicularius  group 238 

Sylvilagus  bachmani  group 245 

Sylvilagus  gabbi  group 257 

Sylvilagus  palustris  group 265 

Genus  Brachylagus 275 

Genus  Romerolagus 279 

Bibliography 280 

5 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PLATES. 

Page. 

Plate  I.  Lepus  callotis Frontispiece. 

II.  Skulls  (dorsal  view)  of  Lepus  virginianus 288 

III.  Skins  of  Lepus  californicus  xanti  and  L.  insularis 290 

IV.  Skulls  (dorsal  view)  of  Lepus  grcenlandicus,  L.  arcticus,  and  L.  cam- 

pestris 292 

V.  Skulls  (side  view)  of  Lepus  grcenlandicus,  L.  arcticus,  and  L.  cam- 

pestris 294 

VI.  Skulls  (dorsal  and  side  views)  of  Lepus  americanus,  L.  washingtoni, 

and  L.  bairdi 296 

VII.  Skulls  (dorsal  view)  of  Lepus  californicus,  L.  c.  richardsoni,  L.  cal- 
lotis, and  L.  alleni 298 

VIII.  Skulls  (side  view)  of  Lejms  californicus,  L.  c.  richardsoni,  L.  callotis, 

and  L.  alleni 300 

IX.  Skulls  (dorsal  and  side  views)   of  Sylvilagus  transitionalis,  S.  flori- 

danus,  S.  f.  chapmani,  and  S.  f.  yucatanicus 302 

X.  Skulls  (dorsal  and  side  views)   of  Sylvilagus  f.   holzneri,  S.  nuttalli, 

S.  n.  pinetis,  and  S.  bachmani 304 

XI.  Skulls  (dorsal  and  side  views)  of  Sylvilagus  auduboni,  S.  a.  arizonie, 

S.  a.  parvulus,  and  S.  a.  baileyi 306 

XII.  Skulls  (dorsal  and  side  views)  of  Sylvilagus  minensis,  S.  gabbi,  S.  pa- 

lustris,  and  S.  insonus 308 

XIII.  Skulls    (dorsal,    side,    and  ventral   views)   of  Eomerolagus  nelsoni, 

Brachylagus  idahoensis,  and  Sylvilagus  cunicularius 310 

TEXT   FIGURES. 

Fig.  1.  Map  of  American  Desert  Plateau  region 17 

2.  Distribution  in  North  America  of  the  genus  Lepus 38 

3.  (a)  First  to  seventh  ribs  and  dorsal  vertebrae  of  Lepus  {L.  campestris, 

Nebraska,  No.  49622,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 39 

(b)  First  to  seventh  ribs  and  dorsal  vertebrae  of  Sylvilagus (S.f.  mearnsi, 

Monroe  County,  New  York,  No.  49624,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus. ) 39 

4.  (a)  Second  to  fifth  cervical  vertebra?  of  Lepus  (L.  campestris,  Nebraska, 

No.  49622,  U.S.  Nat.  Mus.) 40 

(b)  Second  to  fifth  cervical  vertebrae  of  Sylvilagus  (S.f.  mearnsi,  Mon- 
roe County,  New  York,  No.  49624,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus. ) 40 

5.  (a)  Radius  and  ulna  of  Lepus  (L.  campestris,  Nebraska,   No.  49622, 

U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 40 

(b)  Radius  and  ulna  of  Sylvilagus  (S.  f.  mearnsi,  Monroe  County,  New 

York,  No.  49624,  U.S.  Nat.  Mus.) 40 

7 


8  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Page. 

Fig.  6.  Distribution  in  North  America  of  the  genus  Sylvilagus 43 

7.  Distribution  of  Lepus  arcticus,  L.  grccnlandicus,  L.  othus,  L.  poadromus, 

and  L.  campestris,  and  allied  forms 60 

8.  Distribution  of  Lepus  americanus,  L.  bairdi,  and  L.  washingtoni,  and 

allied  forms 85 

9.  Distribution  of  Lepus  alleni,  L.  gaillardi,  L.  callotis,  L.  flavigularis,  and 

L.  altamirse,  and  allied  forms 116 

10.  Distribution  of  Lepus  californicus  and  allied  forms 127 

11.  Distribution  of  Sylvilagus  floridanus  and  allied  forms 160 

12.  Distribution  of  Sylvilagus  transitionalis 196 

13.  Distribution  of  Sylvilagus  nutlalli  and  allied  forms 199 

14.  Distribution  of  Sylvilagus  auduboni  and  allied  forms 212 

15.  Distribution  of  Sylvilagus  cunicidarius  and  allied  forms 238 

16.  Distribution  of  Sylvilagus  bachmani  and  allied  forms 246 

17.  Distribution  of  Sylvilagus  palustris,  S.  aquaticus,  S.  gabbi,  and  S.  insonus, 

and  allied  forms - 258 

18.  Distribution  of  Brachylagus  idahoensis 276 

19.  Distribution  of  Romerolagus  nelsoni 279 


No.  29.  NOBTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  AUGUST,  1909. 


THE  RABBITS  OF  NORTH  AMERICA. 


By  E.  W.  Nelson. 


INTRODUCTION. 

Hares  and  rabbits  are  generally  distributed  throughout  most  of 
the  United  States,  and  often  become  excessively  numerous,  especially 
in  the  West.  Wherever  they  exist  in  large  numbers  in  an  agricul- 
tural section  they  are  extremely  destructive  to  crops,  fruit  trees, 
nurseries,  and  forest  seedlings,  and  thus  possess  considerable  eco- 
nomic importance.  The  habits  of  the  several  species  vary  widely, 
however,  and  some  are  comparatively  harmless.  The  investigations 
of  the  Biological  Survey  into  the  relations  of  these  mammals  to 
agriculture  and  forestry  have  been  hampered  by  the  imperfect  infor- 
mation available  concerning  the  number  of  existing  species  and  their 
distribution.  It  thus  became  necessary  to  study  the  group  in  detail. 
Several  years  ago  Dr.  C.  Hart  Merriam,  Chief  of  the  Biological 
Survey,  did  much  work  on  the  rabbits  with  the  intention  of  mono- 
graphing the  group,  but  other  affairs  interfered.  Since  then  much 
new  material  has  been  collected  and  the  group  was  finally  placed  in 
my  hands  for  revision.  Throughout  this  work  Doctor  Merriam  has 
given  me  the  benefit  of  his  knowledge  of  the  group  in  helpful  criti- 
cisms and  suggestions. 

The  present  revision  includes  all  of  the  known  hares  and  rabbits 
of  North  America,  from  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  to  north  Greenland. 
Although  among  the  commonest  of  North  American  mammals,  yet 
up  to  within  comparatively  few  years  they  were  represented  in  col- 
lections by  extremely  scanty  and  imperfect  material.  Owing  to  this, 
the  ranges  of  only  a  few  species  were  well  known,  and  the  relation- 
ships of  a  large  number  of  species  and  their  geographic  races  were 
little  understood.     In  1877  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen  published  a  monograph 

9 


10  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

of  the  North  American  Leporidse0  covering  the  same  area  as  the 
present  paper.  The  material  then  available  for  study  was  so  lim- 
ited that  for  the  entire  continent  Doctor  Allen  recognized  only  18 
species  and  '  varieties.'  In  the  present  monograph  97  species  and 
subspecies  are  recognized,  two  or  three  of  which,  in  the  light  of  more 
satisfactory  material,  may  prove  unworthy  of  retention  in  the  list. 

The  active  field  work  of  the  last  twenty  years  has  resulted  in  the 
accumulation  in  American  museums  of  superb  series  of  North  Ameri- 
can mammals.  The  wealth  of  material  in  these  collections  is  apparent 
from  the  fact  that  in  the  preparation  of  this  monograph  I  have  been 
able  to  examine  more  than  5,500  specimens,  of  which  about  3,500  are 
skins  with  skulls;  the  others  are  odd  skulls.  Good  series  of  speci- 
mens are  now  available  from  nearly  all  parts  of  Canada,  the  United 
States,  Mexico,  and,  to  a  less  extent,  from  Central  America.  Repre- 
sentatives of  every  species  and  subspecies  recognized  here  have  been 
examined.  In  some  instances  only  a  single  specimen,  usually  the 
type,  has  been  seen,  but  in  the  majority  of  cases  series  have  been  ex- 
amined. For  instance,  I  have  had  the  use  of  170  specimens  of  the 
Texas  jack  rabbit  (Z.  c.  texianus)  and  345  specimens  of  the  Macken- 
zie varying  hare  (Z.  a.  macfarlani) .  Still,  numerous  gaps  exist, 
sometimes  including  areas  of  considerable  size,  from  which  no  speci- 
mens have  been  seen.  The  existing  collections,  however,  cover  the 
continent  so  completely  that  for  the  first  time  it  is  possible  to  deter- 
mine most  of  the  previously  unsettled  questions  of  distribution  and 
relationship.  Considerable  detailed  field  work  is  still  necessary,  how- 
ever, to  secure  material  for  the  solution  of  many  minor  problems. 

The  majority  of  the  type  specimens  of  North  American  hares  and 
rabbits  are  still  extant  and  in  the  possession  of  American  museums, 
so  that  I  have  had  access  to  them.  The  types  of  about  three-fourths 
of  the  total  number  of  recognized  forms,  and  also  those  of  various 
synonj^ms,  have  been  examined.  The  types  of  about  a  dozen  rab- 
bits described  from  North  America  are  in  European  museums,  mainly 
in  London  and  Berlin.  Fortunately,  while  I  was  preparing  the 
present  monograph,  Mr.  W.  H.  Osgood  visited  Europe  and  exam- 
ined and  made  notes  on  several  important  types,  and  thus  obtained 
information  which  fixes  the  status  of  several  names.  In  a  limited 
number  of  species  the  names  were  based  on  descriptions  with  no 
type  mentioned ;  or  the  types,  if  named,  are  no  longer  extant ;  but 
in  all  such  cases  material  is  available  from  the  locality  or  region 
whence  came  the  original  specimens.  By  far  the  most  extensive 
and  complete  series  of  specimens  is  that  of  the  Biological  Survey 
collection,  in  which  90  species  and  subspecies  are  represented.  Three 
additional  species  are  in  the  United   States  National  Museum,  so 

a  Monograph  of  North  American  Rodentia,  1877. 


1909.]  RELATIONS   OF   EABBITS   TO   AGRICULTURE.  11 

that  the  National  collections  contain  93  out  of  the  97  recognizable 
species  and  subspecies  of  North  American  rabbits. 

The  abundant  recent  material  in  the  National  Museum,  exclusive 
of  that  of  the  Biological  Survey,  consists  largely  of  the  fine  collec- 
tions made  by  Dr.  E.  A.  Mearns  on  the  Mexican  boundary  and  else- 
where. Many  important  points  in  regard  to  the  ranges  and  rela- 
tionships of  species  would  have  remained  undetermined  but  for 
the  generous  loan  of  material  from  various  museums  and  private 
collections.  It  is  therefore  a  pleasant  duty  to  acknowledge  with 
sincerest  thanks  the  courtesy  of  Prof.  John  Macoun,  Canadian  Geo- 
logical Survey;  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen,  American  Museum  of  Natural 
History;  Mr.  Samuel  Henshaw  and  Mr.  Outram  Bangs,  Museum 
of  Comparative  Zoology;  Mr.  Witmer  Stone,  Academy  of  Natural 
Sciences,  Philadelphia ;  Dr.  D.  G.  Elliot,  Field  Museum  of  Natural 
History;  Prof.  A.  G.  Ruthven,  University  of  Michigan;  Prof.  L.  L. 
Dyche,  University  of  Kansas;  Mr.  H.  G.  Smith,  State  Historical 
and  Natural  History  Society,  Denver;  Mr.  W.  E.  Clyde  Todd,  Car- 
negie Museum,  Pittsburg;  Mr.  M.  W. *Lyon,  United  States  National 
Museum ;  Mr.  E.  R.  Warren,  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado ;  Mr.  H.  P. 
Attwater,  Houston,  Texas,  and  others.  In  addition  I  wish  to  express 
my  appreciation  of  the  constant  assistance  of  Mr.  N.  Hollister,  of  the 
Biological  Survey,  in  the  laborious  task  of  handling  and  comparing 
the  great  mass  of  material  studied  in  the  preparation  of  this  paper. 

RELATIONS  OF  AMERICAN  RABBITS  TO  AGRICULTURE. 

From  the  earliest  settlement  of  America  to  the  present  day  rabbits 
of  various  species  have  been  more  or  less  important  as  game,  and 
have  formed  a  valuable  addition  to  the  food  supply.  At  the  same 
time  both  cottontails  and  jack  rabbits  have  long  been  blacklisted 
among  the  notorious  enemies  of  the  farmer  and  fruit  grower.  Cot- 
tontails live  in  practically  all  sections  of  the  United  States  except 
parts  of  the  northern  border,  and  in  many  places  are  extremely 
numerous.  They  are  serious  pests  to  fruit  growers  on  account  of 
their  fondness  for  the  bark  of  trees  and  the  tender  growths  of  nursery 
stock.  They  also  destroy  young  grapevines  and  garden  crops.  A 
good  illustration  of  the  damage  to  agriculture  by  cottontails  was 
given  in  the  summer  of  1907  on  a  small  ranch  in  the  San  Joaquin 
Valley,  California,  where  the  valley  cottontails  completely  destroyed 
the  vines  on  3^  acres  along  one  side  of  a  young  vineyard  of  33  acres, 
the  loss  amounting  to  about  $500.  The  widespread  abundance  of 
cottontails  and  their  destructiveness  in  nearly  all  parts  of  their  range 
make  it  evident  that  the  aggregate  annual  loss  from  them  in  the 
entire  country  amounts  to  a  very  large  sum.  In  some  sections  their 
persistent  destruction  of  small  seedling  trees  interferes  seriously  with 


12  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

the  efforts  of  the  Forest  Service  to  reforest  mountain  slopes.  Cot- 
tontails are  less  numerous  and  destructive  in  certain  areas  than  in 
others,  and  some  species  are  practically  harmless,  mainly  because  they 
live  in  sections  where  at  present  there  is  little  or  no  agriculture. 

Jack  rabbits  are  much  larger  than  cottontails,  and  are  restricted 
to  the  region  west  of  the  Mississippi  River.  From  the  first  arrival 
of  farmers  in  the  arid  region  of  the  West,  jack  rabbits  have  shown 
great  fondness  for  growing  crops.  For  this  reason,  even  when 
present  in  comparatively  small  numbers,  they  cause  considerable 
annual  loss.  They  invade  grainfields  and  often  take  up  permanent 
residence  in  growing  alfalfa.  They  destroy  not  only  grain  and 
forage  crops  but  also  vineyards,  nurseries,  and  orchards.  Jack 
rabbits  sometimes  become  excessively  abundant  over  large  areas, 
notably  in  Texas,  Colorado,  Utah,  Idaho,  Oregon,  and  California. 
During  the  periods  of  abundance  they  do  enormous  damage  to  agri- 
culture and  even  threaten  the  total  destruction  of  crops.  They  are 
reported  to  have  damaged  the  crops  of  Tulare  County,  California, 
to  the  amount  of  $G00,000  in  a  single  year,  and  one  county  in  Idaho 
paid  $30,000  in  bounties  on  these  pests  in  a  year.  In  several  parts 
of  the  West  they  have  at  times  become  so  numerous  and  destructive 
that  the  people  have  organized  public  drives.  Poundlike  inclosures 
were  set  up,  with  wire  fences  leading  to  the  entrances.  The  rabbits 
were  then  driven  into  the  inclosures  and  killed  by  long  lines  of 
beaters.  In  this  way  as  many  as  20,000  jack  rabbits  have  been  killed 
in  a  single  drive  in  the  San  Joaquin  Valley,  California.0  The  experi- 
ence of  Australia  proves  that  rabbits  are  capable  of  destroying  the 
agricultural  welfare  of  great  regions. 

As  an  offset  to  the  damage  done  by  rabbits  it  should  be  stated 
that  they  have  a  high  food  value.  They  are  the  commonest  and  most 
widely  distributed  of  our  game  animals,  and  during  fall  and  winter 
countless  thousands  of  them  are  sold  in  markets  throughout  the  coun- 
try. The  total  value  of  the  rabbits  thus  sold  in  the  United  States, 
in  addition  to  those  consumed  in  the  country,  amounts  to  a  large  sum. 
It  has  recently  been  stated  that  about  2,000,000  varjdng  hares  are 
caught  each  winter  in  Maine,  half  of  which  are  shipped  out  of  the 
State. 

Rabbits  are  usually  most  numerous  in  the  arid  West  but  often  be- 
come extremely  plentiful  east  of  the  Mississippi.  During  the  winters 
from  1870  to  1871  I  repeatedly  saw  farmers  driving  large  wagons 
full  of  cottontails  through  the  streets  of  Chicago  and  selling  them  at 
absurdly  low  prices.  During  recent  years  the  demand  for  them  has 
increased,  so  that  they  now  command  ready  sale  at  good  prices. 

a  The  Jack  Rabbits  of  the  United  States,  by  T.  S.  rainier.  U.  S.  Biol.  Survey 
Bull.  No.  8,  1S96,  contains  photographs  of  rabbit  drives. 


1909.]  USE   OF   NAMES   HARE  AND  EABBIT.  13 

In  addition  to  the  value  of  rabbit  flesh  for  food,  their  skins  are 
extensively  used.  The  fur  forms  the  basis  of  felt  for  hats  and  the 
skin  is  used  for  making  gelatine,  jujube,  sizing,  and  glue.  In  1895 
one  of  the  leading  furriers  of  New  York  estimated  that  1,500,000 
rabbit  skins  were  collected  annually  for  the  trade,  mainly  in  Mary- 
land, Virginia,  and  North  Carolina.  In  addition,  during  the  same 
year,  millions  of  rabbit  skins  were  imported  into  this  country  to 
supply  the  demand.     The  skins  vary  in  value  from  1  to  5  cents  each. 

USE   OF   THE    NAMES   HARE   AND   RABBIT. 

The  terms  hare  and  rabbit  were  first  used  to  distinguish  the  two 
well-known  European  species  Lepus  timidus  and  Lepus  cuniculus 
(now  Oryctolagus  cuniculus).  The  application  of  these  terms  has 
gradually  broadened  until  they  now  have  group  significance,  all 
members  of  the  circumpolar  genus  Lepus  belonging  to  the  hares,  while 
several  genera,  both  of  the  Old  World  and  of  the  New,  are  referable 
to  the  rabbits. 

The  essential  characters  relied  upon  by  European  authors  to 
distinguish  the  Old  World  hares  and  rabbits  are  that  hares  live  in 
forms  and  bring  forth  their  young  already  provided  with  a  well- 
developed  coat  of  hair  and  with  eyes  open ;  while  the  rabbits,  on  the 
other  hand,  live  in  burrows  and  bring  forth  their  young  naked  and 
with  eyes  closed.  These  writers  have  agreed  in  stating  that  all 
American  members  of  the  Leporidse  are  hares,  and  some  of  them  have 
assumed  and  stated  as  a  fact  that  their  young  are  born  in  the  same 
condition  as  those  of  the  Old  World  hares.  In  reality  this  is  prob- 
ably true  only  of  the  American  species  belonging  to  the  genus  Lepus 
as  here  restricted  to  include  the  jack  rabbits  and  the  varying  and 
arctic  hares.  The  facts  given  below  prove  that  three  species  of  the 
genus  Sylvilagus  bring  forth  their  young  naked  and  blind,  as  do  the 
European  rabbits,  and  it  is  fairly  safe  to  assume  that  all  other  mem- 
bers of  the  genus  do  the  same.  In  addition,  the  habits  of  the  genera 
Brachylagus  and  Romerolagus  make  it  more  than  probable  that  in 
this  particular  they  agree  with  Sylvilagus.  While  some  of  the  spe- 
cies of  the  American  genus  Sylvilagus  commonly  use  forms,  all  make 
more  or  less  use  of  burrows,  usually  the  deserted  homes  of  other 
mammals,  or  of  shelters  under  rocks,  roots  of  trees,  and  similar 
places.  They  often  enlarge  the  ready-made  shelter  they  occupy,  but 
Brachylagus  and  Romerolagus  are  known  to  make  their  own  bur- 
rows or  tunnels,  and  even  some  of  the  cottontails  have  been  known  to 
make  shallow  burrows. 

Taking  the  condition  of  the  young  at  birth  as  a  criterion,  it  thus 
appears  that  the  term  rabbit  can  be  properly  used  in  a  general  way 
to  apply  to  all  the  species  which  have  the  burrowing  habit  more  or 


14  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

less  pronounced  and  which  bring  forth  blind  and  naked  young ;  while 
the  term  hare  should  be  restricted  to  the  species  which  practically 
always  use  forms  instead  of  burrows  and  bear  young  well  clothed 
with  fur  and  with  eyes  open  at  birth.  Common  usage  is  thus  correct 
in  applying  the  term  rabbit  to  the  American  cottontails  and  their 
small  relatives  of  North  and  South  America.  So  much  for  the 
technical  value  of  common  names ;  but  in  the  untechnical  terminology 
of  the  people  '  rabbit '  is  of  practically  universal  use  in  the  United 
States,  with  modifying  terms  according  to  the  species.  '  Jack  rabbit,' 
'  white-tailed  jack  rabbit,'  and  'snowshoe  rabbit '  are  names  used 
for  species  which  are  technically  hares,  but  attempts  to  change  names 
in  common  usage  for  book  names  are  worse  than  useless.  In  the  case 
of  the  common  varying  and  arctic  hares,  no  good  and  generally 
accepted  common  names  appear  to  be  available.  In  Mexico  the 
proper  distinction  is  in  common  use,  and  the  jack  rabbits  are  called 
liebre  (hare)  and  the  cottontails  conejo  (rabbit). 

CONDITION  OF  THE  YOUNG  AT  BIRTH. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  arctic  hares,  jack  rabbits,  and  varying 
hares  bring  forth  their  young  £ully  clothed  with  hair  and  with  their 
eyes  open,  but  I  have  been  unable  to  find  any  satisfactory  published 
information  on  the  condition  of  young  cottontails  at  birth.  Fortu- 
nately, however,  it  has  been  possible  to  gather  sufficient  evidence  to 
make  it  practically  certain  that  young  cottontails  are  born  naked  and 
blind. 

In  a  letter  dated  February  27,  1906,  Mr.  Howard  Lacey,  of  Kerr- 
ville,  Texas,  says :  "  I  have  read  somewhere  that  the  cottontail  brings 
forth  its  young  like  the  jack  rabbit  and  our  hare  at  home  [England], 
with  the  eyes  open  and  a  good  coat  of  fur  on  them.  I  have  often 
found  them  here  blind  and  naked,  like  our  old-country  rabbits."  The 
cottontail  referred  to  by  Mr.  Lacey  is  Sylvilagus  floridanus  chapma?ii. 

A  recent  letter  from  Mr.  J.  D.  Mitchell,  Victoria,  Texas,  adds 
further  information  concerning  the  condition  of  the  newly  born 
young  of  this  subspecies,  as  follows:  "  In  1861  to  1862,  my  brother 
and  myself  used  the  four  walls  of  an  old  concrete  gin  house  on  our 
plantation  in  Lavaca  County,  Texas,  as  a  rabbit  pen.  In  this  we  kept 
from  20  to  30  adult  rabbits.  In  those  two  years  I  believe  I  witnessed 
every  phase  in  the  domestic  life  of  the  cottontails.  *  *  *  I  have 
watched  the  mother  rabbit  build  her  nest — have  handled  the  young 
before  they  were  dry.  *  *  *  I  am  sure  that  the  young  come  into 
the  world  naked,  blind,  and  helpless.  The  skin  was  usually  dark 
where  the  brown  fur  would  be,  but  the  fur  had  not  reached  the  outer 
surface.  When  suckling  her  young,  the  mother  rabbit  does  not  scratch 
away  the  weed  and  grass  covering  to  the  nest,  but  skillfully  raises  it 


1909-]  DISTRIBUTION    OF   RABBITS.  15 

and  gets  under  it,  curling  herself  around  the  outside  of  the  nest  and 
cuddling  her  young  to  the  center,  keeping  the  cover  intact  and  every- 
thing hid.  I  have  had  them  remain  quiet  and  continue  suckling  their 
young  when  I  lifted  the  straw  covering  to  the  nest."  Mr.  Mitchell 
adds  that  the  young  of  the  Texas  swamp  rabbit  {Sylvilagus  aquati- 
cus)  are  also  born  blind  and  naked. 

Prof.  F.  E.  L.  Beal  informs  me  that  he  has  found  the  nest  of  Syl- 
vilagus transitionalis  in  Massachusetts  and  of  S.  floridanus  mearnsi 
in  Iowa  containing  newly  born  young  which  were  still  blind  and 
naked.  A  set  of  large  embryos  of  Sylvilagus  nuttalli  grangeri,  col- 
lected by  Vernon  Bailey  in  Wyoming,  are  without  a  trace  of  hair. 
Bailey  made  a  memorandum  at  the  time  of  collecting  these  specimens 
that  they  were  nearly  ready  for  birth.® 

DISTRIBUTION  OF  HARES  AND  RABBITS  IN  NORTH  AMERICA. 

The  Leporidse  are  practically  of  world-wide  distribution,  but  are 
not  native  to  Australia  nor  to  the  majority  of  oceanic  islands.  The 
family  is  divided  at  present  into  nine  recognizable  genera.  Of  these 
only  one,  the  circumpolar  genus  Lepus,  inhabits  parts  of  both  the  Old 
and  the  New  World. 

In  all  the  Old  World  there  are  now  six  recognized  generic  types, 
two  of  which,  Lepus  and  Oryctolagus,  are  wide  ranging.  The  others, 
Pronolagus  (South  Africa),  Nesolagus  (Sumatra),  Caprolagus 
(Southern  Himalaya),  and  Pentalagus  (Liu  Kiu  Islands,  off 
Japan),  are  widely  scattered  and  comparatively  local. 

The  number  and  variety  of  forms  of  the  Leporidse  appear  to  be 
greater  in  North  America  and  fewer  in  South  America  than  in  any 
of  the  other  continental  areas.  Of  the  four  genera  inhabiting  North 
America,  one  {Lepus)  is  circumpolar;  two  (Brachylagus  and  Rome- 
rolagus)  are  peculiar  to  this  continent,  and  the  other  {Sylvilagus) 
is  common  to  both  North  and  South  America.  In  North  America  the 
genus  Lepus  is  represented  by  two  subgenera,  the  typical  subgenus 
Lepus  of  circumpolar  distribution  and  the  local  subgenus  Macroto- 
lagus.  Brachylagus  and  Romerolagus  are  monotypic  genera  of  local 
distribution.  Sylvilagus  is  divided  into  two  subgenera  (common 
to  both  North  and  South  America),  of  which  typical  Sylvilagus 
reaches  its  highest  development  in  North  America,  and  Tapeti,  with 

0  As  this  paper  is  passing  through  the  press  the  National  Museum  has  received 
a  litter  of  six  very  young  Sylvilagus  floridanus  mallurus  collected  at  Cleveland 
Park,  Washington,  D.  C,  June  6,  1909,  by  Dr.  A.  Hrdlicka.  They  are  apparently 
several  days  old,  but  the  eyes  are  closed,  the  ears  are  like  rounded  fleshy  pads, 
and  the  body  is  thinly  covered  with  the  fine  short  tips  of  the  starting  pelage, 
through  which  the  skin  is  apparent.  They  are  very  different  from  young  Lepus 
of  the  same  age,  and  furnish  additional  evidence  that  the  young  of  Sylvilagus 
are  blind  and  naked  at  birth. 


16  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

the  greatest  range  of  all  American  subgenera  of  rabbits,  extends 
from  the  Dismal  Swamp  of  Virginia  to  northern  Patagonia  and 
reaches  its  greatest  development  in  South  America. 

The  total  range  of  the  family  in  America  covers  the  entire  breadth 
of  the  continents,  and  extends  from  83°  north  latitude,  in  northern 
Greenland,  south  to  beyond  40°  south  latitude  in  northern  Pata- 
gonia. Its  vertical  range  extends  from  sea  level  to  above  timberline, 
reaching  an  elevation  of  more  than  14,000  feet  on  some  of  the  high 
mountains  of  Mexico. 

The  Leporidse  of  North  America  reach  their  greatest  development 
in  abundance  of  individuals  and  in  number  of  specific  and  sub- 
generic  types  on  and  about  the  immediate  borders  of  a  great  elevated 
interior  region,  extending  in  a  northerly  and  southerly  direction 
from  the  northern  United  States  to  central  Mexico.  (See  fig.  1.)  In 
the  United  States  the  northern  part  of  this  region  coincides  with  the 
Great  Basin  area,  whose  limits  may  be  given  roughly  as  reaching  on 
the  east  to  the  Eocky  Mountains,  on  the  north  to  the  mountains  of 
central  Idaho  and  the  northern  border  of  the  Plains  of  the  Colum- 
bia, and  on  the  west  to  the  Sierra-Cascade  mountain  system.  From 
the  southern  border  of  the  Great  Basin  it  extends  southeasterly  across 
the  plateaus  of  Arizona  and  New  Mexico  and  thence  south  to  include 
the  Tableland  of  Mexico.  In  Mexico  it  is  limited  on  the  west  by  the 
Sierra  Madre ;  on  the  east  by  the  Cordillera  of  the  East,  and  on  the 
south  by  the  southern  border  of  the  Vallev  of  Mexico  and  Plains  of 
Puebla.  The  Desert  Plateau  region  is  about  2,000  miles  in  length, 
north  and  south,  and  is  broadest  in  the  northern  half,  where  it  reaches 
a  width  of  about  800  miles;  to  the  southward  it  narrows  to  a  blunt 
point.  It  is  made  up  mainly  of  elevated  treeless  plains  averaging 
from  3,000  to  7,000  feet  above  sea  level  in  the  north,  and  gradually 
decreasing  to  from  3,000  to  5,000  feet  near  the  Mexican  boundary, 
whence  it  rises  gradually  southward  to  6,000  or  8,000  feet  on  the 
Plains  of  Puebla.  Scattered  over  these  irregular  plains  are  nu- 
merous more  or  less  isolated  mountains  and  small  ranges.  The 
climate  throughout  most  of  the  area  is  hot  and  extremely  arid  in 
summer.  So  scanty  and  irregular  is  the  rainfall  that  the  vegetation 
of  the  plains  consists  largely  of  scrubby  shrubs  and  peculiar  desert 
forms  of  plant  life,  such  as  cactuses,  yuccas,  and  agaves.  The  streams 
are  often  bordered  with  willows  and  cottonwoods.  The  tops  of  the 
mountains,  when  sufficiently  high,  are  usually  covered  with  open 
coniferous  forests.  The  plains  within  this  region  lie  mainly  within 
the  arid  upper  and  lower  Sonoran  life  zones.  From  its  climatic  and 
topographic  features  this  great  interior  area  may  be  called  the 
American  Desert  Plateau  region. 

The  rabbit  fauna  of  the  Desert  Plateau  includes  representatives  of 
all  of  the  four  genera  and  all  but  one  of  the  subgenera  known  to 


1909.] 


DISTRIBUTION. 


17 


occur  in  North  America.  The  missing  subgenus,  Tapeti,  belongs 
mainly  to  tropical  America  and  the  southeast  coast  region  of  the 
United  States,  and  is  preeminently  a  forest-loving  group.  One 
representative  of  Tapeti,  Sylvilagus  gabbi  truei,  lives  along  the  sea- 


Fig.  1. — Map  of  the  American  Desert  Tlateau  region,  within  which  the  Leporidce  of  America 
reach  their  greatest  development. 

ward  slope  of  the  Cordillera  forming  the  east  border  of  the  Desert 
Plateau  in  Mexico. 

The  area  richest  in  hares  and  rabbits  within  the  American  Desert 
Plateau  is  near  its  extreme  southern  end.     Here,  within  a  district 

85595— No.  29—09 2 


18  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

40  miles  in  diameter,  about  the  eastern  border  of  the  Valley  of  Mexi- 
co, live  representatives  of  three  genera  and  six  well-marked  species, 
as  follows :  Lcpus  calif  ornicus  festinus,  L.  callotis,  Sylvilagus  flori- 
danus  orlzahau  S.  auduboni  parvulus,  S.  cunicidarius,  and  Romerola- 
gus  nelsoni. 

Elsewhere  the  nearest  approach  to  this  local  abundance  of  species 
is  near  the  extreme  northern  limit  of  the  Desert  Plateau  in  southern 
Idaho,  where  in  a  similarly  limited  district  live  three  genera  repre- 
sented by  five  species,  as  follows:  Lepus  campestris  townsendi,  L. 
ccdiforn'u  us  wdllawalla,  L.  bairdi,  Sylvilagus  nuttalli,  and  Brachy- 
lagus  idahoensis. 

These  two  large  local  assemblages  of  species  suggest  the  possi- 
bility that  the  Desert  Plateau  has  had  two  centers  of  development  and 
distribution  of  rabbits.  The  northern  part  appears  to  have  developed 
Brachylagus  idahoensis  and  Sylvilagus  nuttalli  in  addition  to  the 
black-tailed  jack  rabbits  of  the  Lepus  calif  ornicus  group.  The 
southern  end  of  the  Desert  Plateau  produced  Romerolagus  nelsoni 
with  the  largest  and  most  strongly  marked  species  of  cottontail, 
Sylvilagus  cunicularius,  and  the  peculiar  group  of  white-sided  jack 
rabbits  of  which  Lcpus  callotis  is  typical.  The  distribution  of  the 
two  groups  of  black-tailed  jack  rabbits  is  especially  suggestive  in 
this  connection,  as  the  gray-sided  or  californicus  group  is  abundant 
in  the  United  States,  and  decreases  in  number  of  forms  and  indi- 
viduals south  of  the  Mexican  boundary,  while  the  white-sided  or 
callotis  group  is  most  abundant  in  Mexico,  and  ends  abruptly  a  little 
north  of  the  Mexican  boundary. 

The  Desert  Plateau,  within  which  the  American  Leporida?  have 
developed  so  greatly,  is  characterized  also  by  various  other  desert- 
loving  mammals,  especially  rodents,  which  appear  to  have  originated 
within  its  confines  and  thence  to  have  extended  their  ranges  over 
suitable  adjacent  regions.  The  most  striking  of  these  are  the  numer- 
ous pouched  rodents  belonging  to  the  family  Geomyidse  (Geomys, 
Zygogeo?nys,  Platygeomys,  Cratogeomys,  Pappogeomys,  and  Tho- 
momys)  and  the  family  Heteromyidse,  including  the  kangaroo  rats 
(Perodipus,  L>ipodo?/iys,  M icrodipod ops)  and  pocket  mice  (Perogna- 
thus,  Heteromys). 

The  scarcity  of  rabbits,  both  individuals  and  species,  in  such  humid, 
heavily  forested  sections  as  exist  on  the  northwest  coast  and  even 
in  the  wooded  eastern  third  of  the  United  States  is  in  strong  con- 
trast to  their  abundance  on  the  arid  plains  of  the  Desert  Plateau. 

The  vertical  range  of  rabbits  appears  to  be  governed  only  by  the 
presence  or  absence  of  sufficient  vegetation  for  food  and  shelter,  and 
extends  from  the  tropical  coast  to  above  timberline,  sometimes  on  the 
lofty  volcanoes  of  Mexico  reaching  an  altitude  of  over  14,000  feet. 
This  great  difference  of  altitude  is  covered  in  Mexico  by  the  com- 


1909.]  DISTRIBUTION.  19 

bined  ranges  of  two  geographic  races  of  the  most  widely  distributed 
cottontail  rabbit,  Sylvilagus  florklanus.  One  of  these,  S.  f.  con- 
nectens,  occupies  the  tropical  coast  region  and  lower  slopes  of  Mount 
Orizaba ;  the  other,  S.  f.  orizaba?,  ranges  thence  to  above  timberline. 

From  the  northern  border  of  the  United  States  to  the  arctic  re- 
gions live  various  members  of  the  subgenus  Lepus.  The  northern- 
most of  these  is  a  group  of  species  occupying  the  desolate  arctic  bar- 
rens and  known  as  arctic  hares,  which  form  part  of  a  group  of  closely 
related  species  having  a  circumpolar  distribution. 

The  other  two  groups  of  species  in  the  American  section  of  the 
subgenus  Lepus  are  the  white-tailed  jack  rabbits  (L.  carmpestris) 
and  the  varying  hares  belonging  to  the  Lepus  americanus  group. 
Both  groups  inhabit  a  more  southerly  range  than  the  arctic  hares, 
and  are  peculiar  to  North  America. 

Ninety-seven  species  and  subspecies  of  hares  and  rabbits  are  here 
recognized  as  living  within  the  limits  of  North  America.  Of  these, 
48  have  their  ranges  wholly  north  of  the  northern  border  of  Mexico, 
34  live  wholly  south  of  that  line,  while  14  occupy  territory  on  both 
sides  of  the  border.  Fifty-four  species  and  subspecies,  or  more  than 
half  the  entire  number  known  in  North  America,  have  all  or  part 
of  their  ranges  within  the  borders  of  the  United  States  exclusive  of 
Alaska.  Sylvilagus  ftoridanus  chiapensis  reaches  Nicaragua  and 
S.  f.  aztecus  ranges  to  northern  Costa  Rica,  but  Sylvilagus  gabbi 
and  its  two  subspecies,  truei  and  incitatus,  are  the  best  known  rabbits 
in  the  country  between  the  southern  border  of  Mexico  and  Panama. 

As  would  be  expected,  various  types  of  rabbits  have  spread  from 
their  center  of  abundance  on  the  Desert  Plateau,  easterly  across  the 
Rocky  Mountains  and  over  the  Great  Plains,  and  westerly  through 
passes  in  the  mountains  to  the  Pacific.  In  the  extreme  southern 
United  States  and  northern  Mexico  the  continent  narrows  and  is  so 
homogeneous  in  climate  and  other  physical  characteristics  that  the 
Desert  Plateau  subgenus,  Macrotolagus,  ranges  entirely  across  and 
touches  both  coasts. 

Representatives  of  only  two  Desert  Plateau  subgenera,  Sylvilagus 
and  Macrotolagus,  extend  their  ranges  beyond  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuan- 
tepec,  the  last  named  passing  the  isthmus  only  a  short  distance. 
This  would  appear  to  indicate  that  the  isthmus  once  formed  a  barrier 
which  these  rabbits  have  crossed  in  comparatively  recent  time.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  tropical  American  subgenus,  Tapeti  (including 
the  swamp  rabbits  of  the  southeastern  United  States),  which  is 
widely  represented  by  many  species  in  South  America,  appears  to  be 
intrusive  north  of  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec. 

Tapeti,  like  all  other  peculiarly  American  rabbits,  undoubtedly 
originated  in  North  America  north  of  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec. 
This  probability  is  strongly  supported  by  the  close  relationship  be- 


20  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

tween  the  subgenera  Tapeti  and  Sylinlagus.  In  fact  Tapeti  appears 
like  an  offshoot  from  the  same  ancestry  as  the  subgenus  Sylvilagus, 
developed  by  isolation  in  the  Tropics.  The  ancestors  of  Tapeti  must 
have  ranged  from  the  north  to  beyond  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec 
and  have  been  isolated  in  Central  and  South  America  sufficiently  long 
for  the  development  of  the  present  subgeneric  characters.  After- 
wards, because  of  changed  physical  conditions,  the  barrier  at  the 
isthmus  was  removed,  and  the  intrusive  movement  of  Tapeti  to  the 
north  began.  The  subgenus  worked  along  the  eastern  coastal  region 
as  far  as  the  southeastern  United  States,  after  which  a  change  of 
climatic  conditions  in  the  coast  region  of  southern  Texas  and  north- 
eastern Mexico  caused  a  break  in  the  continuity  of  the  range  of  Tapeti 
whereby  the  ancestors  of  the  swamp  rabbits  of  the  United  States 
were  isolated  from  their  close  relatives,  the  wood  rabbits  of  the 
tropical  forests  in  eastern  Mexico. 

CHANGES    IN    DISTRIBUTION. 

Changes  in  the  distribution  of  a  number  of  American  hares  and 
rabbits  appear  to  be  taking  place  continually.  Some  of  these  are 
temporary,  as  when  through  disease  certain  districts  are  depopulated, 
only  to  be  reoccupied  a  few  years  later.  But  the  main  and  most 
permanent  changes  of  distribution  are  caused  by  man.  The  extension 
of  the  farming  area  in  the  United  States  and  Canada,  deforestation 
of  the  county,  and  destruction  of  many  of  the  natural  enemies  of 
cottontails,  such  as  birds  and  beasts  of  prey,  has  resulted  in  consider- 
able permanent  extensions  of  the  ranges  of  several  species.  It  is 
altogether  probable  that  previous  to  the  settlement  of  the  country 
and  its  deforestation  cottontails  were  unknown  in  a  large  part  of 
the  eastern  United  States.  Of  some  extensions  of  their  ranges  we 
have  definite  records.  Mr.  J.  H.  Fleming  writes  that  the  cottontail 
(S.  f.  mearnsi)  is  not  considered  to  have  been  indigenous  in  any  part 
of  Ontario,  Canada.  It  was  first  recorded  at  Niagara  in  1871,  and 
since  then  has  spread  gradually  northward.  In  January,  1908, 
Fleming  reported  it  from  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Simcoe,  Ontario, 
and  from  well  along  the  Canadian  shores  of  Lakes  Huron  and  Onta- 
rio, and  Gerrit  S.  Miller,  jr.,  records  its  eastward  extension  from 
Geneva  to  Peterboro,  in  central  New  York,  subsequent  to  1870. 

Within  an  even  more  recent  period  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher  has  noted  the 
extension  of  S.  tramitionalis  northward  to  the  shore  of  Lake  George, 
where  it  was  numerous  in  the  fall  of  1907. 

Vernon  Bailey  informs  me  that  within  the  last  ten  or  twelve  years 
Lepus  campestris  has  followed  the  extension  of  farms  in  central 
Minnesota  and  moved  eastward  across  the  Mississippi  from  its  former 
range  on  the  prairies  for  50  or  00  miles  to  Elk  River.  In  the  early 
eighties  the  cottontail  (S.  f.  mearnsi)  in  this  same  region  extended 


1909-]  HABITS.  21 

its  range  north  from  near  Minneapolis,  and  now  has  occupied  the 
country  to  a  point  well  north  of  Elk  River,  in  Minnesota,  and  to 
Gordon,  in  northwestern  Wisconsin. 

A  progressive  restriction  of  the  area  occupied  by  varying  hares 
appears  to  be  taking  place  all  along  the  southern  border  of  their  range. 
This  is  largely  due  to  deforestation,  and  is  accompanied  by  an  equally 
steady  coextensive  northward  extension  of  the  range  of  the  cottontails. 

In  the  southern  half  of  New  York  and  the  New  England  States 
varying  hares  have  nearly  or  quite  disappeared  from  many  localities 
where  they  were  formerly  numerous.  They  were  once  abundant  in 
the  forested  parts  of  the  Canadian  and  transition  zones  in  Pennsyl- 
vania and  New  Jersey,  but  are  now  nearly  gone  in  the  latter  State, 
and  remain  only  in  many  isolated  areas  in  the  Allegheny  and  Blue 
Ridge  mountains  of  Pennsylvania.  Farther  south  their  range  in  the 
mountains  of  Virginia  and  West  Virginia  is  becoming  similarly  re- 
stricted. The  lessening  range  of  this  hare  is  accompanied  by  the  in- 
creasing range  of  the  cottontails,  Syhnlagus  f.  mallurus,  /S.  f.  mearnsi, 
and  S.  transitionalis. 

In  addition  to  self-operating  changes  in  the  distribution  of  these 
animals,  man  has  interfered  directly  in  a  few  cases,  and  has  intro- 
duced species  where  they  were  not  native.  The  introduction  of  vary- 
ing hares  in  Newfoundland  and  of  varying  hares  and  cottontails  on 
Nantucket  Island  may  be  cited  as  examples. 

HABITS. 

The  habits  of  the  American  cottontails  and  jack  rabbits  in  the  well- 
populated  parts  of  the  United  States  are  fairly  well  known  and  are 
generally  considered  typical  of  the  rabbit  family  as  a  whole.  This 
belief  holds  true  for  a  majority  of  the  species,  but  among  the  others 
are  some  interesting,  and  in  a  few  cases  extraordinary,  differences  in 
habits.  Much,  however,  yet  remains  to  be  learned  of  the  life  his- 
tories even  of  the  best-known  species.  Practically  all  the  species  are 
mainly  crepuscular  or  nocturnal,  although  some  of  them,  especially 
the  jack  rabbits,  often  move  about  by  day,  particularly  in  cloudy 
weather.  When  hares  or  rabbits  become  very  abundant  and  food  is 
scarce,  they  are  often  forced  to  become  more  diurnal  than  under  usual 
conditions.  All  the  species  of  Lepus  make  nest-like  '  forms '  in 
sheltered  spots,  in  which  they  conceal  themselves  during  the  day; 
although  in  summer  Lepus  campestris  sometimes  uses  the  deserted 
holes  of  other  mammals,  and  in  winter  burrows  into  the  snow  for 
protection  from  the  bitter  cold,  and  from  the  birds  and  beasts  of  prey 
on  the  open  plains  where  it  lives. 

Most  members  of  the  genus  Sylvilagns  use  both  forms  and  the  de- 
serted burrows  of  other  mammals,  or  find  shelter  under  rocks,  roots  of 


22  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

trees,  and  similar  places.  Forms  are  in  common  use  in  summer  and 
in  regions  which  have  a  warm  winter  climate,  but  some  species  ha- 
bitually use  old  burrows,  which  they  sometimes  enlarge.  The  forms 
are  usually  made  under  the  shelter  of  dense  herbage  or  under  low 
brushy  growths,  and  the  owner  spends  the  day  in  them  regularly  for 
considerable  periods.  The  females  of  many,  if  not  all,  species  of 
Sylvilagus  make  soft,  warm  nests  of  fine  grass,  leaves,  and  other  veg- 
etable material,  lined  with  hair  from  their  own  bodies,  and  in  these 
nests  the  young  are  born  and  lie  concealed,  like  mice  in  a  nest,  while 
small  and  helpless.  The  nests  of  cottontails  are  usually  placed  in  a 
bowl-shaped  depression  in  the  ground  in  some  sheltered  spot,  and 
during  the  absence  of  the  parent  the  young  are  covered  and  com- 
pletely concealed  by  the  material  of  the  nest.  At  such  times  the  top 
of  the  nest  is  so  like  the  surrounding  surface  of  the  ground,  on  which 
lie  dead  leaves  and  grasses,  that  its  presence  can  be  detected  only  by 
chance.  Various  subspecies  of  Sylvilagus  auduboni,  a  group  living 
mainly  on  more  or  less  open  plains  of  the  arid  regions,  commonly 
need  more  secure  shelter  than  is  afforded  by  a  form  in  the  scanty 
herbage  of  their  home  and,  more  frequently  than  the  subspecies  of 
floridanus,  they  occupy  the  deserted  burrows  of  other  mammals  or 
the  secure  refuge  of  holes  under  rocks,  or  crevices  among  stone  walls 
and  in  rocky  ledges.  They  even  take  possession  of  the  space  under 
floors  of  outbuildings  about  ranches,  and  I  have  found  families  of 
six  or  eight  living  under  deserted  ranch  houses.  In  some  cases  they 
enlarge  burrows  or  dig  the  dirt  from  between  rocks  or  under  boards 
to  make  an  entrance  under  a  house,  but  appear  never  to  make  entirely 
new  burrows. 

Brachylagus  idahoensis  is  the  only  American  species  known  habit- 
ually to  make  its  own  burrows  in  the  ground.  Vernon  Bailey  has 
discovered  that,  while  it  frequently  makes  use  of  deserted  badger 
holes,  it  commonly  digs  burrows,  which  are  often  connected  on  the 
surface  by  well-marked  runways. 

Romerolagus  nelsoni  makes  its  own  runways,  and  tunnels  among 
dense  masses  of  coarse  grass ;  in  fact,  it  has  many  of  the  habits  of  a 
giant  field  mouse  (JJ icrotus) .  The  tropical  representatives  of  Tapeti 
within  our  limits  live  in  dense  undergrowth  and  make  runways 
through  the  thickets.  The  swamp  rabbits  of  the  same  subgenus  live 
in  the  wooded  lowlands  of  the  southeastern  United  States,  and  are 
remarkable  for  liking  wet  situations.  Their  habits  are  semiaquatic, 
and  they  swim  with  the  greatest  freedom.  Bachman's  interesting 
account  of  Sylvilagus  palustiis  gives  a  good  idea  of  the  strange  habits 
of  species  of  this  group,  which  are  very  different  from  those  of  any 
other  American  rabbits.0  This  author  states  that  S.  palustris  makes  a 
domed  nest  for  its  young  with  an  entrance  on  one  side. 

a  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  I,  pp.  152-155,  1S49. 


1909.]  DISEASES.  23 

DISEASES. 

In  the  Western  United  States  and  Canada  rabbits,  including  jack 
rabbits,  varying  hares,  and  cottontails,  periodically  become  exces- 
sively abundant.  Then  a  fatal  disease  breaks  out,  apparently  an 
epidemic,  and  within  two  years  or  so  they  almost  totally  disappear 
from  vast  areas.  The  exact  nature  of  these  epidemics  remains  to 
be  determined.  MacFarlane  speaks  of  a  disease  occurring  each 
decade  among  the  varying  hares  in  northern  Canada,  and  states 
that  it  "  affects  the  head  and  throat  of  the  victims."  In  the  upper 
Mackenzie  River  region  during  the  winter  of  1904  E.  A.  Preble 
found  varying  hares  extremely  numerous,  and  great  numbers  were 
dying  from  an  epidemic.  His  examinations  showed  that  the  throats 
and  lungs  of  the  diseased  animals  were  much  inflamed,  the  viscera 
excessively  moist,  and  their  flesh  and  skin  very  dry.  The  epidemic 
witnessed  by  Preble  continued  the  following  year  or  two  and  ex- 
tended over  a  large  part  of  Canada,  even  reaching  to  the  Magdalen 
Islands,  off  the  east  coast.  Before  the  disease  reached  these  islands 
varying  hares  were  extreme^  abundant ;  but  in  the  summer  of  1907 
W.  H.  Osgood  spent  a  large  part  of  his  time  for  a  week,  aided  by 
native  hunters,  trying  to  secure  there  specimens  of  these  animals, 
without  even  seeing  fresh  signs  of  one.  This  case  is  typical  of  the 
conditions  which  usually  prevail  over  the  range  of  a  species  which, 
after  a  period  of  great  abundance,  has  suffered  from  one  of  these 
deadly  epidemics.  There  is  a  general  belief  in  the  areas  where 
these  epidemics  occur  that  they  recur  with  some  regularity.  Accord- 
ing to  Bendire  the  people  of  southern  Idaho  thought  they  occurred 
among  the  jack  rabbits  every  five  or  six  years.  In  the  Mackenzie 
region  Preble  learned  that  the  residents  believe  the}7  recur  about 
every  seven  years. 

Mr.  A.  G.  Maddren  reports  that  during  the  winter  of  1906-7 
most  of  the  varying  hares  died  in  the  Copper  River  region,  Alaska. 
During  the  summer  of  1907  he  saw  quantities  of  white  fur  in  patches 
wherever  he  went  in  this  region,  the  fur  being  often  lodged  in  the 
bushes  at  the  level  of  the  winter  snow,  showing  that  the  animals 
had  died  in  midwinter.  During  the  summer  of  1908  these  hares 
were  extremely  scarce  along  the  entire  course  of  the  Innoko  River, 
thus  showing  that  the  same  epidemic  that  killed  them  in  the  Copper 
River  country  had  extended  across  into  the  lower  Yukon  Valley. 
During  the  winter  and  spring  of  1908  Mr.  Charles  Sheldon  noted 
the  extreme  scarcity  of  varying  hares  at  the  north  base  of  Mount 
McKinley  and  in  the  Tanana  River  Vallej7. 

Jack  rabbits,  especially  in  California,  often  have  under  the  skin 
of  the  body  large,  watery,  tumor-like  gatherings  which  contain 
the  larvae  of  a  tapeworm  (Taenia  serialis).     The  skin  of  jack  rab- 


24  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no  29. 

bits,  and  less  commonly  of  cottontails,  is  sometimes  infested  with 
the  larva?  of  a  fly.  These  grubs  are  known  as  '  warbles.'  A  more 
curious  but  less  serious  disease  is  most  common  among  cottontails 
west  of  the  Mississippi  River.  This  is  the  growth  of  long,  conical, 
horn-like  excrescences  on  the  skin,  usually  on  the  head,  which  ap- 
pear to  have  a  close  similarity  to  warts  and  not  to  affect  the  general 
health  of  the  victim.  These  excrescences  vary  in  number  from  one 
to  half  a  dozen  and  are  an  inch  or  two  in  length.  They  stand  out 
at  right  angles  from  the  skin  and  look  like  little  horns.  Sometimes 
they  grow  symmetrically  on  the  top  and  sides  of  the  head,  giving 
the  animal  a  remarkable  appearance. 

INCREASE   AFTER   EPIDEMICS. 

From  Preble's  observations  among  the  varying  hares,  the  number 
of  young  in  a  litter  is  reduced  during  the  periods  of  epidemic. 
MacFarlane  says:  "A  litter  usually  consists  of  three  or  four;  but 
when  on  the  '  periodic '  increase  [after  an  epidemic]  females  have 
been  known  to  have  as  many  as  six,  eight,  and  even  ten  at  a  time, 
and  then  gradually  return  to  three  or  four."  This  increased  birthrate 
helps  to  account  for  the  extraordinary  rapidity  with  which  ranges 
are  restocked  with  rabbits  after  epidemics;  for  comparatively  few 
are  left  alive  within  the  depopulated  areas. 

DISTRIBUTION  OF  COLOR. 

The  typical  color  pattern  of  American  rabbits  consists  of  a  nearly 
uniform  grayish  or  buffy  brownish  shade  over  the  upperparts  of  the 
head  and  body;  a  broad  band  of  similar,  but  usually  clearer,  color 
across  the  underside  of  the  neck;  uniform  white  or  whitish  over  all 
or  most  of  the  remainder  of  the  lowerparts,  and  a  patch  of  unmixed 
gray,  buffy,  black,  or  rusty  on  the  nape. 

In  summer  pelage  the  prairie  hare  (Lepus  campestris)  and  the 
varying  hares,  and  in  ordinary  pelage  Bvachylagus  and  Romerolagus, 
have  the  back  and  sides  of  a  nearly  uniform  color.  When  the  sides 
of  any  of  the  foregoing  species  are  slightly  paler  than  the  middle 
of  the  back,  the  difference  is  due  to  the  greater  abundance  of 
black  hairs  on  the  back.  On  the  other  hand,  most  of  the  cottontails 
(genus  Syluilagus)  and  most  of  the  subspecies  of  Lepus  calif ornicus 
(the  common  jack  rabbits  of  the  western  United  States)  have  the 
sides  distinctly  paler  than  the  top  of  the  back,  and  the  rump  usually 
paler  than  the  rest  of  the  back,  sometimes  enough  so  to  make  a  dis- 
tinct grayish  rump  patch  in  strong  contrast  to  the  darker  back.  In 
fresh  pelage  there  is  often  a  long  oval  darker  area  which  covers  the 
top  of  the  back  from  the  front  of  the  shoulders  to  the  rump,  and  is 
outlined  below  by  a  paler  grayish  or  pale  buffy  wash  on  the  surface 


1909.]  DISTRIBUTION    OF    COLOR.  25 

of  the  sides  and  rump.  This  dark  area  may  be  called  the  mantle. 
Close  examination  often  shows  that  the  contrast  of  surface  shades 
which  distinguishes  the  dark  mantle  from  the  pale  areas  on  the  rump 
and  sides  extends  also  in  a  less  degree  to  the  colors  of  the  underfur, 
so  that  the  contrasting  areas  are  still  apparent  when  the  outer  hairs 
wear  away  and  expose  the  underfur.  The  same  pattern — a  dark 
mantle  covering  the  top  of  the  back  and  outlined  by  pale  sides  and 
rump — is  well  marked  in  the  winter  pelage  of  Lepus  campestris 
along  the  southern  border  of  its  range  (Kansas  and  Colorado), 
where  it  does  not  become  entirely  white.  The  real  significance  of 
the  pale  sides  and  rump  contrasting  with  a  dark  dorsal  area  is  strik- 
ingly shown  in  the  Lepus  callotis,  or  white-sided  group  of  jack 
rabbits,  which  includes  Lepus  callotis.  L.  faric/ularis,  L.  altamirce, 
L.  gaillardi,  and  L.  alleni.  with  the  subspecies  of  the  two  last  named. 
This  group  of  species  is  characterized  by  a  dark  buffy  mantle  cover- 
ing the  top  of  the  back  and  sharply  outlined  by  whitish  or  iron-gray 
sides  and  rump,  the  white  or  pale  gray  of  the  sides  being  continuous 
with  the  white  on  the  abdomen.  That  the  striking  color  pattern  of 
these  species  is  a  form  of  directive  coloration,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
white  rump  patch  of  the  prong-horn  antelope,  is  proved  by  observa- 
tions made  by  Goldman  and  myself  in  Mexico.  We  have  started 
numerous  individuals  of  L.  callotis,  L.  favigularis,  and  L.  alleni 
from  their  forms,  and  seen  them  move  off  in  short  zigzag  courses, 
and  at  each  turn  the  dark  mantle  was  shifted  to  the  opposite  side 
and  the  whitish  area  of  the  side  drawn  up  nearly  or  quite  to  the 
dorsal  line,  thus  presenting  to  our  view  an  entirely  whitish  side, 
which  flashed  out  brilliantly  in  the  sunlight.  At  a  distance,  during 
this  performance,  the  jack  rabbits  appeared  to  be  almost  entirely 
white.  A  more  detailed  account  of  this  habit  is  given  in  the  prelim- 
inary notes  to  the  descriptions  of  the  members  of  this  group  (p.  115). 
It  may  be  added  here  that  these  species,  like  the  antelope,  commonly 
live  on  open  plains.  The  frontispiece  illustrates  the  manner  in  which 
the  dark  mantle  is  drawn  over  and  the  white  area  enlarged. 

The  discovery  that  there  is  a  group  of  jack  rabbits  in  which  the 
color  pattern  is  used  for  a  definite  purpose  raises  an  interesting  ques- 
tion concerning  the  significance  of  the  traces  of  this  same  pattern  in 
other  species,  both  of  Lepus  and  of  Sylvilagus.  Are  they  instances 
of  parallel  development  toward  the  same  white-sided  pattern  as  that 
of  callotis,  or  are  these  species  losing  a  pattern  which,  once  common 
to  all,  is  now  fully  retained  only  by  the  white-sided  jack  rabbits  of  the 
southwestern  United  States  and  Mexico?  The  theory  of  parallel 
development  appears  to  fit  the  case  most  reasonably. 

The  distribution  of  color  on  the  majority  of  American  rabbits 
living  in  temperate  and  hot  climates — darkest  on  top  of  the  back, 
paler  on  the  sides,  and  white  on  the  underside  of  the  body — con- 


26  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

forms  to  the  color  scheme  best  adapted  to  protective  purposes  as 
demonstrated  in  his  study  of  birds  and  mammals  by  Abbott  H. 
Thayer.  The  arctic  hares  in  gray  summer  pelage  reverse  this  dis- 
tribution of  color  and  have  the  top  of  the  back  lighter  than  the  sides 
and  the  dusky  color  on  the  sides  increasing  in  intensity  downward, 
thus  becoming  darkest  along  the  lower  flanks  next  to  the  pale  ab- 
domen. 

All  of  the  members  of  the  subgenus  Macrotolagus,  which  includes 
the  white-sided  as  well  as  the  gray-sided,  or  calif ornicus,  group  of 
jack  rabbits,  have  a  distinct  black  line  along  the  middle  of  the  lower 
rump  and  upperside  of  the  tail.  The  arctic  hares,  and  the  prairie 
hare  in  most  of  its  range,  have  the  top  of  the  tail  pure  white.  Lepus 
campestris  townsendi,  however,  commonly  has  more  or  less  dusky  or 
black  on  the  upperside  of  the  tail.  This  character  is  most  strongly 
marked  in  specimens  from  southwestern  Colorado.  One  individual 
from  Coventry,  Colorado,  has  a  broad  black  line  on  the  tail  about  as 
strongly  marked  as  in  Lepus  c.  texianus.  Here  appears  to  be  another 
instance  of  parallel  development  in  an  area  where  two  distinct  species 
are  subjected  to  the  same  conditions.  The  upperparts  of  the  cotton- 
tails are  usually  a  mixture  of  gray,  buffy,  and  dusky,  producing  a 
neutral  shade  very  effective  for  purposes  of  concealment.  The 
result  of  environment  on  these  dull  colors  has  been  to  bring  about 
close  resemblance  or  parallelism  between  races  of  distinct  species  oc- 
cupying the  same  or  closely  adjacent  territory.  For  instance,  speci- 
mens of  Sylvilagus  auduboni  warreni  and  S.  nuttalli  pinetis  are  often 
practically  indistinguishable  in  color.  The  same  close  resemblance 
appears  between  specimens  of  S.  auduboni  baileyi  from  the  east  base 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains  in  Colorado  and  specimens  of  S.  floridanus 
similis  from  the  same  region.  Other  cases  of  the  same  kind  exist, 
and  show  that  like  climatic  conditions  often  produce  the  same  or 
closely  similar  colors  in  dissimilar  species  of  rabbits. 

MELANISM   AND  ALBINISM. 

Both  melanism  and  albinism  are  extremely  rare  among  American 
rabbits.  I  have  seen  two  melanistic  specimens,  one  of  Sylvilagus 
palustris  paludicola  and  one  of  Lepus  americanus  virginianus,  and 
two  albinistic  individuals,  one  of  Sylvilagus  foridanus  mallurus  and 
one  of  S.  transitionalis. 

DICHROMATISM. 

Among  the  darker  colored  hares  and  cottontails  it  is  difficult  to 
find  evidence  of  dichromatism,  but  among  some  of  the  paler  forms 
it  is  distinct.  It  is  most  evident  among  the  paler  subspecies  of  Lepus 
calif  ornicus  and  Sylvilagus  auduboni.  Lepus  c.  deserticola  and  L.  c. 
texianus,  and  also  Sylvilagus  a.  arizonce,  and  S.  a.  minor,  are  charac- 


1909.]  PELAGE.  27 

terized  by  the  generally  pale  gray  color  of  their  upperparts,  but  oc- 
casional individuals  occur  sporadically  throughout  the  ranges  of 
these  forms  which  are  strongly  buffy  or  even  ochraceous  buffy. 
These  individuals  are  often  indistinguishable  in  color  from  another 
subspecies  occupying  a  different  area.  The  converse  of  this  condi- 
tion, an  occasional  pale  individual  in  the  range  of  dark  forms,  ap- 
pears to  be  less  common,  though  it  sometimes  occurs. 

CHARACTER  OE  PELAGE. 

The  pelage  of  rabbits,  as  of  other  mammals,  varies  in  length  and 
density  according  to  the  severity  or  mildness  of  the  climate.  This 
is  well  illustrated  in  the  remarkable  contrast  between  the  long,  dense, 
Avoolly  coat  of  Lepus  groenlandicus  in  the  far  North,  and  the  short, 
thin,  and  rather  coarse  coat  of  L.  favigularis  from  the  tropical  coast 
of  southern  Mexico.  Similar  differences  in  smaller  degree  exist  be- 
tween species  of  warm  lowlands  and  those  of  adjacent  cool  elevated 
mountain  slopes. 

The  color  of  rabbits  responds  readily  to  climatic  influences.  This 
is  most  strikingly  shown  by  the  two  annual  molts  of  the  northern 
species,  which  become  white  in  winter  and  dark  in  summer.  In 
north  Greenland,  however,  where  areas  of  perpetual  snow  are  more 
or  less  abundant,  Lepus  groenlandicus  remains  white  throughout  the 
year.  In  Kansas  and  parts  of  Colorado  Lepus  campestris  changes 
into  a  winter  coat  only  a  little  paler  than  the  summer  pelage,  al- 
though farther  north,  where  the  snow  is  more  abundant  and  lies 
longer,  it  becomes  entirely  white.  Species  of  the  arid  regions  are 
light  colored  and  become  paler  or  grayer  with  increase  of  aridity, 
while  those  of  humid  regions  are  darker  with  deeper  shades  of  buffy 
and  rusty.  Specimens  from  some  localities  appear  to  indicate  a  small 
but  appreciable  difference  in  the  general  shade  of  the  upperparts 
in  the  same  locality  due  to  marked  temporary  variations,  such  as  a 
wet  or  dry  summer  or  an  open  or  snowy  winter. 

The  pelage  is  heaviest  on  the  top  of  the  back  and  thinnest  on  the 
abdomen.  It  is  made  up  of  three  sets  of  hairs,  which  are  most 
strongly  differentiated  on  top  of  the  back  and  may  be  characterized 
as  follows:  (1)  A  fine,  short,  and  dense  underfur;  (2)  a  longer,  thin- 
ner and  coarser  coat  of  hairs,  the  tips  of  which  overlie  and  conceal 
the  underfur;  and  (3)  a  still  longer,  coarser,  and  more  sparsely  dis- 
tributed set  of  hairs,  the  tips  of  which  overlie  the  shorter  middle 
coat.  The  underfur  is  usually  buffy  or  gray,  with  a  strongly  con- 
trasting darker  tip;  the  middle  coat  of  hairs  usually  has  a  dusky 
tip  with  a  broader  subterminal  zone  of  buffy  or  grayish;  and  the 
coarse  longer  hairs,  most  abundant  along  the  middle  of  the  back, 
are  usually  glossy  black,  at  least  on  their  terminal  half.  These  long 
black  hairs  overlie  all  the  rest  of  the  pelage,  and  often  give  the  effect 


28  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

of  a  strong  blackish  wash  over  the  back.  The  full  growth  of  the 
long  black  hairs  characterizes  the  adult  pelage,  but  they  vary  in 
length  and  abundance  even  in  geographic  races  of  the  same  species. 
The  absence  or  slight  development  of  the  black  hairs  in  the  juvenal 
and  post  juvenal  pelages  is  largely  the  cause  of  the  paler  color  of  the 
upperparts  in  these  pelages  in  comparison  with  the  adult  condition. 
All  the  arctic  and  other  northern  hares  in  winter  pelage  are  more  or 
less  exceptions  to  this  color  distribution.  They  become  pure  white 
externally,  and  the  arctic  hares  are  entirely  white,  including  the 
underfill*.  The  varying  hares  and  white-tailed  jack  rabbits,  how- 
ever, always  have  the  underfur  bicolored,  though  paler  in  winter 
than  in  summer. 

DIFFERENCES    IN    PELAGE   DUE    TO    AGE. 

Three  distinct  pelages  due  to  age  appear  to  be  common  to  all 
American  hares  and  rabbits.     These  may  be  characterized  as  follows : 

1.  Juvenal  pelage. — This  is  soft  and  woolly  and  may  be  compared 
to  the  downy  plumage  of  young  birds.  It  is  perhaps  of  somewhat 
longer  duration  than  the  downy  plumage,  but  usually  gives  way, 
when  the  animal  is  less  than  half  grown,  to  the  post  juvenal  or 
second  pelage. 

2.  Post  juvenal  pelage. — The  term  post  juvenal  applied  to  the  plum- 
age of  birds  following  the  juvenal  state  is  exactly  applicable  to 
a  similar  condition  existing  in  the  Leporidse.  This  is  characterized 
by  a  much  greater  development  of  the  middle,  or  hairy  coat,  over- 
lying the  underfur  than  in  the  juvenal  condition.  The  overlying 
coat  is  composed  of  finer  hairs  than  in  the  adult,  and  usually  averages 
paler,  with  a  more  finely  grizzled,  or  '  salt  and  pepper,'  appear- 
ance. This  paler  color  is  due  mainly  to  the  absence  of  the  long 
black  hairs  of  the  adult  and  to  the  reduced  amount  of  dusky  on 
the  tips  of  the  middle  coat,  which  results  in  a  fine  mixture  of  the 
dusky  with  the  ground  color,  instead  of,  as  in  adults,  an  overlying 
black  wash.  There  is  a  general  resemblance  to  the  adults  in  the 
postjuvenal  condition,  but  the  absence  of  the  coarsening,  as  well 
as  darkening,  effect  of  the  long  black  hairs  on  the  back,  as  well  as 
the  paler  and  more  finely  grizzled  colors,  usually  render  individuals 
in  this  pelage  readily  separable  from  adults. 

The  postjuvenal  pelage  is  usually  retained  until  the  animal  is 
nearly  full  grown,  when  it  gives  way  to  the  adult  stage.  Occasional 
breaks  appear  to  occur  in  the  sequence  of  the  three  pelages,  and 
individuals  not  much  more  than  half  grown  appear  to  assume  the 
adult  pelage.  This  break  is  only  apparent,  however,  and  is  due  to 
marked  individual  acceleration  of  the  pelages  by  which  the  post- 
juvenal stage  is  much  shortened.     This  may  indicate  evolution  toward 


1909-]  CHANGES  IN   PELAGE.  29 

the  eventual  suppression  of  this  pelage,  leaving  merely  the  ju venal 
and  adult. 

3.  Adult  pelage. — This  is  the  final  condition  which  replaces  the 
postjuvenal  pelage  as  the  individual  approaches  maturity.  It  is 
characterized  by  the  coarser  hairs  of  the  middle  coat  with  darker 
and  more  coarsely  grizzled  colors,  and  by  marked  development  of 
the  long  black  hairs  which  overlie  the  back. 

The  postjuvenal  pelage  of  American  rabbits  appears  not  to  have 
been  recognized  by  previous  authors,  and  has  resulted  in  misunder- 
standing regarding  certain  species.  The  element  of  individual  varia- 
tion, actually  great,  has  been  made  to  appear  even  greater  by  speci- 
mens in  postjuvenal  condition.  The  contrast  between  individuals 
in  postjuvenal  and  adult  pelage  is  greatest  in  those  species  or  sub- 
species in  which  adults  have  the  heaviest  growth  of  long  black  hairs 
overlying  the  surface  of  the  back.  In  forms  in  which  the  black 
hairs  are  least  conspicuous  in  adults  the  postjuvenal  and  adult 
pelages  are  much  more  alike,  and  are  distinguishable  mainly  by  the 
distinctly  finer  or  more  '  pepper  and  salt '  character  of  the  grizzling 
on  the  upper  parts,  coupled  with  the  generally  slightly  paler  colors 
of  the  young. 

MOLTS  AND   OTHER   SEASONAL   CHANGES   IN  PELAGE. 

By  peculiarities  of  molting,  American  rabbits  are  separable  into 
two  classes:  (1)  Those  which  have  two  annual  molts,  and  (2)  those 
which  have  only  one  annual  molt.  All  American  species  of  the 
genus  Lepus  (except  the  subgenus  Macrotolagus)  and  the  genus 
Brachylagus  belong  in  the  first  category,  while  all  of  the  genus 
Sylrilagus,  the  subgenus  Macrotolagus  of  the  genus  Lepus ',  and 
probably  Romerolagus  belong  in  the  second  class. 

SPECIES  HAVING  TWO  ANNUAL  MOLTS. 

The  species  belonging  to  the  northern  subgenus  Lepus  and  the 
genus  Brachylagus  have  two  annual  molts,  which  occur  in  spring  and 
fall.  These  molts  result  in  distinct  and  usually  strongly  contrasted 
summer  and  winter  pelages.  While  in  most  species  these  summer 
and  winter  pelages  are  very  unlike,  there  are  a  few  exceptions.  Lepus 
gramlandicus  throughout  its  range,  and  Lepus  arcticus  in  the  north- 
ern part  of  its  range,  are  white  throughout  the  year,  though  the  white 
summer  pelage  of  both  is  duller  and  scantier  than  the  winter  pelage. 
L.  campestris  is  dull  buffy  yellowish  in  summer,  and  in  the  northern 
part  of  its  range,  white  in  winter;  while  on  the  southern  border  of 
its  range,  in  Kansas  and  Colorado,  the  winter  pelage  is  nearly  as 
dark  as  that  of  summer.  L.  washingtoni  of  the  subgenus  Lepus  is 
the  only  known  American  member  of  this  subgenus  which  has  prac- 


30  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

tically  the  same  brown  color  in  winter  as  in  summer.  The  other  mem- 
bers of  this  subgenus  are  brown  in  summer  and  white  in  winter, 
though  the  underfur  remains  bicolored  throughout  the  year,  but  is 
paler  in  winter.  Brachylagns  is  grizzled  buffy  brown  in  summer, 
with  a  general  resemblance  in  color  to  various  forms  of  Sylvilagus. 
The  type  and  topotype  of  B.  idahoensis,  collected  in  September,  have 
an  abundant  silky-haired  pelage  of  a  nearly  uniform  pinkish  drab, 
different  from  any  other  American  species  at  this  season ;  some  freshly 
molted  fall  specimens  of  Sylvilagus  a.  bailey i  from  Wyoming,  how- 
ever, have  considerable  resemblance  in  general  color  to  this  pelage 
of  /'dahoensis. 

The  change  in  color  from  the  white  winter  pelage  of  northern 
species  to  the  dark  summer  coat,  or  vice  versa,  is  accomplished  so 
gradually  that  at  certain  stages  it  appears  like  a  change  in  the  color 
of  the  hairs  instead  of  a  molt.  Examination  of  abundant  material 
confirms  the  fact  of  a  complete  molt,  as  was  definitely  proved  some 
years  ago  by  Doctor  Allen  in  his  paper  on  the  changes  of  pelage  of 
the  varying  hare.a 

The  molts  usually  begin  about  the  head  and  feet  and  proceed  more 
or  less  irregularly  over  the  body,  but  there  is  no  absolute  rule,  and 
patches  of  new  pelage  may  appear  on  any  part  of  the  body,  especially 
if  the  old  coat  has  been  thinned  by  abrasion  or  other  local  cause. 

In  spring,  just  before  the  molt,  the  long  white  surface  coat  of  the 
varying  hares  often  wears  away  more  or  less  completely,  and  leaves 
the  buffy  or  dusky  underfur  exposed,  thus  producing  a  striking 
change  in  color  without  a  molt.  Late  in  summer,  preceding  the 
fall  molt,  there  is  often  a  similar  wearing  away  of  the  outer  coat, 
thus  leaving  the  woolly  underfur  exposed  and  again  changing  the 
general  shade  of  the  upperparts. 

Adults  of  Lepus  hairdi  and  extreme  northern  representatives  of 
Lepus  americanus  appear  to  have  white  feet  throughout  the  summer. 
The  young  of  these  white-footed  animals  have  dark  colored  or  brown- 
ish feet  through  the  ju venal  and  post]  u venal  pelages.  Adults  of 
loashingtoni  and  the  southern  subspecies  of  americanus  have  dark 
colored  or  mixed  white  and  brown  feet  in  summer. 

Effect  of  seasonal  differences  on  time  of  molt. — The  time  of  the 
spring  and  fall  molt  of  the  subspecies  of  Lepus  americanus  varies 
with  the  character  of  the  season.  An  early  spring  or  fall  brings  on 
the  molt  a  month  or  more  earlier  than  a  late  one.  A  good  illustra- 
tion of  the  influence  of  season  on  molt  was  afforded  by  L.  a.  stru- 
thopus  in  Nova  Scotia  during  the  mild  late  fall  of  1907.  Several 
specimens  from  Kings  County  collected  as  late  as  November  25  were 
just  beginning  to  assume  the  white  winter  coat,  and  others  from  the 

°Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  VI,  pp.  107-12S,  May  7,  1S94. 


1909.]  ANNUAL   MOLT.  31 

same  place  collected  on  December  G  and  7  were  not  yet  in  full  winter 
pelage,  though  ordinarily  pure  white  at  this  time. 

Decrease  of  amount  of  white  in  winter  pelage  of  L.  americanus 
southward. — Among  the  subspecies  of  L.  americanus  there  is  much 
difference  in  the  thickness  on  the  back  of  the  overlying  white  winter 
coat.  The  northern  forms  have  a  thick,  heavy  layer  of  white  com- 
pletely concealing  the  buffy  surface  of  the  underfill*.  In  the  southern- 
most forms,  including  virginianas,  struthopus,  and  phceonotus,  the 
overlying  coat  of  white  is  so  thin  that  the  buffy  underfur  often 
slightly  tinges  the  generally  white  shade  and  distinctly  shows 
through  wherever  the  white  surface  hairs  are  even  slightly  dis- 
arranged, while  the  ears,  head,  and  tops  of  feet  often  have  more  or 
less  rusty  buffy  on  the  surface.  Winter  specimens  from  Newfound- 
land, like  Nova  Scotia  specimens,  have  a  very  thin  layer  of  white 
on  the  surface  of  the  back,  with  the  buffy  underfur  showing  through, 
in  strong  contrast  with  the  much  purer  white  specimens  from  the 
neighboring  coast  of  Labrador. 

SPECIES   HAVING  ONE  ANNUAL  MOLT. 

Adults  of  the  southern  groups  of  rabbits,  including  the  genus 
Sylvilagus,  the  subgenus  Macrotolagus  of  the  genus  Lepus  (and 
probably  the  genus  Romerolagus) ,  appear  to  have  but  one  molt 
annually.  In  the  great  majority  of  the  forms  this  occurs  the  latter 
part  of  summer  or  in  fall,  generally  between  the  middle  of  August 
and  the  middle  of  October ;  but  in  a  few  subspecies  the  change  often 
begins  in  June  or  July.  The  ordinary  exceptions  to  this  rule  in 
adults  are  the  occasional  individuals  which  through  malnutrition  or 
illness  have  had  the  regular  course  of  life  processes  disarranged. 
Such  individuals  are  likely  to  retain  the  old  pelage  longer  than 
usual  and  to  molt  at  unseasonable  times.  Occcasional  individuals 
molt  very  early  in  summer.  In  addition,  every  large  collection  con- 
tains specimens,  especially  from  mild  southern  climates,  which  have 
taken  on  fresh  pelage  at  odd  times  of  the  year.  Examination  of  the 
skulls  usually  proves  that  these  are  young  animals  assuming  their 
post juvenal  or  first  adult  pelage  in  the  regular  sequence.  Such  cases 
have  no  bearing  on  the  regular  molt  of  adults. 

The  fresh  fall  or  winter  pelage  is  much  darker  and  richer  than 
that  of  any  other  period;  the  long  overlying  black  hairs  are  most 
conspicuous  at  this  time,  and  in  some  forms  produce  a  thin  dark 
shading  to  the  upperparts  and  in  others  a  heavy  black  wash. 

There  is  a  progressive  wear  and  fading  of  the  pelage  from  its 
assumption  until  the  molt  the  following  year.  In  the  more  humid 
regions,  with  less  sunshine  and  with  an  abundance  of  sheltering 
vegetation,  the  colors  fade  more  slowly,  and  the  rabbits  rarely  pre- 


32  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

sent  the  ragged  and  scorched  appearance  common  in  arid  regions. 
The  species  of  the  humid  areas  are  darker  in  color,  and  usually  have 
more  buffy  or  buffy  brown  in  the  upperparts,  which,  when  the  pelage 
is  worn  and  faded,  often  changes  to  a  distinctly  more  rusty  or  rusty 
reddish  shade. 

In  fresh  pelage  the  tips  of  the  hairs  on  the  rufous  areas  of  the 
nape  and  legs  are  paler  than  the  underlying  color,  and  thus  dilute  or 
dull  the  intensity  of  the  rufous.  The  wearing  away  of  these  pale 
tips  gives  the  rufous  areas  a  deeper  or  more  intense  color  in  worn 
spring  specimens  than  in  those  in  fresh  fall  pelage.  As  the  general 
color  of  the  upperparts  in  spring  is  paler  than  in  fall  and  the  rufous 
leg  patches  brighter,  the  variation  in  the  amount  of  contrast  between 
these  color  areas  in  the  same  subspecies  at  different  seasons  is  often 
marked. 

In  dry  regions  of  abundant  sunshine  and  sparse  vegetation  the 
colors  of  the  fresh  pelage  begin  to  fade  immediately  after  the  molt 
and  soon  show  an  appreciable  loss  of  intensity.  The  fading  of  the 
general  colors  is  accompanied  by  the  wearing  away  of  the  long  black 
hairs  overlying  the  fur.  This  fading  and  wear  continue  steadily 
throughout  the  year  until  the  next  molt.  By  spring  the  colors  have 
become  so  much  paler  that  frequently  specimens  representing  the  two 
seasons  are  very  unlike.  Sometimes  the  long  hairs  are  entirely  worn 
away,  and  the  exposed  underfill*  is  so  worn  that  the  pelage  presents 
a  ragged  woolly  appearance.  The  bleaching  of  the  tips  of  the  middle 
coat  and  of  the  long  black  hairs  before  they  wear  away  sometimes 
produces  a  dull  rusty  shade  over  the  upperparts  not  present  at  any 
other  time.  In  some  individuals  the  buffy  tips  of  the  underfur  are 
heavily  underlaid  by  a  zone  of  darker  color.  In  these  instances  the 
wearing  down  of  the  pelage  causes  the  upperparts  to  become  even 
darker,  or  more  dusky,  than  when  freshly  molted. 

SEXUAL  VARIATION. 

The  only  difference  in  American  rabbits  due  to  sex  appears  to  be 
in  size.  Very  old  females  of  both  cottontails  and  jack  rabbits  are  a 
little  larger  than  males  of  the  same  age.  This  difference  is  so  slight 
among  average  individuals,  however,  that  in  identifying  specimens  it 
may  be  ignored. 

INDIVIDUAL  VARIATION. 

The  shade  of  color,  size,  length  of  ears,  hind  feet,  and  form  and 
proportions  of  the  skull  are  subject  to  marked  individual  variation. 

The  intensity  of  the  shade  of  buffy  forming  the  general  ground 
color  of  the  body  in  so  many  species  is  subject  to  much  individual 
variation,  aside  from  seasonal  changes.  Among  specimens  in  fresh 
pelage  shot  at  the  same  locality  on  the  same  day  the  shade  on  the  back 


1909.]  SKULL    CHARACTERS.  33 

may  vary  from  pale  buffy  grayish  to  nearly  ochraceous  buffy.  The 
sum  of  the  seasonal  and  individual  variations  is  so  great  that  a  large 
number  of  specimens  in  every  considerable  series,  if  considered  by 
themselves,  are  extremely  puzzling. 

SKULL  CHARACTERS  AND  VARIATION. 

The  skulls  of  rabbits  change  greatly  while  passing  from  the  young 
adult  to  old  adult  condition.  This  is  due  partly  to  increase  of  size, 
but  mainly  to  increased  ossification  of  the  parts  and  consequent  in- 
crease of  weight  or  massiveness  of  structure.  In  many  forms  the 
rostrum,  rather  narrow  and  slender  in  the  young  adult,  becomes 
strong  and  heavy.  The  supraorbitals,  at  first  thin  and  slender,  so 
that  the  interorbital  width  is  narrow,  with  increased  age  become  broad 
and  heavy.  The  anteorbital  and  postorbital  processes,  at  first  of 
slender  form  with  free  ends  inclosing  well-marked  notches,  broaden 
and  lengthen  until  the  ends  often  touch  the  skull  and  inclose  foramina, 
or  even  shut  in  and  coalesce  with  the  skull  along  their  inner  borders. 
All  the  parts  become  more  massive  with  this  increased  ossification, 
until  in  some  very  old  examples  the  character  of  the  skull  is  so  unlike 
that  of  typical  specimens  as  to  be  scarcely  recognizable. 

The  accompanying  illustration  (PI.  II)  of  three  skulls  of  adult 
Lepus  americanus  virginianus  from  Gold,  Pennsylvania,  indicates  the 
range  of  individual  variation  appearing  in  nearly  all  species  when 
large  series  are  available. 

Notwithstanding  these  wide  extremes  of  variation,  each  species  or 
subspecies  usually  has  certain  average  skull  characters  peculiar  to  it. 
In  some  cases  these  are  slightly  and  in  others  strongly  marked.  The 
skull  characters  of  rabbits,  which  are  most  marked,  and  which  serve 
best  for  comparison  and  characterization,  are  the  size  of  the  bullae; 
the  size,  form,  and  relative  position  of  the  supraorbital  processes; 
and  the  size  and  form  of  the  rostrum  and  braincase. 

The  fairly  well-marked  skull  characters  which  distinguish  some 
subgeneric,  or  even  generic,  groups  are  sometimes  almost  completely 
bridged  over  by  what  appear  to  be  cases  of  parallel  development.  A 
good  example  is  Sylvilagus  (Sylvilagus)  f.  yucatanicus,  which  has  a 
massive  skull,  with  the  anteorbital  and  postorbital  processes  fused  to 
the  frontals  along  their  entire  length,  and  closely  resembles  in  form 
and  general  appearance  the  skull  of  Sylvilagus  (Tapeti)  aquaticus. 
Skulls  of  S.  transitionalis  and  S.  f.  mallurus  in  overlapping  territory 
of  the  two  species  from  southeastern  New  York  to  the  mountains  of 
North  Carolina,  while  remaining  unmistakably  distinct,  approach  one 
another  closely  in  certain  characters.  An  equally  close  resemblance 
is  shown  between  a  skull  of  Lepus  washingtoni  klamathensis  and  typ- 
ical skulls  of  Sylvilagus  hacJimani  ubericolo7\  and  also  between  some 
85595— No.  29—09 3 


34  NOBTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

skulls  of  L.  campestris  and  L.  californicus  melanotis  from  central 
Kansas. 

The  most  interesting  and  instructive  point  in  connection  with  this 
parallel  development  of  skulls  is  that  the  striking  resemblances  noted 
usually  appear  in  individuals  inhabiting  the  same  region  or  neigh- 
boring regions,  where  they  are  under  the  influence  of  the  same  or 
closely  similar  climatic  conditions.  For  example,  the  range  of  Lepus 
u\  Mamathensis  is  close  to  that  of  S.  b.  ubericolor  in  Oregon,  though 
in  a  different  life  zone;  and,  as  just  cited,  the  similarity  between  L. 
campestris  and  L.  californicus  melanotis  in  Kansas  is  confined  to  indi- 
viduals from  areas  where  both  species  occupy  the  same  territory.  Syl- 
vilagus  f.  yucatanicus  lives  in  dense  low  brush  and  forest  growth  in 
a  region  bordering  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  having  an  extremely  warm, 
humid  summer  climate  much  like  that  in  which  3.  aquaticus  has  its 
home.  In  this  last  case  similarity  of  skull  characters  in  dissimilar 
species  occurs  in  widely  separated  areas,  although  the  home  of  S. 
aquaticus  is  shared  by  another  subspecies  of  floridanus  in  which  these 
parallel  characters  do  not  appear. 

GEOGRAPHIC  VARIATION. 

The  main  differences  within  specific  limits  are  due,  as  would  be 
expected,  to  changes  of  environment,  and  result  in  the  production  of 
geographic  races.  The  amount  of  difference  from  this  cause  varies 
among  species  of  the  same  genus  or  even  the  same  subgenus.  The 
geographic  races  of  some  species  are  not  strongly  marked,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  subspecies  of  the  California  brush  rabbit,  among  which 
the  variation  of  size,  proportions,  and  color  is  comparatively  small. 
In  the  subgenus  Sylvildgus  the  extremes  of  differentiation  among 
the  subspecies  of  S.  auduborii  are  less  than  among  the  forms  of  S. 
floridanus,  although  typical  81  aucluboni  and  8.  auduboni  baileyi  are 
very  unlike.  This  difference,  however,  scarcely  equals  the  contrast 
between  the  small  gra}r  S.  floridanus  chapmani  and  the  large  rusty 
S.  f.  yucatanicus.  Among  the  subspecies  of  Lepus  californicus  the 
differences  are  even  more  striking.  At  first  glance  it  seems  almost 
impossible  that  typical  L.  californicus,  L.  c.  merriami,  and  L.  c. 
melanotis  can  be  conspecific.  In  fact,  these  three  forms  were  con- 
sidered by  me  as  specifically  distinct  until  abundant  material  proved 
conclusively  that  intergradation  is  complete. 

INSTABILITY    OF    CHARACTERS    DUE    TO    GEOGRAPHIC    VARIATION. 

"While  studying  series  of  specimens  from  all  parts  of  the  vast  range 
occupied  by  the  geographic  races  of  such  species  as  Sylvilagus  flori- 
danus and  S.  auduboni,  I  have  been  impressed  with  evidences  of  fluc- 
tuation of  both  external  and  skull  characters.     These  fluctuations 


1909.  J  GEOGRAPHIC    VARIATION.  35 

are  somewhat  wavelike  in  character  and  rise  to  central  points  of 
extreme  development  and  then  sink  away  to  intermediate  borders 
beyond  which  new  waves  rise.  When  the  waves  of  differentiation 
are  pronounced  they  mark  recognizable  geographic  races.  Within 
the  area  covered  by  the  larger  or  geographically  broader  wraves  of 
differentiation  (recognized  as  of  subspecific  value),  smaller  waves  of 
differentiation  are  included,  which  may  represent  local  variations 
in  intensity  of  characters  of  the  subspecies,  or  these  characters  may 
diminish  and  the  variation  tend  in  other  directions,  sometimes  even 
closely  reproducing  the  characters  of  another  subspecies  occupying 
a  distinct  area. 

In  the  case  of  wide-ranging  subspecies  such  fluctuations  are  fre- 
quent, especially  where  the  areas  occupied  are  diversified  by  moun- 
tains. These  fluctuations,  which  are  sometimes  extremely  local, 
mark,  of  course,  potential  subspecies.  Some  are  fairly  well  charac- 
terized and  eventually  may  be  named,  while  others  are  too  slight  to 
be  formally  recognized  by  name  but  well  serve  to  illustrate  the  plastic 
condition  of  the  species.  The  transition  from  one  subspecies  to 
another  takes  place  abruptly  or  gradually  in  exact  accord  with  the 
changes  of  environment  which  produce  them.  When  specimens  rep- 
resent such  endless  geographic  variation  it  is  often  difficult  to  decide 
whether  to  retain  certain  forms  already  named  or  to  drop  them  into 
the  wastebasket  of  synonymy.  The  difficulties  of  decision  are  often 
increased  by  the  fact  that  many  geographic  races  have  been  named 
from  imperfect  material,  and  the  types  not  infrequently  prove  to 
have  been  taken  from  zones  intermediate  between  the  ranges  of  well- 
marked  forms.  Hence  the  type  is  not  typical  and  represents  the 
intermediates.  In  such  cases  the  most  strongly  marked  representa- 
tives of  the  form  in  question  occur  only  at  a  distance  from  the  type 
locality.  In  many  instances,  too.  the  type,  though  from  a  locality 
well  chosen  geographically  to  represent  the  form,  proves  unlike  the 
average,  and  not  infrequently  can  not  be  duplicated  in  a  large  series 
of  topotypes. 

PERSISTENCE    OF    GENERAL    CHARACTERS    UNDER    SIMILAR    CLIMATIC 

CONDITIONS. 

The  periodic  destruction  by  disease  of  nearly  all  the  rabbits  over 
wide  areas  leaves  but  few  individuals  each  time  to  continue  the  stock 
and  repopulate  the  range.  This  condition  must  have  recurred  num- 
berless times  in  the  past,  and  in  the  case  of  species  having  a  broad 
distribution  would  appear  to  have  provided  the  best  possible  oppor- 
tunity for  the  origin  through  isolation  of  many  strongly  characterized 
subspecies,  if  not  of  well-marked  species.     On  the  other  hand,  gen- 


36  NOKTH  AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

eral  similarity  of  climate  and  absence  of  isolation  appear  to  be  strong 
leveling  influences  to  hold  variation  within  certain  limits. 

Lepus  americanus,  occupying  the  vast  wooded  area  extending  from 
the  coast  of  Nova  Scotia  to  western  Alaska,  has  been  subjected  to 
numberless  recurring  periods  of  extreme  abundance  and  extreme 
scarcity;  and  yet,  through  its  extensive  range,  it  now  presents  only 
a  few  not  strongly  differentiated  subspecies. 

EFFECT  OF  ISOLATION  UNDER  LIKE  CLIMATIC  CONDITIONS. 

Complete  isolation  of  rabbits  under  like  climatic  conditions  may 
have  little  or  great  influence  in  the  development  of  differences  from 
the  general  stock.  The  small  effect  of  isolation  is  shown  by  Lepus 
americanus  struthopus  on  the  Magdalen  Islands.  Another  case  is 
that  of  Sylvilagus  bachmani  cerrosensis,  a  slightly  differentiated  form 
on  Cerros  Island.  On  the  other  hand,  isolation  under  like  climatic 
conditions  may  give  rise  to  marked  differences  of  full  specific  value. 
This  is  well  illustrated  by  Sylvilagus  graysoni  of  the  Tres  Marias 
Islands,  about  65  miles  off  the  west  coast  of  Mexico,  which  so  closely 
resembles  S.  cunicularius  insolitus  of  the  adjacent  mainland  in  gen- 
eral characters  that  it  is  impossible  to  doubt  its  origin  from  that  spe- 
cies. In  this  case  isolation,  although  under  a  closely  similar  climate, 
has  been  continued  long  enough  to  produce  good  skull  characters,  as 
well  as  other  differences  of  specific  value. 

The  most  extraordinary  example  among  American  rabbits  of  the 
results  of  isolation  under  similar  climatic  conditions  is  that  of  Lepus 
insularis  (PL  III).  This  jack  rabbit  is  peculiar  to  Espiritu  Santo, 
a  small  island  about  15  miles  long,  lying  4  miles  offshore  in  front  of 
La  Paz  Bay,  Lower  California,  in  the  Gulf  of  California.  The  posi- 
tion of  the  island,  as  well  as  its  geological  formation,  and  the  con- 
figuration of  the  shore  on  both  sides  of  the  strait  show  conclusively 
that  it  once  formed  a  part  of  the  adjacent  coast.  That  the  separa- 
tion of  the  island  was  caused  by  the  sea  cutting  through  a  narrow 
part  of  a  former  slender  peninsula  appears  not  only  by  the  character 
of  the  land  formations  on  both  shores  of  the  narrow  channel  but  by 
the  shallowness  of  the  channel  itself,  which  has  only  from  3  to  5 
fathoms  of  water  along  the  submarine  ridge  which  extends  from  the 
mainland  shore  to  the  island  with  deeper  water  on  both  sides.  This 
indicates  that  the  island  was  formed  within  a  comparatively  recent 
period.  The  hot,  arid  climate  and  the  scanty  vegetation  on  the 
island  and  adjacent  mainland,  as  would  be  expected,  are  practically 
identical.  On  the  mainland  Lepus  californicus  xanti,  a  pale  form 
of  the  California  jack  rabbit,  is  plentiful.  Four  miles  away,  on 
Espiritu  Santo,  jack  rabbits  also  are  common,  and  their  general  ap- 
pearance and  type  of  skull  show  that  they  must  have  been  derived 


1909.]  GENERA  AND   SUBGENERA.  37 

from  the  adjacent  mainland  species.  The  resemblance  ceases  here, 
however,  for  the  island  animal  has  not  only  developed  good  skull 
characters  but  its  colors  have  become  so  extremely  intensified  that  it 
is  commonly  spoken  of  as  the  black  jack  rabbit. 

It  has  been  stated  in  several  places,  mainly  on  Bryant's  authority, 
that  this  dark  colored  jack  rabbit  lives  among  black  lava  rock,  where 
its  color  is  protective.  We  failed  to  see  any  black  or  even  very  dark 
rock  on  the  parts  of  the  island  visited,  and  in  every  case  among  the 
thirty  or  forty  of  the  animals  seen,  whether  sitting  still  or  moving, 
they  were  extraordinarily  conspicuous.  It  is  quite  certain  that  the 
color  of  this  species  can  not  be  justly  cited  as  having  anything  to 
do  with  protective  coloration. 

Probable  factors  in  the  development  of  this  dark-colored  species 
on  the  desert  island  are  absence  of  any  predatory  mammals  and 
extreme  scarcity  of  birds  of  prey  large  enough  to  interfere  with  it. 
The  only  other  instance  known  to  me  in  which  a  mammal  appears  to 
defy  all  the  laws  of  protective  coloration  is  that  of  the  black  Citellus 
variegatus  couchi  living  among  the  whitish  limestone  rocks  near 
Monterey,  Mexico. .  The  colors  of  both  the  black  jack  rabbit  and  the 
black  ground  squirrel  in  their  native  haunts  are  in  exaggerated  con- 
trast to  their  surroundings. 

GENERA  AND   SUBGENERA. 

In  his  Classification  of  the  Hares  and  their  Allies,®  Doctor  Lyon 
recognized  five  genera  of  North  American  hares  and  rabbits,  as  fol- 
lows: Lepus,  Sylvilagus,  Limnolagus,  Bracliylagus,  and  Rotrherolagus. 
In  addition  he  divided  the  genus  Lepus  into  three  subgenera,  Lepus, 
Macrotolagus,  and  Poecilolagus;  and  the  genus  Sylvilagus  into  the 
subgenera  Sylvilagus  and  Microlagus. 

The  classification  in  the  present  monograph  differs  from  the  fore- 
going arrangement  in  several  points.  Four  instead  of  five  genera  are 
recognized,  namely,  Lepus,  Sylvilagus,  Brachylagus,  and  Roinero- 
lagus.  The  subgenus  Pwcilolagus  is  considered  a  synonym  of  the 
subgenus  Lepus.  Tapeti  of  Gray,  with  Limnolagus  as  a  synonym,  is 
considered  a  subgenus  of  Sylvilagus,  and  Microlagus  becomes  a 
synonym  of  the  subgenus  Sylvilagus. 

To  give  subgeneric  value  to  such  characters  as  those  shown  by 
the  species  of  Pcecilolagus  and  Microlagus  would  necessitate  the  set- 
ting up  of  a  considerable  number  of  additional  equally  good  sub- 
genera. For  instance  Lepus  alleni,  the  type  of  Macrotolagus,  differs 
in  certain  strong  characters  from  all  the  other  black-tailed  jack 
rabbits,  and  Lepus  campestris  has  some  marked  differences  from  all 
the  Arctic  hares.    In  other  words,  each  well-marked  species  or  group 

a  Smithsonian  Misc.  Coll.  (quarterly  issue),  vol.  45,  No.  1456,  June  15,  1904. 


18 


NOKTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.  29. 


of  related  species  in  a  genus  would  require  the  erection  of  a  subgenus 
for  its  reception. 

Genus  LEPUS  Linnaeus. 

(See  text  figures  Nos.  3,  4,  and  5.) 
THE  ARCTIC   HARES,  VARYING  HARES,  AND  JACK  RABBITS. 
Lepus  Linnaeus,  Syst.  Nat.,  ed.  10,  I,  p.  57,  1758.     Type  Lepus  timidus  Linn. 
Geographic  distribution. — Circumpolar.     In  North  America  from 


Fig.  2. — Distribution  in  North  America  of  rabbits  of  the  genus  Lepus. 

the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec  in  southern  Mexico  to  north  Greenland 
and  the  Arctic  islands  (see  fig.  2). 


1909.] 


SUBGENUS  LEPUS. 


39 


Generic  character's. — Interparietal  not  distinguishable  in  adults; 
supraorbital  usually  more  or  less  broadly  wing-like  and  subtriangular 
in  outline  (see  PI.  IV,  fig.  2)  ;  second  to  fifth  cervical  vertebrae  longer 
than  broad  and  with  strong  median  carination  on  dorsal  surface; 
third  to  fifth  ribs  broad,  flattened,  and  fusiform  in  outline  on  lower 
half ;  ulna  much  slenderer  and  more  tapering  than  radius.  In  addi- 
tion, various  other  skeletal  characters  exist.0 

This  circumpolar  group  is  represented  in  North  America  by  two 
subgenera,  Lepus  and  Macrotolagus. 


Fig.  3. — First  to  seventh  ribs  and  dorsal  vertebra?:  a,  Lepus  (reduced  about  four-ninths)  ; 
b,  Sylvilagus  (reduced  about  one-fifth). 

Subgenus  LEPUS  Linnaeus. 

THE    ARCTIC     AND     VARYING     HARES    AND     WHITE  -  TAILED    JACK 

RABBITS. 


Lepus  Linn.     Same  date  and  type  as  the  genus. 

Pwcilolagus  Lyon,  Smith.  Misc.  Coll.  (quarterly  issue),  vol.  45,  No.  1456,  June 
15,  1904.    Type  Lepus  americanus  Erxl. 

Geographic  distribution. — Northern  part  of  the  United  States  to 
the  Arctic  islands  and  north  Greenland  (ranging  farthest  south  along 
the  Alleghenies,  Rocky  Mountains,  and  Sierra  Nevada). 

Subgeneric  characters. — Skull  proportionately  short,  broad,  and 
arched ;  supraorbitals  usually  strongly  subtriangular  and  standing  out 

°See  Lyon,  Smith.  Misc.  Coll.  (quarterly  issue),  XLV,  No.  1456,  pp.  3S9-394, 
1904. 


40 


NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA. 


[  no.  29. 


broadly  wing-like  with  a  wide,  open  notch  between  the  posterior  proc- 
ess and  the  skull;  rostrum  broad  and  heavy;  zygomatic  arch  broad 

and  heavy  (see  Pis.  IV  and  V). 

Two  annual  molts,  with  distinct 
summer  and  winter  pelages,  usually 
strongly  contrasted  in  color. 

Remarks. — Doctor  Lyon  placed 
the  varying  hares  in  a  new  subgenus, 
Poscilolagus,  but  after  careful  exami- 
nation of  abundant  material  the 
writer  is  unable  to  find  anj^  character 
which  distinguishes  them  more  than 
specifically  from  the  Arctic  hares. 
The  white-tailed  jack  rabbits  (L. 
campestris)  are  almost  exact  inter- 
mediates in  general  proportions  and 
appearance  between  the  Arctic  hares 
and  the  black-tailed  jack  rabbits. 
The  skulls  of  the  white-tailed  jack 
rabbits  are  usually  very  distinct,  but 
in  some  cases,  especially  in  Kansas,  are  scarcely  distinguishable  from 
those  of  the  black-tailed  species. 


Fig.  4. — Second  to  fifth  cervical  verte- 
brae :  a,  Lepus  (natural  size)  ;  6, 
S yl vilagus  ( enlarged ) . 


Subgenus  MACROTOLAGTJS  Mearns. 
THE  BLACK-TAILED  JACK  RABBITS. 


Macrotolagus   Mearns,   Proc.  U.    S.  Nat.  Mus.,  XVIII,   p.   552,  June  24,   1896. 
Type  Lepus  alleni  Mearns. 

Geographic  distribution. — Mexico  and  western  United  States. 

Subgeneric  characters. — Ears  proportionately  very  long;  legs  and 
feet  long  and  slender;  skull  less  arched  and  proportionately  longer 
and      narrower,      or 
slenderer,  than  in  the 
subgenus  Lepus    (see 
PL  VII,  fig.  4)  ;  ros- 
trum   slender ;    post- 
orbital   process  long- 
er and  narrower,  pos- 
terior    tip     touching 
skull  and  inclosing  a 
long,  narrow  foramen  in  place  of  a  broad,  open  notch;  spines  of 
lumbar  vertebrae  longer.    One  annual  molt. 

Remarks. — The  black-tailed  jack  rabbits  belong  to  the  western 
United  States  and  Mexico,  and  are  especially  characteristic  of  the 


Fig.   5.- 


-Ulna   and    radius :   a,  Lepus    (reduced   about   one- 
third)  ;  b,  Sylrilagus   (natural  size). 


1909,1  GENUS   SYLVILAGUS.  41 

desert,  interior  plains,  and  tablelands,  although  in  climatically  favor- 
able areas  they  live  far  beyond  these  limits.  In  the  southwestern 
United  States  and  northern  Mexico,  they  range  entirely  across  the 
continent.  They  range  south  along  the  east  coast  from  Texas  to  near 
Tampico;  and  on  the  west  coast  from  California  to  northern  Tepic, 
Mexico,  and  are  then  absent  until  they  reappear  on  the  shore  of  the 
Pacific  at  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec  and  range  thence  along  the 
coast  into  the  adjoining  part  of  Chiapas.  In  the  interior  they  have 
an  unbroken  distribution  from  southern  Idaho  to  the  Isthmus  of 
Tehuantepec. 

Although  most  characteristic  of  open,  treeless  plains,  yet  in  certain 
regions,  as  in  northern  California  and  elsewhere,  they  occupy  partly 
wooded  country  and  even  invade  open  pine  forests. 

This  subgenus  is  made  up  of  two  well-defined  groups:  The  cali- 
fornicus  or  gray-sided  group,  and  the  callotis  or  white-sided  group. 
The  calif  ornicus  group,  including  L.  insularis,  reaches  its  greatest 
development  north  of  the  Mexican  boundary,  has  its  center  in  the 
Desert  Plateau,  and  ranges  from  sea  to  sea  along  the  southern  border 
of  the  United  States.  The  callotis  group  includes  Lepus  callotis,  L. 
flavigidaris,  L.  aliamirce,  L.  gaillardi  and  subspecies,  and  L.  alleni 
and  subspecies.  It  reaches  its  greatest  development  south  of  the 
Mexican  border,  and  also  ranges  entirely  across  the  continent. 

L.  alleni,  the  type  of  the  subgenus  Macrotolagus,  differs  strikingly 
from  other  members  of  the  subgenus  in  its  enormous  ears,  extremely 
long  legs,  and  a  remarkably  short  and  peculiarly  colored  tail.  All 
other  members  of  this  long-eared,  long-legged  subgenus  have  a  general 
similarity  in  their  comparatively  shorter  ears  and  legs  and  their  much 
larger,  longer,  and  differently  colored  tails. 

Genus  SYLVILAGUS  Gray. 
(See  text  figures  Nos.  3,  4,  and  5.) 

THE  COTTONTAILS,   BRUSH  RABBITS,   SWAMP  RABBITS,  AND   WOOD 

RABBITS. 

Sylvilagus  Gray,  Ann.  and  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  XX,  ser.  3,  p.  221,  1867.     Type, 
Sylvilagus  flaridanus  mallurus  (Thomas). 

Geographic  distribution. — Southern  Canada  to  southern  South 
America  (see  fig.  3). 

General  characters. — Interparietal  distinct  in  adults;  supraorbital 
process  narrower  and  more  strap-shaped,  or  tapering  to  a  slenderer, 
more  pointed  tip  posteriorly  than  in  Lepus;  the  posterior  notch  or 
foramen  usually  much  narrower,  or  even  absent,  owing  to  the  union 
of  the  postorbital  process  along  its  entire  length  with  the  skull ;  sec- 


42  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

ond  to  fourth  cervical  vertebrae  broader  than  long  with  dorsal  surface 
flattened  and  without  carination;  anterior  ribs  of  nearly  uniform 
width  throughout  their  length,  and  having  a  narrow,  rod-like  form ; 
ulna  and  radius  about  equal  .in  size.  One  annual  molt.  (In  addi- 
tion various  other  skeletal  characters  exist.)" 

Remarks. — There  appear  to  be  two  recognizable  subgenera  in  this 
group,  Sylvilagus  and  Tapeti. 

Subgenus  SYLVILAGUS  Gray. 

THE   COTTONTAILS   AND    BRUSH    RABBITS. 

Sylvilagus  Gray.     Same  date  and  type  as  the  genus. 

Microlagus   Trouessart,    Catalogus   Mamm.,    I,   fasc.   Ill,   p.    660,   1897.      Type, 
Sylvilagus  bachmani  cinerascens   (Allen). 

Geographic  distribution. — North  and  South  America  from  south- 
ern Canada  to  an  unknown  distance  in  South  America. 

Siibgeneric  characters. — Skull  generally  averages  proportionately 
lighter  and  less  heavily  ossified  than  in  Tapeti  (see  PL  IX)  ;  rostrum 
slenderer;  supraorbitals  lighter  and  less  broadly  attached  to  the 
skull;  pelage  finer  and  softer;  tail  larger,  more  abundantly  haired; 
feet  usually  more  heavily  haired. 

Remarks. — This  subgenus  contains  all  of  the  species  of  rabbits 
commonly  known  as  cottontails,  and  also  the  small  brush  rabbits  of 
the  Pacific  coast. 

The  brush  rabbits  represent  a  well-marked  specific  type,  but  I 
fail  to  find  characters  of  sufficient  weight  to  warrant  their  subgeneric 
separation  from  the  cottontails,  and  therefore  reject  the  subgenus 
Microlagus  proposed  by  Trouessart  for  their  reception.  The  small 
rounded  tail  of  the  brush  rabbits  is  the  strongest  character  separating 
them  from  the  common  cottontails.  The  light  skull,  with  narrow 
pointed  rostrum  and  slender  postorbital  processes,  is  closely  similar 
in  general  type  to  the  skulls  of  Sylvilagus  nuttalli  and  of  some  forms 
of  S.  auduboni,  and  differs  much  less  radically  from  them  than  does 
the  skull  of  S.  transitionalis  from  that  of  S.  floridanus. 

In  North  America  /Sylvilagus,  next  to  Lepus,  is  the  most  wide- 
spread of  all  the  subgenera  of  hares  and  rabbits.  Its  members  range 
from  coast  to  coast  throughout  most  of  the  United  States  and  south 
to  Costa  Rica.  They  may  be  arranged  in  four  well-marked  groups, 
which  are  designated  by  the  names  of  their  most  characteristic  spe- 
cies, as  follows: 

1.  /Sylvilagus  floridanus  group,  consisting  of  S.  floridanus  and  sub- 
species, with  the  closely  related  S.  robustus,  S.  cognatus,  S.  transition- 

°See  Lyon,  Smith.  Misc.  Coll.  (quarterly  issue),  XLV,  No.  1456,  pp.  396-401, 
1904. 


1909.] 


SUBGENUS   SYLVILAGUS. 


43 


alls,  and  S.  nuttalli  with  its  subspecies.0  It  inhabits  most  of  the 
United  States,  Mexico,  and  parts  of  Guatemala,  Nicaragua,  and  Costa 
Rica,  and  ranges  along  practically  all  the  Atlantic  coast  from  Maine 


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Fig.  6. — Distribution  in  North  America  of  rabbits  of  the  genus  Sylvilagus. 

to  Yucatan,  but  is  absent  on  the  Pacific  coast,  except  from  the  Isthmus 
of  Tehuantepec  to  Chiapas. 


a  For  convenience  S.  nuttalli  and  subspecies  are  treated  as  a  separate  group  in 
the  text. 


44  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

2.  S.  auduboni  group,  containing  only  the  subspecies  of  auduboni. 
This  group  is  western  in  distribution  and  ranges  along  the  Pacific 
coast  from  near  San  Francisco  to  central  Sinaloa,  Mexico,  and  east 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  the  Great  Plains  and  the  Tableland  of 
Mexico. 

3.  S.  cunicidarius  group  comprising  the  subspecies  of  cunicularius 
and  S.  graysoni.  The  cunicularius  group  occupies  the  mountains  and 
plains  about  the  southern  end  of  the  Mexican  Tableland,  and  thence 
south  and  west  to  the  Pacific  coast,  and  from  southern  Sinaloa  to 
northwestern  Oaxaca. 

4.  S.  bachmani  group,  containing  S.  bachmani  and  subspecies  and 
the  closely  related  S.  mansuetus.  It  is  peculiar  to  a  narrow  belt  on 
the  Pacific  coast  from  Oregon  to  the  southern  end  of  the  Peninsula 
of  Lower  California.  It  does  not  occur  at  any  point  in  the  Desert 
Plateau  area,  although  its  range  extends  to  the  western  slopes  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada. 

Subgenus  TAPETI  Gray. 
THE  SWAMP  AND  WOOD  RABBITS. 

Hydrolagus  Gray,  Ann.  &  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  ser.  3,  XX,  p.  221,  1867.  Type, 
Sylrilagus  aquaticus  (Bachman).  Antedated  by  Hydrolagus  Gill,  1862,  a 
genus  of  fishes. 

Tapeti  Gray,  Ann.  &  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  ser.  3,  XX,  p.  224,  1867.  Type,  Sylvi- 
lagiis bra silicnsis   (Linn.). 

Limnolagus  Mearns,  Science,  n.  s.,  V,  p.  393,  March  5,  1897.  A  new  name  for 
Hydrolagus  Gray,  preoccupied. 

Geographic  distribution. — Southeastern  United  States;  also  from 
eastern  Mexico  to  northern  Patagonia. 

Subgeneric  characters. — Externally  the  members  of  this  group  are 
distinguished  b}^  their  coarse,  harsh  (and  usually  rather  thin)  pelage; 
proportionately  small,  thinly  haired  ears;  small,  short-haired  hind 
feet,  and  small,  sometimes  almost  obsolete,  tail.  Skull  usually  more 
heavily  ossified  than  in  true  SylvUagus;  rather  narrow;  braincase 
depressed ;  zygomatic  arch  comparatively  broad  and  heavy,  widest  in 
the  middle,  and  of  about  equal  breadth  on  anterior  and  posterior 
thirds;  anterior  foot-like  process  of  zygomatic  arch  broadly  expanded 
and  sharply  edged ;  supraorbital  broadly  attached  to  frontals  and  on 
practically  same  plane ;  anterior  notch  of  supraorbitals  nearly  or  quite 
obsolete,  and  postorbital  process  comparatively  short  and  sometimes 
completely  fused  to  skull  along  entire  length,  or  short  and  separated 
from  skull  by  a  narrow  notch,  or  narrowly  strap-shaped  and  touching 
skull  at  posterior  end,  thus  inclosing  a  narrow  foramen ;  bullae  small 
and  compactly  rounded.     (See  PL  XII.) 

The  most  salient  skull  characters,  compared  with  Sylvilagus,  are 
the  depressed  and  comparatively  narrow  braincase;  decurved  rostrum ; 


1909.]  SUBGENUS   TAPETI.  45 

flattened  and  broadly  attached  supraorbital;  and  heavy  zygomatic 
arch  with  broadly  expanded  sharp-edged  anterior  process. 

Remarks. — In  1901  Thomas  definitely  fixed  the  names  Lepus  brasil- 
iensis  Linn,  and  L.  tapeti  Pallas  on  the  small  rabbit  living  near  Rio 
Janeiro,  Brazil.0  He  described  Sylvilagus  brasiliensis  as  a  very  small 
species,  giving  the  basilar  length  of  an  adult  skull  from  Rio  as  47  mm., 
and  stating  that  in  this  specimen  the  postorbital  process  is  firmly 
welded  to  the  skull  postorbitalty.  Gray  based  his  Tapeti  on  Lepus 
brasiliensis,  and  characterized  it  as  follows :  "  Skull  like  Lepus,  but 
the  hinder  supraorbital  notch  narrow,  the  lobes  short,  with  a  sharp 
inner  edge ;  the  front  of  the  lower  edge  of  the  zygoma  dilated,  sharp- 
edged,  porous  above ;  hinder  nasal  opening  rather  narrow.  Tail  none. 
Ears  short."  As  shown  by  the  accompanying  photograph  (see  PL 
XII,  figs.  1,  4)  the  skull  characters  given  by  Gray  apply  accurately  to 
a  specimen  in  the  U.  S.  National  Museum  (No.  113432)  from  Cha- 
pada,  Matto  Grosso,  central  southern  Brazil.  This  no  doubt  repre- 
sents Sylvilagus  minensis  Thomas,  a  close  relative  of  S.  brasiliensis, 
which  may  be  taken  as  typical  of  the  subgenus.  Another  skull  from 
the  same  locality  has  a  narrow  strap-shaped  postorbital  which  touches 
the  skull  at  the  posterior  end  and  incloses  a  narrow  foramen.  This 
character  varies  considerably  also  in  other  species  of  this  group  in 
North  and  South  America,  but  the  supraorbital  in  Tapeti  is  broadly 
attached  to  the  skull,  the  anterior  notch  much  reduced  or  absent,  and 
the  posterior  process  and  notch  usually  proportionately  short.  The 
external  tail  is  nearly  obsolete  in  some  South  American  species,  and 
is  proportionately  small  in  all  members  of  the  subgenus.  The  strik- 
ing general  similarity  in  form  of  skull,  in  size  of  feet,  ears,  and  tail, 
and  in  the  character  of  the  coarse,  harsh  pelage,  of  the  half  dozen 
species  of  rabbits  examined  from  widely  separated  countries  of  South 
America,  the  gabbi  group  of  Central  America,  and  the  swamp  rabbits 
of  the  United  States,  is  so  marked  that  it  is  evident  they  form  a  closely 
related  group.  The  swamp  rabbit  differs  from  the  rest  of  the  group 
in  having  the  posterior  process  of  the  supraorbital  more  closely  united 
to  the  skull  along  its  inner  border,  and  in  much  heavier  claws,  but 
in  view  of  the  strong  resemblances  in  other  respects  these  differences 
appear  to  be  insufficient  to  warrant  distinguishing  the  animals  sub- 
generically  from  Tapeti,  with  which  obviously  they  are  closely  allied. 
Most  of  the  South  American  species  I  have  had  the  opportunity  to 
examine  belong  to  this  group. 

Tapeti  is  the  only  American  subgenus  not  represented  within  the 
borders  of  the  Desert  Plateau  area.  The  Mexican  and  Central  Amer- 
ican representatives  of  the  gabbi  group  inhabit  dense  forest  under- 
growth, and  in  this  respect  their  habits  resemble  those  of  their 
forest-loving  relatives,  the  swamp  rabbits.     The  range  of  the  latter 

"Ann.  and  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  VIII,  p.  535,  1901. 


46  NOKTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

in  the  southeastern  United  States  is  separated  from  the  northern 
limit  of  JS.  gabbi  truei,  in  east  Mexico,  by  the  arid  treeless  area  which 
occupies  the  coastal  region  of  southern  Texas  and  Tamaulipas.  This 
group  (Tapeti)  probably  originated  far  to  the  south,  and  ancestors 
of  the  swamp  rabbits  of  the  United  States,  after  pushing  northward 
along  the  coastal  belt,  were  isolated  from  the  main  body  of  the  group 
by  a  change  of  climatic  conditions  which  brought  about  the  present 
gap  in  its  range.  The  skull  of  a  Mississippi  specimen  of  aquaticus 
has  the  postorbital  process  separated  from  the  frontals  by  a  narrow 
notch,  just  as  in  the  skull  of  S.  minensis  figured  on  Plate  XII. 

Genus  BEACHYLAGTJS  Miller. 

IDAHO  PYGMY  RABBIT. 

Brachylagus  Miller,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XIII,  p.  157,  June  13,  1900. 
Type,  Brachylagus  idahoensis  (Merriam).     Monotypic. 

Geographic  distribution. — Southern  Idaho  to  central  Nevada  and 
west  to  northeastern  California  and  southeastern  corner  of  Oregon. 

Generic  characters. — Size  small,  smallest  of  American  rabbits; 
ears  short,  broad,  and  rounded;  tail  very  small,  short-haired;  two 
annual  molts  with  differently  colored  pelages.  Skull  lightly  ossified, 
short  and  very  broad  posteriorly;  posterior  prism  of  second  lower 
premolar  and  of  first  and  second  lower  molars  about  half  as  large  as 
anterior  prisms ;  bullae  proportionately  extremely  large ;  rostrum  very 
small,  short,  and  pointed;  nasals  short  and  broad;  bony  palate  very 
narrow ;  supraorbitals  attached  to  frontals  by  a  narrow  base ;  anterior 
and  posterior  processes  of  supraorbitals  narrow,  slender,  and  rodlike ; 
tips  usually  free  and  truncated,  giving  ends  of  processes  a  curiously 
angular  appearance;  in  old  individuals  the  processes  extend  front 
and  back  until  their  tips  join  the  skull,  thus  inclosing  long  slit-like 
and  well-defined  anterior  and  posterior  foramina  of  nearly  equal 
length;  interparietal  distinct;  radius  and  ulna,  ribs,  and  cervical 
vertebrae  as  in  Sylvilagus.     (See  PL  XII,  figs.  4,  5,  6.) 

Remarks. — The  wide  braincase  with  disproportionately  large  bullae 
and  small,  short,  and  tapering  rostrum  produces  a  curious  superficial 
resemblance  between  the  skulls  of  idahoensis  and  those  of  very  young 
black-tailed  jack  rabbits.  The  single  species  of  this  well-marked 
genus  is  peculiar  to  the  sagebrush  plains  of  the  Great  Basin  at  the 
northern  end  of  the  Desert  Plateau. 

Genus  ROMEROLAGUS  Merriam. 

POPOCATEPETL  RABBIT. 

Bomerolagus  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.   Soc.  Washington,  X,  p.  173,  December  29, 
1S96.     Type  Romerolagus  nelsoni  Merriam.     Monotypic. 

Geographic  distribution. — Volcanoes  of  Popocatepetl  and  Iztacci- 
huatl  on  slopes  facing  the  Valley  of  Mexico. 


1909.] 


LIST    OF    SPECIES   AND    TYPE    LOCALITIES. 


47 


Generic  characters. — Size  small,  smallest  of  American  rabbits  ex- 
cept Brachylagus;  ears  short  and  round ;  feet  short ;  external  tail 
absent ;  form  of  body  and  general  appearance,  including  pelage, 
much  like  a  giant  tailless  Microtus.  Clavicle  complete,  articulating 
with  sternum ;  skull  much  like  that  of  Sylvilagus  and  heavily  ossified ; 
bony  palate  very  long ;  zygomatic  arch  very  heavy,  with  posterior  end 
of  jugal  much  extended  (nearly  as  in  Ochotona)  ;  anterior  groove  in 
upper  incisors  very  strong  and  deep;  interorbital  breadth  narrow; 
supraorbitals  broadly  attached  to  frontals,  much  reduced,  and  with- 
out anterior  notch ;  postorbital  process  very  short  and  divergent,  in- 
closing a  shallow  notch;  interparietal  distinct;  caudal  vertebrae  nine, 
much  reduced  in  size.  Ulna  and  radius,  ribs,  and  cervical  vertebra? 
as  in  Sylvilagus.     One  annual  molt  ( ?).     (See  PL  XIII,  figs  1,  2,  3.) 

Remarks. — The  only  known  species  of  this  genus  is  an  extraor- 
dinary little  animal  with  no  known  near  relative,  the  most  aberrant 
member  of  the  American  Leporidse.  In  habits,  color,  and  form  it 
resembles  a  giant  field  mouse  (Microtus),  and  in  distribution  is  the 
most  restricted  of  all  American  rabbits,  being  limited  to  a  small  area 
about  10  miles  long,  high  up  on  the  slopes  of  the  two  great  volcanoes 
on  the  southeastern  border  of  the  Valley  of  Mexico. 

List  of  species  of  North  American  hares  and  rabbits,  icith  type  localities. 


Num- 
ber of 
speci- 
mens 
exam- 
ined. 


Type  locality. 


16 
18 
11 
32 
13 
10 
132 

45 
11 
90 

69 

146 

66 
1 
345 
]2 
15 
57 
10 


50 

6 
28 
124 

35 
74 
29 


Lepus  arcticus  Ross 

bangsi  Rhoads 

canus  Preble 

grcenlandicus  Rhoads 

othns  Merriam. . .'. 

poadromus  Merriam 

campestris  Bachman 

tovnsendi  (Bachman). 

sierrse  Merriam 

americanus  Erxleben 

struthopus  Bangs 

virginianus  (Harlan)  . 

phseonotus  Allen 

bishopi  (Allen) 

macfarlani  Merriam.. 

dalli  Merriam 

columbiensis  Rhoads  . 

washingtoni  Baird 

klamathensis   (Mer 
riam). 

bairdi  Hayden 

cascadensis  Nelson 

alleni  Mearns 

palitans  Bangs 

gaillardi  Mearns 

battyi  Allen 

callotis  Wagler 

altamirse(  Nelson) 

flavigularis  (Wagner) 

californicus  Gray 

wallawalla  (Merriam) 
richardsoni  Bachman 
bennetti  (Gray) 


Northern  Baffin  Land,  Arctic  America. 

Codroy,  Newfoundland. 

Hubbart  Point,  Hudson  Bay,  Keewatin, Canada. 

Robertsons  Bay,  northwestern  Greenland. 

St.  Michael,  Alaska. 

Stepovak  Bay,  Alaska  Peninsula. 

Plains  of  the  Saskatchewan,  near  Carlton 
House,  Saskatchewan. 

Old  Fort  Wallawalla,  Washington. 

Hope  Valley,  Alpine  County,  California. 

Fort  Severn,  southwestern  coast  Hudson  Bay, 
Canada. 

Digby,  Nova  Scotia. 

Blue  Mountains,  near  Harrisburg,  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

Hallock,  Minnesota. 

Turtle  Mountains,  North  Dakota. 

Fort  Anderson,  Mackenzie,  Canada. 

Nulato,  Alaska. 

Vernon,  British  Columbia. 

Fort  Steilacoom,  Washington. 

Fort  Klamath,  Oregon. 

Wind  River  Mountains,  Wyoming. 

Near  Hope,  British  Columbia. 

Rillito  Station,  Arizona. 

Agua  Caliente,  Sinaloa,  Mexico. 

Play  as  Valley,  southwestern  New  Mexico. 

Northwestern  Durango,  Mexico. 

Southern  end  Mexican  Tableland. 

Alta  Mira,  Tamaulipas,  Mexico. 

Near  Tehuantepec  City,  Oaxaca,  Mexico. 

St.  Antoine  (near  Jolo'n),  California. 

Touchet,  Washington. 

Near  Jolon,  California. 

San  Diego,  California. 


48  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

List  of  species  of  North  American  hares  and  rabbits,  with  type  localities — Cont'd. 


Num- 

ber of 

speci- 
mens 

Name. 

Type  locality. 

exam- 

ined. 

134 

Lepus  californicus  deserticola  (Mearns) 

West  edge  Colorado  Desert,  California. 

32 

eremicus  (Allen ) 

texianus  (Waterhouse) . . 

Fairbanks,  Arizona. 

186 

Western  Texas. 

89 

melanotis  ( Mearns) 

Oklahoma,  near  Independence,  Kansas. 

124 

merriami  (Mearns) 

asellus  (Miller) 

Fort  Clark,  Texas. 

26 
9 

San  Luis  Potosi,  Mexico. 

festinus  (Nelson) 

Irolo,  Hidalgo,  Mexico. 

45 

martirensis  (Stowell)  ... 

San  Pedro  Martir  Mountains,  Lower  Califor- 
nia, Mexico. 

7 

magdalenee  Nelson 

Magdalena  Island,  Lower  California,  Mexico. 

27 

Santa  Anita,  Lower  California,  Mexico. 

19 

Espiritu  Santo  Island,  Lower  California,  Mex- 

58 

ico. 
Near  Micco,  Florida. 

152 

mallurus  (Thomas)  .. 

Raleigh,  North  Carolina. 

162 

mearnsi  (Allen ) 

Fort  Snelling,  Minnesota. 

26 

similis  Nelson 

Valentine,  Nebraska. 

126 

alacer  (Bangs) 

Still  well,  Oklahoma. 

127 

chapmani  (Allen} 

Corpus  Christi,  Texas. 

56 

holzneri  ( Mearns) 

Huachuca  Mountains,  Arizona. 

30 

subcinetus  ( Miller) . . . 

Negrete,  Michoacan,  Mexico. 

53 

restrictus  Nelson 

Zapotlan,  Jalisco,  Mexico. 

49 

orizabse  (Merriam)... 

Mount  Orizaba,  Puebla,  Mexico. 

47 

connectens  (Nelson) . 

Ohichicaxtle,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico. 

21 

russatus  (Allen) 

Pasa  Nueva,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico. 

42 

aztecus  ( Allen ) 

Tehuantepec  City,  Oaxaca,  Mexico. 

28 

chiapensis  (Nelson).. 

San  Cristobal,  Chiapas,  Mexico. 

15 

yucatanicus  (Miller). 

Merida,  Yucatan,  Mexico. 

g 

Manzano  Mountains,  New  Mexico. 

5 

Davis  Mountains,  Texas. 

83 

transitionalis  (Bangs) 

Liberty  Hill,  Connecticut. 

68 

nuttalli  ( Bachman) 

Eastern  Oregon. 

120 

grangeri  (Allen) 

Hill  City,  South  Dakota. 

111 

pinetis  (Allen) 

White  Mountains,  Arizona. 

29 

auduboni  (Baird) 

San  Francisco,  California. 

77 

San  Emigdio,  Kern  County,  California. 

91 

sanctidiegi  (Miller)... 

Mexican  boundary,  near  San  Diego,  California. 

30 

confinis  ( Allen) 

Playa  Maria  Bay,  Lower  California,  Mexico. 

163 

arizonae  (Allen) 

Beal  Spring,  near  Kingman,  Arizona. 

21 

goldmani  (Nelson) 

Sinaloa,  Sinaloa,  Mexico. 

147 

minor  (Mearns) 

cedrophilus  Nelson . . . 

El  Paso,  Texas. 

85 

Cactus  Flat,  near  Cliff,  New  Mexico. 

93 

warreni  Nelson 

Coventry,  Colorado. 

197 

baileyi  (Merriam) 

Eastern  side  Big  Horn  Basin,  Wyoming. 

85 

neomexicanus  Nelson 

Fort  Sumner,  New  Mexico. 

122 

parvulus  (Allen) 

Apam,  Hidalgo,  Mexico. 

104 

cunicularius  (Waterhouse) 

Sacualpam,  Mexico. 

19 

pacificus  (Nelson) . 

Aeapulco,  Guerrero,  Mexico. 

60 

insolitus  (Allen) . . . 

Plains  of  Colima,  Colima,  Mexico. 

21 

graysoni  (Allen) 

Tres  Marias  Islands,  western  Mexico. 

35 

Between  Monterey  and  Santa  Barbara,  Cali- 
fornia. 

91 

ubericolor  (Miller)... 

Beaverton,  Oregon. 

96 

cinerascens  (Allen) .. 

San  Fernando,  California. 

40 

exiguus  Nelson 

Yubay,  central  Lower  California,  Mexico. 

6 

peninsularis  (Allen)  . 

Santa  Anita,  Lower  California,  Mexico. 

4 

cerrosensis  (Allen) . . . 

Cerros  Island,  Lower  California,  Mexico. 

1 

mansuetus  Nelson 

San  Jose  Island,  Gulf  of  California,  Mexico. 

20 

gabbi  (Allen) 

Talamanca,  Costa  Rica. 

1 

ineitatus  ( Bangs) 

San  Miguel  Island,  Panama. 
Mirador,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico. 

15 

truei  (Allen) 

2 

insonus  (Nelson) 

Omilteme,  Guerrero,  Mexico. 

54 

palustris  ( Bachman ) 

Coast  of  South  Carolina. 

63 

paludicola  (Miller  and 
Bangs), 
aquaticus  (Bachman) 

Fort  Island,  near  Crystal  River,  Florida. 

68 

Western  Alabama. 

36 

littoralis  subsp.  nov. . . 

Houma,  Louisiana. 

44 

Brachvlagus  idahoensis  (Merriam) 

Pahsimeroi  Valley,  Idaho. 

6 

Romerolagus  nelsoni  Merriam 

Mount  Popocatepetl,  Mexico. 

KEY  TO  SPECIES  AND  SUBSPECIES  OF  NORTH  AMERICAN  HARES 

AND  RABBITS. 

Genus  LEPUS. 

Subgenus  LEPUS. 

THE   ARCTIC   HARES,    VARYING   HARES,    SNOWSHOE   RABBITS,    AND 
WHITE-TAILED  JACK  RABBITS. 

Ears  short  arid  broad ;  length  from  notch  in  dried  skin  averaging  from  62  to 
81  mm. ;  pelage  long  and  thick. 
Size    larger,    total    length    averaging    more    than    5S0    mm. ;    ears    from 
notch  75  to  SI  mm. ;   tail  long,   white  at  all   seasons ;    underfur  in 
winter  white  (the  Arctic  hares). 
Pelage  white  throughout  the  year. 

Claws  very  long  and  heavy ;  incisors  long  and  projecting  forward 

(Ellesmere  Land  and  Greenland) grcenlandicus  (p.  67) 

Claws  not  long  and  heavy ;  incisors  shorter  and  strongly  decurved 

(northern  Baffin  Land) arcticus   (p.  61) 

Pelage  gray  or  brown  in  summer. 

Upperparts  in  summer  iron  gray. 

Upperparts  pale  iron  gray ;  a  little  more  dusky  on  sides  and 
rump   than   on  back    (Barren    Grounds   W.   of   Hudson 

Bay) canus   (p.  65) 

Upperparts  dark  iron   gray ;   distinctly  more  dusky  on  sides 
and  rump  than  on  back. 
Head    lighter    buffy    gray ;    ears   with    much    more    gray 
and    white;    bullae    larger     (Baffin    Land    and    N. 

Ungava) arcticus    (p.   61) 

Head  darker  buffy  gray ;  ears  mainly  black ;  bulla? 
smaller  (Newfoundland  and  coast  of  Labra- 
dor)  bangsi  (p.  64) 

Upperparts  in  summer  dusky  brown. 

Upperparts  blackish  brown;    skull   and  feet   very   large    (W. 

coast  of  N.  Alaska) othns   (p.  69) 

Upperparts  cinnamon  brown;   skull  nearly  as  in  othus;  feet 

much  smaller  (Peninsula  of  Alaska) poadromus  (p.  71) 

Size  smaller,  total  length  averaging  less  than  520  mm. ;   ears  from  notch 
62  to  70  mm. ;  tail  short,  buffy  brown  or  dusky  in  summer ;  underfur 
in  winter   strongly   tipped  with  zone  of  buffy    (varying  hares  and 
snowshoe  rabbits). 
Tops  of  hind  feet  in  brown  pelage  similar  to  sides  of  body,  or  a  little 
brighter,  sometimes  mixed  with  white. 
Total  length  averaging  less  than  450  mm. ;  in  brown  pelage  under- 
side of  hind  toes  white  or  whitish,  contrasting  with  dusky 
sole. 
Upperparts  dusky  yellowish  brown ;  contrast  between  under- 
side of  toes  and  sole  not  very  strong  but  distinct  (inte- 
rior of  British  Columbia) columbiaisis   (p.  102) 

S5595— No.  29—09 4  49 


50  NOETH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

Upperparts  more  of  a  dusky  reddish  brown  shade. 

Upperparts  throughout  the  year  dusky  russet  brown;  con- 
trast between  white  toes  and  dusky  sole  strong 
(coast  of  Washington  and  British  Columbia). 

washingtoni  (p.  105) 

"Upperparts  in  summer  dusky  fawn  color,  in  winter  white; 

contrast  between  whitish  toes  and  dusky  sole  not 

striking    but    distinct    (mountains    of    Oregon    and 

northeastern  California) klamathensis  (p.  107) 

Total  length  averaging  more  than  450  mm. ;  in  brown  pelage  under- 
side of  toes  like  soles. 
Total  length  averaging  more  than  500  mm. ;  color  in  summer 
bright   rusty  brown;    tops  of  hind   feet  brighter   rusty 

than  body  (Virginia  to  Maine) virginianus  (p.  92) 

Total  length  averaging  less  than  500  mm. ;  color  in  summer 
duller  and  less  rusty ;  tops  of  hind  feet  dull  buffy  or 
dull  rusty  mixed  with  some  whitish. 
Upperparts  in  summer  dusky  gray. 

Tops  of  hind  feet  mixed  rusty  ochraceous  and  white; 
skull  very  short  and  broad  (Turtle  Mountains, 

North  Dakota) bishopi   (p.  97) 

Tops  of  hind  feet  mixed  dull  buffy  brown  and  whitish ; 
skull  long  and  narrow  (some  specimens  from 
Nova  Scotia,  Magdalen  Islands,  and  Newfound- 
land)  struthopus  (p.  90) 

Upperparts  in  summer  dull  rusty  brownish  or  rather  pale 
dingy  rusty  or  dingy  yellowish  buffy. 
Upperparts  in  summer  dark  rusty  brownish   (eastern 
Maine,  New  Brunswick,  and  Nova  Scotia ) . 

strutliopus    (p.  90) 

Upperparts  in  summer  light  rusty  brownish   or  pale 

dingy  yellowish  buffy    (Wisconsin  to   southern 

border  of  Manitoba) phceonotus   (p.  95) 

Tops  of  hind  feet  in  summer  pelage  white. 

Upperparts  in  summer  dingy  yellowish  buffy    (Lower  Yukon  re- 
gion,  Alaska) dalU    (p.   100) 

Upperparts  in  summer  dusky  gray,  dusky,  or  dusky  reddish. 

Upperparts  dusky  gray  or  dusky  yellowish  gray ;  head  paler, 
more  buffy  than  body ;  rump  about  like  back. 
Size    smaller ;    skull    light    and    slender,    basilar    length 
averaging    about    59    mm.     (south    Mackenzie    and 
Keewatin  to  north  shore  Lake  Superior). 

amrrieanus  (p.  S7) 
Size  larger ;  skull  large  and  heavy,  basilar  length  averaging 
about  63  mm.    (Alaska  from  Lake  Clark  east,  and 
Canada  from  middle  Mackenzie  north). 

niacfarlani  (p.  98) 

Upperparts    dusky    or    dusky    reddish ;    head    distinctly    more 

fulvous  than  body ;  rump  more  blackish. 

Upperparts   dusky    grizzled   with   dingy   gray ;    rump  and 

upperside  of  tail  blackish    (Rocky  Mountains  from 

Montana  to  New  Mexico) bairdi  (p.  100) 


1909.]  KEY  TO   SPECIES  AND   SUBSPECIES.  51 

Upperparts  dusky  reddish. 

Upperparts  a  lighter  shade  of  dull  or  dusky  reddish; 
ciuuauion  of  head  lighter;  black  on  rump  and 
top   of   tail  not   so   heavy    (Rocky   Mountains, 

Montana  to  New  Mexico) bairdi  (p.  109) 

Upperparts  darker  dusky  reddish ;  cinnamon  of  head 
darker ;  black  on  rump  and  top  of  tail  much 
heavier  (Cascade  Mountains  of  British  Colum- 
bia and  Oregon) cascadensis  (p.  112) 

Ears  long  and  comparatively  narrow,  length  from  notch  in  dried  skin  averag- 
ing from  95  to  144  mm. 
Tail  always  white,   or  white  with  a  narrow  dusky  line  along  middle  of 
upper  side,  but  not  extending  up  on  rump ;  winter  pelage  white  or 
much  paler  than  summer  (white-tailed  jack  rabbits). 
Summer  pelage  yellowish  gray;   tail  pure  white    (east  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  Saskatchewan  to  Kansas  and  Colorado). 

rampestris  (p.  74) 
Summer  pelage  dark  gray ;  tail  white,  usually  more  or  less  dusky  along 
middle  of  upper  side. 
Smaller;  hind  foot  averaging  less  than  150  mm.    (Washington  to 

SW.  Colorado) toicnsendi    (p.  78) 

Larger ;  hind  foot  averaging  more  than  150  mm.   ( Sierra  Nevada, 
California) sicrrcc    (p.   82) 

Subgenus  MACROTOLAGUS. 

THE  BLACK-TAILED  JACK  RABBITS. 

Tail  never  entirely  white;  always  with  a  distinct  black  line  along  top  and  on 
median  line  of  rump;  winter  pelage  similar  to  that  of  summer   (black- 
tailed  jack  rabbits). 
Flanks  white  or  pale  gray,  similar  to  abdomen  and  sharply  contrasted  with 
back ;  ears  without  trace  of  black  patch  at  tip. 
Nape  more  or  less  black. 

Nape  with  black  not  divided  (south  central  Mexico). 

callotis  (p.  122) 
Nape  with  black  divided  into  two  lateral  stripes  by  median  stripe 
of  buff. 
Back  ochraceous  buff  (south  coast  Oaxaca  and  Chiapas). 

flavigularis  (p.  125) 
Back  more  grayish,  cream  buff  (southern  Tamaulipas). 

aUamirce  (p.  124) 
Nape  gray  or  grayish  buff. 

Size  very  large,  ear  enormous,  tail  very  small,  sides  of  body  and 
rump  iron  gray. 
Back  dull  cream  buff  (S.  Arizona  and  N.  Sonora). 

aUrni   (p.  117) 
Back  rich  cream  or  pinkish  buff  (S.  Sonora  and  Sinaloa). 

palitans  (p.  118) 
Size  small,  ears  and  tail  medium,  flanks  white,  rump  iron  gray. 
Size  larger  (over  500  mm.)  ;  back  buffy  fawn  color  (SW.  New 

Mexico  and  W.  Chihuahua) gaiUardi  (p.  120) 

Size  smaller    (under  500  mm.)  ;   back  and  head  paler    (NW. 
Durango) battyi   (p.  121) 


52  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  20. 

Flanks  similar  to  back,  or  slightly  paler;  ears  with  distinct  black  patch 
at  tip. 
Nape  with  more  or  less  black. 

Back    black    or    blackish     (Espiritn    Santo    Island,    Lower    Cali- 
fornia)  insularis   (p.  150) 

Back  dark  gray  or  dark  buffy  gray. 

Ears   smaller,   averaging  from  notch  less  than  115  mm.    (S. 

Texas  and  NE.  Mexico) merriami   (p.  148) 

Ears  larger,  averaging  from  notch  more  than  115  mm.     (San 

Luis  Potosi,  etc.) asellus  (p.  150) 

Nape  gray,  dull  buffy,  or  buffy  brown. 

Rump  and  adjoining  parts  of  hind  legs  gray,  forming  distinctly 
paler  rump  patch  contrasting  with  back  and  sides. 
Back  and   sides  pale  grayish    (Chihuahua   and  Texas  north 

to  western  Colorado) texianus  (p.  142) 

Back  and  sides  dark,  buffy  brown  or  ochraceous  buffy. 

Back   and   sides  bright   ochraceous   buffy    (Great   Plains, 

NW.  Texas  to  Nebraska) mclanotis  (p.  140) 

Back  and  sides  dark  buffy  brown,  or  grayish  buffy  brown. 
Back  and  sides  dark  buffy  brown ;  nape  dark  brown- 
ish   buffy;    size   larger;    ears   short,    averaging 
less   than    112   mm.    from   notch    (Gulf   coast, 

Texas merriami  (p.  148) 

Back  and  sides  dull  grayish  buffy  brown ;  nape  gray- 
ish buffy;  size  smaller;  ears  long,  averaging 
129  mm.  from  notch  (S.  end  Mexican  Table- 
land)  festinus   (p.  151) 

Bump  and  adjoining  parts  of  hind  legs  similar  to  back  and  sides, 
no  rump  patch. 
Upperparts  dark,  varying  from  buffy  brown  to  dull  buffy. 
Head  and  ears  colored  like  body. 

Size  larger,  upperparts  rich  fulvous  brown  (coast 
region     middle     California,     Sacramento     Val- 

ley) calif  amicus    (p.  129) 

Size  smaller,  upperparts  duller,  more  grayish  fulvous 
brown    (coast   region    southern   California   and 

NW.  Lower  California) bennctti  (p.  130) 

Head  and  ears  grayer  than  body. 

Ears  longer,  averaging  from  notch  110  mm. : 
darker  gray  (Cape  Region.  Lower  Cali- 
fornia)  xanti  (p.  155) 

Ears  shorter,  averaging  from  notch  99  mm. ;  paler 
gray      (Margarita      and      Magdalena      Islands. 

Lower  California) magdalenw  (p.  154) 

Upperparts  pale,  varying  from  gray  to  pale  yellowish  buff  or 
pale  dull  grayish  buff. 
Upperparts  buffy  or  dull  grayish  buff. 

Upperparts     pale    yellowish    or     sandy    buffy     (San 
Joaquin  Valley,  California )-rich a rdsoni  (p.  133) 
Upperparts  dull  grayish,  slightly  pinkish  buffy  ( south- 
ern Arizona  and  N.  Sonora) eremicus  (p.  140) 


1909.]  KEY   TO   SPECIES   AND   SUBSPECIES.  53 

Upperparts  gray  or  with  bufliness  when  present  reduced  to  a 
slight  tinge. 
Head  and   ears   grayer  than   body    (central    Lower   Cali- 
fornia)  martirensis  (p.  152) 

Head  and  ears  similar  to  body. 

Upperparts    paler,    dull    ashy    gray    or    pale    slightly 
huffy    gray     (Colorado    Desert    and    north    to 

Utah) deserticola    (p.  137) 

Upperparts  darker,  slightly  pinkish  dark  iron  gray  (NE. 
California  to  Washington) .wallawalla   (p.  132) 

Genus  SYLVILAGUS. 

THE  COTTONTAILS,   BRUSH,   SWAMP,  AND  WOOD   RABBITS. 

Tail  comparatively  large  and  loosely  Haired,  with  underside  always  conspicu- 
ously cottony  white;  feet  well  haired  (the  cottontails). 
Size  large,   largest  of  the  cottontails,   nearly  equaling  the   jack   rabbits; 
length  averaging  480  to  511  mm. ;  pelage  coarse  and  harsh   ( south- 
ern and  western  Mexico). 
Upperparts   brownish   gray;    hind   legs  and   side   of  hind   feet   rusty 
brownish ;  tops  of  hind  feet  rusty  or  dull  buffy. 
Larger    (average  length  511  mm.)  ;  ears  longer   (averaging  from 
notch  74.4  mm.)   (S.  end  Mexican  Tableland). 

cunicularius  (p.  239) 
Smaller  (average  length  4S9  mm.)  ;  ears  shorter  (averaging  from 
notch  70.7  mm.)    (coast  of  Guerrero,  Mexico). 

paciflcus   (p.  242) 

Upperparts  deep  buffy  brownish  or  reddish  brown;  sides  of  hind  legs 

and  feet  bright  rusty  reddish;  tops  of  hind  feet  clear  white  or 

whitish,  in  sharp  contrast. 

Larger    (average  500  mm.)  ;    ears  longer    (averaging  from  notch 

70.4  mm.)    (coast  of  Michoacan  to  Sinaloa,  Mexico). 

insolitus  (p.  243) 
Smaller  (average  length  4S0  mm.)  ;  ears  shorter  (averaging  from 
notch  57  mm.)    (Tres  Marias  I.,  W.  Mexico). 

graysoni  (p.  244) 
Size  medium  or  small;  total  length  averaging  from  about  350  to  463  mm. 
Bulhe  proportionately  small  with  surface  smoothly  rounded  or  polished ; 
ears  usually  comparatively  short. 
Rostrum    proportionately    heavy,    broad    and    strongly    angled    on 
upper  half  of  base,  usually  broad  and  flattened,  or  decurved, 
near  tip;  except  iu  transitionalis,  supraorbitals  broad  and 
heavy  and  usually  ankylosed  to  skull  at  posterior  end. 
Supraorbitals    very    small,    posterior    process    short,    tapering 
posteriorly  to  a  slender  point,  free  from  or  barely  touch- 
ing skull  and  anteriorly  narrowing  until  anterior  proc- 
ess  and   notch   usually   entirely   absent   or   obsolescent 
(Brasstown  Bald  Mt,  N.  Georgia,  to  SW.  Maine). 

transitionalis  (p.  195) 
Supraorbitals  broadly  developed;  posterior  process  usually 
broadly  strap-shaped  and  coalescing  with  skull  poste- 
riorly and  sometimes  along  entire  length ;  anterior  proc- 
ess broad  and  commonly  extended  to  nearly  close  ante- 
rior notch  with  squared  tip. 


54  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [NO.  29. 

Upperparts  of  body  strongly  grayish,  varying  from  light 

to  dark ;  always  with  a  tinge  of  buffy,  but  general 

effect  gray. 

Upperparts  of  body  pale  buffy  grayish ;  tops  of  hind 

feet  whitish,  with  sides  of  hind  feet  and  back 

of  hind  legs  pale  rusty,  strongest  on  legs. 

Small,    total    length    averaging    about   408    mm. ; 

ears  short,  averaging  from  notch  about  50 

mm.   (Great  Plains  from  SW.  Minnesota  to 

near  Denver,  Colorado) similis    (p.  172) 

Large,    total   length   averaging   from   425   to   451 

mm. ;  ears  long,  averaging  from  notch  about 

62  to  68  mm. 

Smaller,    total    length    averaging    about    425 

mm. ;    ear    from   notch    about   62    mm. 

(mountains  S.Arizona  and  W.  Mexico). 

hoisneri  (p.  178) 

Larger,  total  length  averaging  more  than  450 

mm. ;  ears  from  notch  about  67  mm. 

Bullae     larger,     averaging     in     diameter 

about    12    mm.     (mountains    SW. 

Texas) rohustus    (p.   194) 

Bulla?  smaller,  averaging  in  diameter 
about  10.7  mm.  (mountains  central 

New  Mexico) cognatus   (p.  191) 

Upperparts  of  body  dark  grayish  with  a  slight  tinge 

of  buffy ;  tops  of  hind  feet  whitish  or  pale  rusty 

with  sides  of  feet  deep  rusty  or  reddish  brown 

and  back  of  hind  legs  chestnut  or  dark  rusty. 

Back  of  hind   legs   dark   chestnut ;    ear   shorter, 

averaging  from  notch  about  49  mm. ;  bulla? 

smaller  (S.  Texas  and  NE.  Mexico). 

chcipmani  (p.  176) 

Back  of  hind  legs  brighter,  more  rusty  rufous; 

ears  longer,  averaging  from  notch  57  to  59 

mm. ;  bulla?  larger. 

Size  smaller,  total  length  averaging  375  mm. ; 

darker    gray     (mountains  and    valleys 

S.  end  Mexican  Tableland). 

orizabce  (p.  183) 
Size  larger,  total  length  averaging  from  400 
to  422  mm. ;  paler  gray. 
Smaller,  total  length  averaging  400  mm. ; 
bulla?   larger;    upperparts  of  body 
grayer   and   legs     and    feet    paler 
(plains  SE.  border  Mexican  Table- 
land)  subcinctus   (p.  180) 

Larger,  total  length  averaging  422  nun. : 
bulla?  smaller;  upperparts  of  body, 
hind  legs,  and  feet  darker  and  more 
rusty  rufous rest  rictus  (p.  181) 


1900.  J  KEY   TO    SPECIES   AND    SUBSPECIES.  55 

Upperparts  of  body  strongly  rusty  reddish  or  rusty  buffy, 
varying  in  intensity  but  always  reddish  in  general 
effect. 
Size  large,  average  total  length  more  than  460  mm. ; 
skull   large  and  massive,  basilar  length  about 
59  mm. 
Upperparts  darker ;    back   and    hind   legs   darker 
rufous ;     interorbital     breadth     narrower ; 
bulla?  smaller,  diameter  averaging  less  than 
10  mm.  (Chiapas  and  Guatemala). 

chiapensis   (p.  1S9) 

Upperparts  paler ;  back  of  hind  legs  paler  rufous ; 

interorbital    breadth    wider ;    bulla?    larger, 

diameter    averaging    over    11    mm.     (Cam- 

peche  and  Yucatan) yucatanicus  (p.  190) 

Size  medium  or  small ;   total  length  averaging  from 

416  to  446  mm. 

Size   smaller;    total    length    averaging   less    than 

420    mm. ;    ears    shorter,    averaging    from 

notch  50  to  52  mm. 

Upperparts    deep    pinkish    or    rusty    buffy ; 

skull   lighter  and   slenderer ;   diameter 

of  bullae  about  10  mm.   (Oklahoma  to 

Alabama) alacer    (p.    174) 

Upperparts  suffused  with  a  deeper  tinge  of 
dull  rusty;  skull  heavier,  especially 
base  of  rostrum ;  diameter  of  bulla? 
about      11      mm.     (S.       Vera      Cruz, 

Mexico) russatus    (p.   1S6) 

Size  larger,   total   length  averaging  from  434   to 
446    mm. ;     ears    longer,     averaging    from 
notch  54  to  58  mm. 
Tops  of  hind  feet  and  front  line  of  hind  legs 
clear    bright   white,    strongly   contrast- 
ing with  rufous  on  hind  legs  and  sides 
of  feet. 
Back  of  hind  legs  rich  bright  rufous ;  top 
of     back     brighter     more     pinkish 
buffy ;   diameter  of  bulla?   smaller, 
averaging    less    than    10    mm.    (S. 
coast  Oaxaca,  Mexico). 

aztecus  (p.  187) 
Back  of  hind  legs  dull  dark  rufous ;  top 
of  back  duller  buffy;  diameter  of 
bulla?  greater,  averaging  nearly  11 
mm.  (S.  Tamaulipas  to  central 
Vera  Cruz,  Mexico). 

connectens  (p.  1S5) 

Tops  of  hind  feet  and  front  line  of  hind  legs 

not  clear  bright  white,  usually  more  or 

less    strongly    shaded    with    rusty    or 

buffy. 


56  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [xo.  29. 

Size     smaller;     back     more     brownish : 
back    of    hind    legs    dark  brown- 
ish or  chestnut  rufous  (Florida). 
floridanus  (p.  1G4) 
Size    larger;    back    more    pinkish   buffy; 
back  of  hind  legs  paler  and  more 
rusty  rufous. 
Ears    longer,    averaging   from    notch 
58     mm. ;    upperparts     darker, 
more    rusty    reddish     (eastern 
U.    S.,   N.    Florida   to   E.    New 

York) mall  urns    (p.  16G) 

Ears  shorter,  averaging  from  notch 
54  mm. ;  upperparts  paler, 
more  pinkish  buffy  (northern 
IT.    S.   from   W.   New   York  to 

Iowa) mearnsi  (pi  169) 

Rostrum  proportionately  long  and  slender,  narrow  and  not  strongly 
angled  on  upper  half  of  base ;  outlines  straight ;  narrow 
and  rounded  at  tip;  supraorbitals  always  light  and  slender, 
tapering  to  a  narrow  point  nearly  or  slightly  free  from 
skull  posteriorly,  and  inclosing  a  long  narrow  foramen  or 
slit-like  notch. 
Ears  longer,  averaging  from  notch  over  GO  mm. 

Rostrum  long:  supraorbitals  heavy;  postorbitals  long; 
braincase  broad;  size  large;  total  length  averages 
386  mm.  (mountains  from  Arizona  to  Colorado). 

pinetis  (p.  207) 
Ears  shorter,  averaging  from  notch  less  than  56  mm. 

Size  smaller,  total  length  averaging  352  mm.;  bullne 
smaller;  gray  rump  patch  not  distinct  (Washing- 
ton and  Oregon  to  W.  Idaho) nuttalli  (p.  201) 

Size  larger:  total  length  averaging  385  mm.;  bullae 
larger;  gray  rump  patch  more  strongly  marked  (S. 
Dakota  to  Idaho  and  SE.  California). 

grangeri  (p.  204) 
Bulla?    proportionately    large    with    surface    irregularly    rounded    and 
slightly    roughened;    ears    comparatively    long    (western    TJ.    S. 
and  central  and  NW.  Mexico). 
Upperparts  dull  dark  yellowish  buffy,  or  dark  iron  gray  with  a 
slight  buffy  tinge. 
Upperparts    clear    dark    buffy    gray,    heavily    washed    with 
blackish   and   strongly   contrasting  with   color  on   back 
Of  hind  legs. 
Back   of   hind   legs   deep   rich    rufous  or   rufous   brown ; 
rump  patch  scarcely  visible    (Sonora  and   Sinaloa, 

Mexico) goldmani  (p.  225) 

Back  of  hind  legs  dull  brownish ;  gray  rump  patch  well 

marked  (Lower  California) confinis  (p.  220) 

Upperparts  dull  buffy  gray,  not  heavily  washed  with  black 
and  not  strongly  contrasting  with  color  on  back  of 
hind  legs. 


1909.]  KEY   TO    SPECIES   AND    SUBSPECIES.  57 

Upper-parts  dark,  rather  yellowish,  creamy  bnffy;  back  of 
hind  legs  dull  rusty  brown ;  rump  patch  fairly  well 
marked;    nape  light  rufous    (NE.  Arizona   to   SW. 

Colorado) wurrcni    (p,  231) 

Upperparts  dull  yellowish  or  brownish  buffy;  back  of  hind 

legs  dull  dark  brown  with  scarcely  a  trace  of  rusty; 

rump  patch  usually  absent ;  nape  dark  rufous. 

Size    larger,    total   length   averaging  41S   mm. ;    color 

darker;  rump  patch  absent;  ears  shorter  (coast 

middle  California  and  Sacramento  Valley). 

auduboni  (p.  214) 

Size  smaller,   total   length   averaging   398   mm. ;    ears 

longer  ;  rump  patch  present,  not  strongly  marked 

(coast  S.  California  and  NW.  Lower  California). 

sanctidiegi  (p.  21S) 
Upperparts  light  yellowish  buffy  gray  or  pale  gray  with  a  slight 
tinge  of  buffy. 
Size  large,  total  length  averaging  from  402  to  411  mm. 

Upperparts  yellowish  buffy  distinctly  darkened  by  over- 
lying black  wash;  gray  rump  patch  present;  back 
of  hind  legs  buffy  brownish;  skull  larger;  bullae 
averaging  less  than  12  mm.    (San  Joaquin  Valley, 

California) vallicola  (p.  216) 

Upperparts  pale  creamy  buffy,  scarcely  or  slightly  dark- 
ened by  overlying  black  wash ;  rump  patch  obso- 
lete; back  of  hind  legs  pale  rusty;  bullae  averaging 
moi-e  than  12  mm.  (Montana  to  Colorado). 

bailctji  (p.  232) 
Size  small,  total  length  averaging  from  351  to  375  mm. 

Ears  shorter,  averaging  from  notch  55  to  57  mm. ;  upper- 
parts  darker,  more  buffy. 
Upperparts   dingy,    slightly   yellowish  gray;    back   of 
hind   legs    rusty   brown    (S.    Texas   to   Puebla, 

Mexico,  on  Tableland) parvulus  (p.  236) 

Upperparts  light,  slightly  rusty,  yellowish  gray;  back 
of  hind  legs  brighter  rusty   (W.  Texas  and  E. 

New  Mexico) iicoiiic-ricaints  (p.  234) 

Ears  longer,  averaging  from  notch  59  to  68  mm. ;  upper- 
parts  paler,  more  grayish. 
Ears     very    large,    averaging    from    notch    68    mm.; 
average  diameter  of  bulla?  more  than  13  mm. 
(Arizona  and  SE.  California )^arizonce  (p.  222) 
Ears   shorter,   averaging  from  notch  59  to  60   mm.; 
average  diameter  of  bulla?  less  than  12.5  mm. 
Upperparts  pale  sandy  gi-ayish;  back  of  hind  legs 
dull  rusty  brown ;   underside  of  neck  deep, 
dull  buffy;   size  smaller;   skull  lighter    (S. 
New  Mexico,  W.  Texas,  and  Chihuahua). 

minor  (p.  226) 
Upperparts  darker,  more  creamy  buffy ;  back  of 
hind  legs  and  feet  more  rusty :  underside 
of  neck  ochraceous  buffy ;  size  larger ;  skull 
heavier  (mountains  western  central  New 
Mexico  and  E.  Arizona). 

cedrophilus  (p.  229) 


58  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  20. 

Tail  small,  short,  and  densely  haired,  or  slender  and  thinly  haired ;  underside 
of  tail  white,  gray,  or  huffy ;  large  species,  total  length  exceeding  500  mm. 
and  hind  claws  large  and  exposed;  or  small  species  with  total  length  less 
than  400  mm.  and  hind  claws  small  and  concealed. 
Underside  of  tail  white. 

Small,  total  length  less  than  400  mm. ;  tail  small  and  round  with  short 
dense  hair   (brush  rabbits). 
Upperparts  more  or  less  strongly  reddish  brown. 

Upperparts  dark  reddish  brown ;  ears  short ;  skull  very  heavy ; 
rostrum  comparatively  broad  and  heavy ;  bullae  very 
small    (coast  region  NW.  California  to  Oregon). 

ubericolor  (p.  250) 
Upperparts  dark  buffy  brown  with  a  reddish  suffusion ;  ears 
medium;  skull  light;  rostrum  light  and  pointed;  bullae 
medium    (coast  region  middle  California). 

bachmani  (p.  247) 
Upperparts  grayish  or  grayish  brown. 
Rump  similar  to  rest  of  back. 

Upperparts  pale  buffy  gray;  ears  paler  than  back;  back 
of  hind  legs  rusty  (Cape  Region,  Lower  Califor- 
nia)  peninsularis  (p.  255) 

Upperparts  dark  grayish  buffy  brown. 

Back  of  hind  legs  grayish  brown  like  sides  of  body 

(Cerros  I.) cerrosensis  (p.  255) 

Back  of  hind  legs  russet  brown  (coast  region  S.  Cali- 
fornia and  N.  Lower  California). 

cincrascens  (p.  252) 
Rump  grayer  than  back,  forming  a  pale  rump  patch. 

Upperparts  grayish  buffy ;  rump  patch  dark  iron  gray ; 
ears  clearer  gray  than  back  (central  Lower  Cali- 
fornia)  exiguus  (p.  254) 

Upperparts  pale  dingy  buffy  grayish ;  rump  patch  dingy 
gray;  ears  like  back  (San  Jose  I.,  Lower  Cali- 
fornia)  mansuetus    (p.  256) 

Large,  total   length  more  than   500   mm. ;    tail  comparatively  slender, 
thinly  haired   (swamp  rabbits). 
Upperparts  darker  and  more  rusty  brown,  especially  on  hind  legs 
(narrow  coast  belt  E.  Texas  to  Mississippi). 

littoralis  (p.  273) 

Upperparts  paler  or  more  grayish  brown,  especially  on  rump  and 

hind  legs  (middle  Texas  to  Oklahoma,  and  east  to  S.  Illinois 

and  Alabama) aquaticus  (p.  270) 

Underside  of  tail  dingy  gray  or  buffy. 

Tops  of  hind  feet  whitish ;  ears  from  notch  about  60  mm.   (mountains 

of  Guerrero,  Mexico) insonus  (p.  264) 

Tops  of  hind  feet  strongly  ochraceous  or  reddish ;  ears  from  notch  less 
than  50  mm. 
Tops  of  hind  feet  and  legs  dark  reddish ;  hind  feet  thinly  haired ; 
hind  claws  very  large  and  exposed  (swamp  rabbits). 
Ear  longer,  averaging  from  notch  about  52  mm. ;  upperparts 
paler,  more  grayish   (N.  Florida  to  Virginia). 

palustris  (p.  266) 

Ear  shorter,  averaging  from  notch  about  45  mm. ;  upperparts 

darker,  more  reddish  (S.  Florida) pahtdicola   (p.  269) 


1909.]  LEPUS   AKCTICUS   GKOUP.  59 

Tops  of  hind  feet  and  less  bright  rusty  ocliraeeous ;  hind  feet  more 
thickly   haired;    hind   claws   small   and   concealed    (tropical 
wood  rabbits). 
Size    larger,    total    length    about    420    mm.     ( San    Miguel    I., 

Panama) incitatus  (p.  201) 

Size  smaller;  average  total  length  less  than  300  mm. 

Top   of   head   and   nape   brighter   reddish ;    ears    shorter ; 
skull  lighter  and  slenderer  (Honduras  to  Tanama). 

gabU  (p.  259) 

Top  of  head  and  nape  duller  reddish;  ears  longer;  skull 

heavier  (Mexico  to  Guatemala) truei  (p.  202) 

Genus   ROMEROLAGUS  and   BRACHYLAGUS. 

Tail  absent  or  almost  rudimentary;  smallest  of  American  rabbits;  total  length 
less  than  325  mm. 
Tail  absent;  ears  very  short;  general  appearance  Microns-like   (volcanoes 

on  east  side  Valley  of  Mexico) Bomerolagus  nelsoni  (p.  279) 

Tail  extremely  short,  nearly  unicolor ;  ears  longer ;  general  appearance  more 
like  the  cottontails  (Nevada,  Idaho,  NE.  California,  and  SE.  Oregon). 

Brachylagus  idahoensis  (p.  275) 

Genus  LEPUS  Linn. 

LEPUS  ARCTICUS  Group    (Subgenus  LEPUS). 

ARCTIC  HARES. 

The  Arctic  hares  of  North  America  are  representatives  of  a  well- 
known  circumpolar  group.  The  American  species  L.  areticus,  L.  a. 
bangsi^  L.  a.  canus,  L.  gramlandicus,  L.  othus,  and  L.  poadromus  are 
characterized  by  large  size  and  strictly  Arctic  distribution  (see  fig.  7). 
Throughout  most  of  their  range  they  summer  north  of  the  tree  limit, 
but  in  winter  sometimes  penetrate  a  hundred  miles  or  more  into 
the  northern  border  of  the  timber.  In  winter  they  reach  Fort  York, 
Keewatin,  Fort  Rae,  Mackenzie,  and  points  in  the  interior  of  Ungava. 
They  are  resident  in  Newfoundland,  where  they  inhabit  open  hilltops 
and  barrens  in  more  or  less  forested  country. 

In  Alaska  their  summer  home  is  on  the  open  tundras  of  the  coast 
and  along  the  west  shore  south  to  the  Peninsula  of  Alaska.  In  win- 
ter they  penetrate  the  partly  wooded  interior  about  as  far  as  Nulato. 
On  the  east  side  of  the  continent  they  range  south  to  Great  Whale 
River  on  the  east  shore  of  Hudson  Bay  and  along  the  coast  of  Labra- 
dor to  the  straits  of  Belle  Isle  and  across  into  Newfoundland,  where 
the  group  reaches  its  southern  limit.  To  the  north  they  inhabit  all 
the  Arctic  islands  and  the  coast  of  Greenland  to  the  extreme  northern 
limit,  beyond  83°  north  latitude.  The  northernmost  species,  grcvn- 
landieus,  is  one  of  the  largest,  while  the  southern  representative, 
bangs?,  is  the  smallest  of  the  group.  All  the  species  have  two  annual 
molts.  The  winter  pelage  is  always  snowy  white,  including  the  un- 
derfill", except  small  black  tips  to  the  ears.  The  summer  pelage  is 
gray   or  brown,  except  in  the  case  of  arcticiis  and  grmnlandicux. 


60 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[  no.  29. 


Arcticus  in  the  southern  parts  of  its  range  has  the  usual  gray  summer 
pelage,  but  in  the  northern  part  of  Baffin  Land  its  summer  pelage  is 
white,  almost  as  in  winter.  L.  groenlandicus  has  the  two  regular 
molts,  but  remains  white  throughout  the  year.  It  is  the  most  differ- 
entiated of  the  American  species,  owing  to  its  remarkably  projecting 
incisors  and  large  claws. 


-—  £./)/fcr/cus 

=  l./tPCT/C(/S    BANGS/ 
=  l./IRCT/COS  CJWUS 


=  I.  OTHUS 

=  /.  PO/tO/?OMl/S 

=  I.  C4MP£S7~f?/S 

=  /  C/?AfP£<Sr/?/S  7OW/VSSN0/ 

—  /.  C/f/VPSST/t/S  steff.fyik 


Fig.  7. — Distribution  of  Lepus  arcticus  and  L.  campestris  and  allied  forms. 

Arctic  hares  swim  freely  across  the  small  streams  which  in  spring 
traverse  the  Arctic  barrens  in  all  directions.  L.  arcticus,  including 
its  subspecies,  has  the  widest  distribution  of  any  American  species. 
L.  othus  and  L.  poad/nom  us,  of  the  tundras  of  western  Alaska,  are  re- 
stricted to  a  narrow  coast  belt,  and  in  summer  are  the  darkest  of  the 
species.     In  summer  pelage  the  Arctic  hares  are  darker  on  the  sides 


1900.] 


LEPUS   ARCTICUS    GROUP ARCTICUS. 


61 


of  the  body  and  rump  than  on  toji  of  the  back.  This  is  a  reversal  of 
the  distribution  of  color  in  cottontails  and  jack  rabbits,  in  which  the 
sides  of  the  body  and  rump  are  commonly  distinctly  paler  than  the 
top  of  the  back.  While  this  darkening-  of  the  rump  and  sides  appears 
to  be  opposed  to  the  law  of  protective  coloration,  the  color  scheme  may 
be  satisfactorily  explained  by  peculiarities  of  environment. 

Average  measurements  in  the  Lepus  arcticus  group. 


«d 
So 

ed 

Skin. 

Skull. 

B 

*   rs. 

09 

lid 

(R 

a 

n  C 

rS 

eadth      of     r 
B.bove  premo 

pth    of    rostr 
ront  of  prcrri( 

A 

Origin  of  specimens 

1 

S 

— 

O 

a 

03 

8 

t-t 
0) 
> 

a 

£ 

-a 

a 

EC 

B  o 

si 

a 

OB 

a 

G3 

a 
"3 

hi 

G 

o 

0) 

03 

p 

HI 

a 

averaged. 

03 

u 

) 

'A 

H 

H 

W 

W 

w 

h-l 

fl 

(A 

1— ( 

Oh 

o 

Lepus  arcticus 

J 

0  ... 

SO 

74.4 

42.5 

26.9 

27. 6 

32.8 

34.7 

12. 3 

Northern  Ungava. 

Lepus  arcticus  bangsi ... 

5  596 

63164 

81 

73. 7  39. 9 

26. 3  22. 3 

31.0  34.011.3 

Newfoundland; 

Lepus  arcticus  canus 

2  ... 

...... 

80 

75.4  37.7 

26.7  23.4 

31. 6  34. 5,12. 2 

Barrens  west  of  Hudsou 
Bay. 

Lepus  gr<  enlandicus 

5  664 

73 146     75 

78.0  40.0 

27.7  23.8 

34.135.512.5 

Northwest  Greenland  and 
Ellesmereland. 

Lepus  othus 

(•)... 

-r 

75 

79. 5  41. 1  28. 6  25. 8 

34.4  34.112.0 

St.  Michael  and  Nulato, 
Alaska. 

Lepus  poadromus 

(6)  600 

53  147 

78 

76.539.5  26.524.5 

I        1        1 

32. 6  34. 4  12. 0 

1 

Alaska  Peninsula. 

°  Three  skins  ;  5  skulls. 


6  One  skin  ;  5  skulls. 


LEPUS  ARCTICUS  Ross. 

American  Arctic  Hare. 

(PI.  IV,  fig.  2;   PI.   V,  fig.  2.) 

Lepus  arcticus  Ross,  Voyage  of  Discovery,  ed.  2,  II,  Appendix  IV,  p.  151,  1819. 
Type  from  latitude  73°  37'  in  northern  Baffin  Land,  southeast  of  Cape 
Boweu ;  collected  by  John  Leach. 

Lepus  glacialis  Leach,  in  Ross's  Voy.  Discovery,  ed.  2,  II,  Appendix  IV,  p.  170, 
1S19.     Same  type  and  locality  as  arcticus. 

Lepus  laoradorius  Miller,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XIII,  pp.  39-40.  May  29, 
1899.  Cotypes  from  Fort  Chiino,  Ungava,  Canada,  skull  23132  and  skin 
14119,  adults,  U.  S.  National  Museum ;  collected  by  L.  M.  Turner,  Sep- 
tember 28,  1S82. 

Geographic  distribution,. — Baffin  Land,  and  probably  adjoining 
islands  t©  the  west ;  extreme  north  coast  of  Hudson  Bay  and  south 
across  Hudson  Strait  to  include  most  of  Ungava  to  Great  Whale 
Eiver  on  the  east  shore  of  Hudson  Bay,  and  Labrador  north  of  Ham- 
ilton Inlet.  Vertical  range  from  sea  level  to  an  undetermined  alti- 
tude ;  zonal  range,  Arctic. 

General  characters. — In  winter  white,  except  small  black  tips  to 
ears ;  in  most  of  Baffin  Land  whitish  in  summer  also,  but  in  this  con- 
dition always  distinguishable  from  gromlandicus  by  smaller  size  and 


62  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

much  smaller  and  slenderer  claws;  in  southern  Baffin  Land  and 
Ungava  in  summer  upperparts  of  head  and  body  change  to  dull  buffy 
gray;  ears  blackish  in  front  and  white  behind,  with  subterminal  whit- 
ish band  isolating  a  black  tip. 

Color  in  summer  pelage  {Ungava  and  southern  Baffin  Land). — 
Top  and  sides  of  head  always  paler  than  body,  varying  from  dull 
grizzled  silvery  gray,  with  a  faint  tinge  of  dull  buffy.  to  a  dull  griz- 
zled buffy  gray ;  the  buffy  clearest,  less  grizzled  with  gray,  on  top  of 
nose  and  sides  of  head ;  upperparts  of  neck  and  body  dull,  rather 
dark,  iron  gray;  underfur  tinged  with  dull  brownish  buffy;  upper- 
parts  of  body  grizzled  with  dull  silvery  gray,  the  grizzling  most 
abundant  on  top  of  back;  sides  of  body  darker  and  less  grizzled  with 
silvery  gray  than  back;  rump  still  darker  and  less  grizzled,  form- 
ing a  poorly  marked  dusky  rump  patch;  nape  similar  to  top  of  back; 
tail  entirely  white;  ears  on  front  of  outer  half  blackish,  or  on  basal 
two-thirds  dusky  grizzled  gray;  posterior  half  whitish  (or  blackish 
at  base  and  whitish  on  most  of  terminal  part,  except  tip)  ;  a  whitish 
band  across  front  of  outer  part  near  tip,  thus  isolating  the  small 
black  tip ;  posterior  border  of  ear  strongly  edged  with  white ;  tops  of 
fore  feet  white ;  outside  of  fore  legs  dusky  like  flanks ;  hind  feet  white, 
sometimes  thinly  grizzled  with  dusky  hairs ;  outside  of  hind  legs  like 
rump;  underside  of  neck  dusky  smoky  gray  and,  like  lower  border 
of  flanks,  only  slightly  grizzled  wTith  gray ;  rest  of  underparts  white. 

Color  in  summer  pelage  in  northern  part  of  Baffin  Land. — Entirely 
dull  whitish  except  black  tips  to  ears. 

Color  in  winter  pelage. — Entirely  pure  white  except  small  black 
tips  to  ears. 

Skull  (Ungava  specimens). — Strong  and  massive;  rostrum  broad, 
deep,  and  heavy,  slightly  tapering;  nasals  broad,  heavy,  slightly 
arched ;  frontal  area  strongly  depressed  with  a  hump-like  swelling  on 
crown  immediately  back  of  depression;  supraorbital  process  rather 
small  and  irregularly  rounded-triangular  in  form,  standing  high 
above  plane  of  frontals  and  projecting  wing-like  from  skull;  the  pos- 
terior end  of  postorbital  processes  forming  blunt  points,  which  reach 
a  bony  process  on  squamosals  only  in  very  old,  much  ossified  speci- 
mens; anterior  notch  broad  and  deep  and  irregular  in  form;  posterior 
notch  very  broad  and  ovate;  top  of  braincase  depressed,  with  median 
and  lateral  ridges  developed  enough  to  give  it  an  indistinctly  angular 
form ;  premaxillaries  forming  a  shorter,  stouter  mandible  compared 
with  that  of  groznlandicus ;  the  short,  strong  incisors  abruptly  down- 
curving;  molar  series  broad  and  heavy;  incisive  foramina  very  broad 
posteriorly ;  postpalatal  fossa  broad  and  deep ;  bullae  comparatively 
small  and  flattened  below,  giving  an  oblong  form  transverse  to  axis 
of  skull,  and  strongly  embedded  in  bony  tissue;  upper  outline  of  skull 


1909]  LEPUS   ARCTICUS   GROUP ARCTICUS.  63 

giving  a  double  arch,  one  in  front  of  and  one  behind  depressed  frontal 
area. 

The  only  available  skull  representing  typical  arcticus  from  Baffin 
Land,  that  of  a  young  adult  belonging  with  the  skin  of  the  head  and 
neck  described  below,  is  not  sufficiently  developed  to  afford  good 
characters.  It  is  closely  like  the  series  from  Ungava  in  the  compara- 
tively narrow  jugal  and  the  comparatively  short  upper  mandible, 
with  short  and  abruptly  down-curving  upper  incisors;  bulla?  smaller 
and  more  deeply  embedded  in  surrounding  bony  tissue  than  in  the 
Ungava  specimens  or  in  grwnlandicus. 

Remarks. — From  the  available  material  I  can  find  no  characters  by 
which  to  separate  labradorius  from  arcticus.  Kumlien  states  that  the 
hares  on  the  southern  end  of  Baffin  Land  commonly  remain  white  all 
summer,  but  that  others  become  more  or  less  extensively  gray  on  the 
upperparts.  A  young  of  the  year  in  first  adult  pelage  from  Niantilik 
Harbor,  Cumberland  Gulf,  southern  Baffin  Land,  now  in  the  U.  S. 
National  Museum,  has  the  head  and  neck  colored  as  follows:  Top 
and  sides  of  head  dingy  yellowish-buffy  gray,  becoming  dull  whitish 
about  eyes  and  dull  buffy  white  on  sides  of  nose;  ears  glossy  black  on 
front  half  of  outside  and  a  broad  patch  of  same  color  on  inside  near 
posterior  border;  outside  of  ears,  on  posterior  half,  blackish  at  base 
and  dingy  white  thence  to  near  tips,  where  they  change  to  narrow, 
pure  white,  subterminal  bands,  which  extend  as  subterminal  rings 
around  ears  and  isolate  the  small  jet  black  tips;  posterior  border  of 
ears  edged  with  pure  white;  neck  smoky,  slightty  brownish  gray, 
finely  and  rather  thinly  grizzled  over  surface  with  whitish  gray. 

There  is  evidently  considerable  individual  variation  in  the  summer 
coloration  of  these  hares,  and  two  summer  specimens  from  Fort 
Chimb,  UngaA-a,  differ  considerably  in  the  amount  of  white  on  the 
back  of  the  ears.  A  third  specimen  from  Solomon  Island,  on  the 
north  coast  of  Labrador,  has  a  paler  (dark  ash}7)  gray  head  than 
those  from  Fort  Chimo,  with  ears  glossy  black  except  for  a  little  griz- 
zling of  gray  near  the  base  in  front  and  on  the  inside,  and  a  narrow 
white  edge  along  the  entire  posterior  border.  In  the  nearly  uniform 
black  ears,  lacking  the  subterminal  whitish'  band,  this  specimen 
closely  approaches  bangsi.  A  specimen  shot  at  Fort  Chimo  on  June 
10  is  just  changing  into  summer  pelage.  The  underside  of  the  head, 
ears,  underside  of  body,  and  rump  still  retain  the  white  winter  coat, 
but  the  white  woolly  winter  fur  has  come  off  the  back  en  masse,  leaving 
the  half-grown  gray  summer  coat  exposed  on  practically  the  entire  back 
and  sides  of  body.  The  top  and  part  of  the  sides  of  the  head  are  in 
the  dingy,  grayish  buffy  summer  coat.  The  subterminal  white  or 
whitish  band  isolating  the  black  tips  on  the  ears  appears  to  be  a  com- 
mon character  in  arcticus  and  canus,  and  is  not  very  uncommon  in 
bangsi. 


64  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

The  scarcity  of  specimens  of  arcticus  and  most  of  its  American 
relatives,  especially  in  summer  pelage,  renders  it  difficult  to  determine 
satisfactorily  the  relationship  and  distribution  of  the  various  forms. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  16,  from: 

Franklin    (Canada):    Cumberland    Island    (Baffin    Land),    1;    Niantilik 

(Cumberland  Gulf),  1. 
Ungava  (Canada):  Fort  Chimp,  7;  Solomon  Island,  1. 
Keewatin  (Canada):  Cape  Fullerton  (Hudson  Bay),  6. 

LEPUS  ARCTICUS  BANGSI  Rhoads. 

Newfoundland  Haee. 

Lepus  arcticus  bangsi  Rhoads,  Am.  Naturalist,  XXX,  p.  236,  March,  1896 
(author's  separates  published  February  20,  1S96).  Type  from  Codroy, 
Newfoundland,  No.  3752,  $  ad.  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology  (Bangs 
collection)  ;  collected  by  Ernest  Doane,  August  3,  1895. 

Geographic  distribution. — Newfoundland  and  probably  adjacent 
part  of  Labrador  north  to  Hamilton  Inlet,  and  extreme  eastern  Que- 
bec. Vertical  range  from  sea  level  up  to  an  undetermined  altitude; 
zonal  range,  Arctic. 

General  characters. — Much  like  southern  representatives  of  arcticus, 
but  head  duller  buffy,  grizzled  with  gray;  body  in  full  summer  pelage 
grizzled  smoky  gray,  but  ears  mainly  glossy  black  except  for  a  white 
line  along  posterior  border  and  grizzling  of  buffy  gray  on  basal  third 
in  front. 

Color  in  summer  pelage. — Top  of  head  grizzled  buffy  gray,  paler 
than  back;  sides  of  head  deeper  and  clearer,  usually  more  fulvous 
buffy  about  eyes  and  back  to  base  of  ears,  the  buffy  varying  in  inten- 
sity; back  varying  from  dark  iron  gray  to  paler  iron  gray  slightly 
shaded  with  dull  buffy;  rump  always  blackish;  underfur  dull 
brownish,  sometimes  slightly  tinged  with  dull  cinnamon  buffy  becom- 
ing paler  toward  base,  and  sometimes  with  a  light  plumbeous  basal 
zone ;  sides  of  body  and  outside  of  legs  darker  and  less  grizzled  with 
gray  than  back,  though  not  so  dark  as  rump;  tops  of  fore  feet  plain 
white  or  grizzled  with  dusky  gray;  tail  white,  sometimes  with  a 
narrow  median  line  of  dusky;  ears  glossy  black  with  some  grizzling 
of  gray  about  base  in  front  and  on  inside,  and  a  narrow  white  line 
along  posterior  border;  twTo  out  of  six  specimens  have  ears  entirely 
black  except  the  white  line  along  posterior  border ;  one  other  has  the 
ears  all  black  except  gray  border  around  entire  edge  and  a  grizzling 
of  same  on  front  and  inside;  three  others  have  the  back  of  ears  on 
posterior  half  mainly  whitish  except  for  broad  black  tip,  the  posterior 
border  white,  and  the  inside  and  anterior  part  of  outside,  including 
anterior  border,  grizzled  with  gray,  the  gray  in  one  specimen  forming 
a  subterminal  band  across  front,  thus  isolating  the  well-marked 
glossy  black  tip;  neck  below  and  on  sides  even  more  blackish  than 


1909.]  LEPUS  ARCTICUS   GROUP CANUS.  65 

lower  flanks  and  like  rump  much  darker  than  back;  this  blackish 
becomes  darkest  on  underside  of  neck;  underside  of  head  blackish, 
about  the  same  shade  as  sides  of  neck;  sides  of  flanks  darker  near 
lower  border  and  along  sides  of  abdomen;  inguinal  area  sometimes 
dusky  gray  or  even  blackish  gray ;  otherwise  underparts  of  body  pure 
white. 

Color  in  winter  pelage. — Entirely  pure  white  except  small  black 
tips  to  ears. 

Skull. — Closely  similar  to  that  of  arcticus,  from  which  it  is  prac- 
tically indistinguishable. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  596;  tail  ver- 
tebras, 63;  hind  foot,  164;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  81. 

Remarks. — L.  a.  bangsi  appears  to  lack  definite  skull  characters 
and  rests  only  on  color  differences.  The  nearly  uniform  black  ears 
and  dusky  median  line  sometimes  present  on  top  of  the  tail  are  the 
main  differences  from  representatives  of  arcticus  from  Ungava.  One 
skull  of  bangsi  is  remarkable  for  the  unusual  development  of  the 
supraorbital.  In  this  individual  the  postorbital  process  extends  back 
until  the  point  meets  and  rests  against  a  process  on  the  squamosal, 
while  the  anterior  process  extends  forward  as  a  broad  strap-shaped 
bone  fusing  along  the  inner  side  to  the  upper  part  of  the  vertical 
ridge  of  the  malar  in  front  of  the  orbit.  The  anterior  notch  is  reduced 
to  a  small  rounded  foramen ;  the  posterior  notch  to  a  large  rounded 
foramen. 

The  opinion  prevails  in  Newfoundland  that  the  rapid  increase  of 
L.  a.  struthopus  on  the  island  since  its  introduction  about  forty  years 
ago  has  resulted  in  the  marked  decrease  of  Arctic  hares.  Arctic 
hares  are  reported  to  have  been  formerly  common  and  generally  dis- 
tributed, but  of  recent  years  to  have  decreased  in  numbers,  and  those 
remaining  are  said  to  be  limited  to  the  barren  hilltops. 

It  is  difficult  to  understand  why  a  species  so  strictly  limited  to 
wooded  areas  as  struthopus  should  seriously  affect  species  of  the 
open  country,  such  as  the  Arctic  hares,  even  when  the  areas  they 
occupy  are  intermingled.  The  letter  from  Mr.  Howley  quoted  in  the 
remarks  on  L.  a.  struthopus  states  the  local  belief  in  this  matter. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  18,  from : 

Newfoundland  (Canada):  Bay  of  Islands,  1;  Bay  St.  George,  13;  Cod- 
roy,  2 ;  St.  Johns,  2. 

LEPUS  ARCTICUS   CANUS  Preble. 

Hudson  Bay  Arctic  Hare. 

Jjepus  arcticus  canus  Preble,  N.  A.  Fauna  No.  22,  pp.  59-61,  October  31,  1902. 
Type  from  Hubbart  Point,  west  coast  of  Hudson  Bay,  Keewatin,  Canada  ; 
No.  106S60,  $  ad.,  U.  S.  National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  Collection)  ; 
collected  by  E.  A.  Preble,  August  17,  1900. 
85595— No.  29-  -09 5 


66  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [NO.  29. 

Geographic  distribution. — Barren  Grounds  of  northern  Canada 
south  to  York  Factory,  Keewatin,  and  northern  shores  of  Great 
Slave  and  Great  Bear  lakes.  Vertical  range  from  sea  level  up  to  an 
undetermined  altitude;  zonal  range,  Arctic. 

General  characters. — Closely  similar  to  specimens  of  arcticus  from 
Ungava,  but  the  three  available  summer  specimens  differ  in  the  paler 
tone  of  gray  on  the  head  and  body  and  the  greater  amount  of  whitish 
and  gray  on  the  ears. 

Color  in  summer  pelage. — Top  and  sides  of  head  dull  buffy  gray ; 
top  of  nose  dull  fulvous  buffy ;  back  and  sides  of  bod}''  slightly  paler 
iron  gray  than  arcticus;  sides  of  body  nearly  like  back,  but  a  little 
less  grizzled  and  darker;  rump  patch  dusky,  but  not  so  dark  as  in 
arcticus;  outside  of  fore  and  hind  legs  and  feet  white,  or  with  a 
little  gray  on  legs;  front  half  of  outside  of  ears  blackish,  strongly 
grizzled  with  gray  and  bordered  along  front  edge  with  whitish; 
posterior  half  of  outside  of  ears  blackish  at  base  and  white  thence 
to  near  tip,  including  a  distinct  white  line  along  posterior  border; 
white  area  on  back  of  ears  extending  as  a  subterminal  whitish  band 
across  front  and  inside,  thus  isolating  a  small  black  tip  as  in  arcticus, 
but  the  white  band  broader  in  canus;  underside  of  neck  plumbeous 
gray  slightly  grizzled  with  whitish  gray  like  sides  of  body;  rest  of 
underparts  white. 

Color  in  winter  pelage. — Entirely  pure  white  except  small  black 
tips  to  ears. 

Skull. — The  single  adult  skull  examined  from  the  type  region  (Fort 
Churchill)  is  absolutely  indistinguishable  from  skulls  of  arcticus 
from  Ungava. 

A  skull  from  Fort  Eae  is  remarkable  for  the  strong  frontal  de- 
pression, the  plane  of  the  depression  extending  far  out  on  the  top  of 
the  rostrum.  The  rostrum  is  proportionately  long  and  unusually 
narrow,  the  bullae  are  small  and  deeply  embedded,  and  the  molars 
are  small.  A  Fort  Anderson  skull  is  narrow  and  slender,  with  the 
supraorbitals  strongly  ossified  on  both  anterior  and  posterior 
processes.  These  skulls  probably  represent  more  nearly  the  typical 
skulls  of  the  form  called  canus  than  those  from  the  coast  of  Hudson 
Bay,  which  are  nearer  arcticus. 

Remarks. — This  is  a  poorly  marked  subspecies,  distinguishable 
from  arcticus  mainly  by  the  slightly  paler  color  of  the  upperparts 
and  the  larger  amount  of  white  on  the  ears  in  summer.  Unfor- 
tunately I  have  seen  skins  of  only  three  immature  summer  specimens, 
so  the  constancy  of  this  difference  is  yet  to  be  determined. 

A  specimen  in  the  National  Museum,  less  than  half  grown,  from 
Cambridge  Bay,  Victoria  Land,  differs  strikingly  from  any  other 
seen.  It  has  the  upperparts  dull  tawny,  or  slightly  cinnamon  buffy, 
grizzled  with  whitish;  the  ears  dusky,  grizzled  with  pale  gray  in 


1909.]  LEPUS   AKCTICUS   GROUP GRCENLANDICUS.  67 

front  and  inside,  and  the  white  margin  on  posterior  border  extending 
as  a  narrower  dingy  buffy  whitish  band  across  front  and  inside  of 
ear,  isolating  a  small  black  tip.  The  specimen  is  so  different  from 
anything  seen  from  elsewhere  that  it  appears  possible  there  may  be 
an  undescribed  form  on  the  islands  north  of  the  Barren  Grounds. 

The  southern  breeding  limit  of  canus  is  marked  by  the  northern 
limit  of  trees.  This  limit  can  be  roughly  marked  by  a  line  drawn 
from  Fort  Churchill,  on  the  west  side  of  Hudson  Bay,  northwesterly, 
passing  a  little  north  of  Great  Slave  and  Great  Bear  lakes.  In 
winter  they  range  south  some  distance  into  the  partly  wooded  region, 
reaching  at  least  as  far  as  Fort  Rae,  Mackenzie,  and  York  Factory, 
Keewatin. 

Since  the  foregoing  account  of  this  form  was  written  additional 
information  has  been  secured.  Through  the  courtesy  of  Dr.  J.  A. 
Allen,  of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History,  I  have  had  the 
opportunity  to  examine  two  specimens  of  canus  collected  by  E.  T. 
Seton  and  E.  A.  Preble  on  August  14  and  19,  1907,  at  Aylmer  Lake, 
Mackenzie,  and  find  that  they  confirm  the  validity  of  this  form. 
The  smaller  of  the  specimens  differs  but  little  from  the  type,  except 
that  the  upper  surface  of  the  fore  feet  and  legs  is  dull  grayish  brown 
and  the  nape,  sides  of  body,  and  rump  are  suffused  with  more  black- 
ish; the  sides  of  the  body  being  a  clearer,  more  dusky  gray.  The 
larger  of  these  specimens  a  has  the  ears  almost  completely  jet  black 
on  both  sides;  the  middle  of  the  back  is  a  little  darker  gray  than  the 
type,  and  the  nape,  sides  of  body,  and  rump  are  much  more  blackish ; 
the  rump,  broad  lateral  line,  and  underside  of  head  and  neck  are 
distinctly  blackish  with  dark  plumbeous  gray  underfur,  the  blackish 
of  the  lateral  line  encroaching  on  the  sides  of  the  abdomen,  restricting 
the  white  median  area.  The  top  and  sides  of  head  are  dark,  slightly 
buffy  gray  with  a  dull  buffy  suffusion  on  ocular  area.  The  top  of 
the  head  is  much  like  the  middle  of  the  back,  differing  mainly  in  its 
slightly  buffy  tinge. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  11,  from: 

Franklin:  Cambridge  Bay,  Victoria  Land,  1. 
Keewatin:  Fort  Churchill,  2;  Hubbart  Point,  2. 
Mackenzie:  Fort  Anderson,  1;  Fort  Rae,  3;  Aylmer  Lake,  2. 

LEPUS  GRCENLANDICUS  Rhoads. 

Greenland  Hare. 

(PI.  IV,  fig.  1;  PL  V,  fig.  1.) 

Lepus  grcenlandicus  Rhoads,  Am.  Naturalist,  XXX,  p.  236,  March,  1896  (au- 
thor's separates  issued  February  20,  1896).  Type  from  Robertson  Bay, 
northwestern  Greenland,  No.  1486,  ad.,  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  Phila- 
delphia ;  collected  by  C.  E.  Hite,  August  2,  1892. 

"Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  No.  29060. 


68  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

Geographic  distribution. — Northwestern  coasts  of  northern  Green- 
land and  Ellesmere  Land.  Vertical  range  from  sea  level  to  an  unde- 
termined altitude;  zonal  range,  Arctic. 

General  characters. — Larger  than  arcticus;  head  and  body  of 
adults  white  throughout  the  year,  but  changing  in  summer  from  the 
snowy  white  of  winter  to  a  more  grayish  white ;  ears  in  winter  pure 
white,  in  summer  mainly  dusky  gray,  with  a  small  black  tip  at 
all  seasons;  claws  very  large;  upper  incisors  extremely  long  and 
projecting. 

Color  in  summer  pelage. — Top  of  head  varying  from  dusky  gray- 
ish white  to  pale  dull  whitish  buffy ;  sides  of  head  and  back  slightly 
dusky  whitish,  the  duskiness  due  to  a  thin  intermixture  of  black 
hairs;  outside  of  ears  on  posterior  half,  most  of  inside  and  subter- 
minal  band  across  front  white,  isolating  a  small  dusky  or  black  tip; 
basal  two-thirds  of  front  half  of  outside  of  ears  dusky  gray,  some- 
times tinged  with  dull  buffy ;  rest  of  head,  body,  legs,  and  feet  pure 
white. 

Color  of  winter  pelage. — Entirely  pure  white,  except  small  jet 
black  tips  to  ears. 

Juvenal  pelage. — Top  of  head  a  varying  shade  of  brownish  buffy 
grizzled  with  whitish  tips  to  hairs;  sides  of  head  buffy  whitish; 
entire  upperparts  of  neck  and  body  varying  from  dull  whitish  with 
a  slight  buffy  suffusion  to  dull  whitish  buffy,  darkest  on  top  of  back 
and  palest  on  sides;  feet  and  legs  similar  to  sides  of  body;  entire 
underparts  pure  white;  front  half  of  outside  of  ears  varies  from 
ding}7  yellowish  buffy  to  dull  buffy  whitish;  inside  of  ears  similar 
but  paler;  back  of  ears  white;  tip  with  a  small  dusky  point;  top  of 
head  and  ears  always  darker  than  back;  no  sign  of  a  dark  gray 
summer  pelage  similar  to  that  of  arcticus  in  the  southern  part  of 
its  range. 

Skull. — Size  large  (exceeded  among  American  forms  only  by  that 
of  othus)  ;  above  generally  similar  in  form  to  that  of  the  subspecies 
of  arcticus,  but  the  premaxillae  taper  anteriorly  to  a  long  narrow 
point,  from  which  extend  the  extremely  long,  slightly  curved,  and 
outreaching  upper  incisors,  giving  a  slender  beaklike  form  to  the 
upper  mandible,  in  strong  contrast  to  its  form  in  all  other  American 
species. 

Arerage  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  664;  tail  ver- 
tebrae, 73 ;  hind  foot,  146 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  75. 

Remarks. — This  is  one  of  the  most  strongly  differentiated  forms 
among  the  known  Arctic  hares  of  America.  Its  excessively  heavy, 
wool-like  coat  of  fur,  the  great  development  of  the  claws,  and  the 
remarkably  long  tapering  upper  mandible,  with  the  extremely  long, 
extended,  slightly  curved  upper  incisors,  are  characters  not  ap- 
proached by  any  of  its  known  relatives  on  this  continent.     So  far  as 


1909.]  LEPUS  ARCTICUS   GROUP OTHUS.  69 

known  it  is  confined  to  the  north  coast  of  Greenland  and  Ellesmere 
Island,  its  distribution  appearing  to  coincide  with  that  of  the  north- 
ern musk  ox  (Ovibos  wardi). 

The  stout  fossorial  claws  and  long  outreaching  incisors  of  this 
species  are  evidently  developed  to  assist  in  obtaining  food  in  a  region 
where  the  extreme  rigors  of  a  high  Arctic  climate  and  the  dwarfed 
vegetation  on  land  hard  frozen  and  covered  with  ice  and  snow  so 
large  a  part  of  the  year  make  it  difficult  for  rodents  to  maintain 
themselves. 

The  excessive  thickness  of  the  pelage  on  this  species  gives  the  coat 
a  woolly  or  fleece-like  effect.  The  young  (which  are  about  one-third 
grown  in  July)  have  an  odd  resemblance  to  very  young  lambs,  owing 
to  their  dingy  whitish  woolly  coats. 

In  the  spring  molt  the  old  pelage  is  so  matted  that  it  comes  off  in 
large  patches,  leaving  shreds  and  ends  hanging  to  the  still  attached 
portions,  thus  giving  the  animals  a  rough  and  ragged  appearance. 

Arctic  hares  are  known  to  occupy  both  coasts  of  southern  Green- 
land, but  I  have  seen  no  specimens  from  that  region,  and  therefore 
am  unable  to  give  any  further  information  concerning  them.  From 
their  distribution,  however,  they  should  be  most  closely  related  to 
grosnlandicus,  but  no  doubt  differ  at  least  subspecifically  from  that 
species.  The  notes  regarding  them  by  Brown,  in  his  paper  on  the 
Mammals  of  Greenland,  indicate  that,  unlike  grcenlandicus,  they 
become  brown  in  summer  (P.  Z.  S.,  1868,  p.  351.) 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  32,  from : 

Ellesmere  Land:  Baclie  Peninsula,  1;  Buchanan  Bay,  4. 

Greenland:  Cape  Alexander,  2;  Holstenberg,  1;  Northumberland  Island 

(near  Cape  Alexander),  15;  Olriks  Bay,  1;  Robertson  Bay,  4;  Sonn- 

tag  Bay,  1 ;  Woodland  Bay,  3. 

LEPUS  OTHUS  Meeriam. 
Alaska  Tundra  Hare. 

Lepus  othus  Merriam,  Proc.  Washington  Acad.  Sci.,  II,  p.  28,  March  14,  1900. 
Type  from  St.  Michael,  Alaska;  No.  15S83,  ad.  (skull  only),  U.  S.  National 
Museum ;  collected  by  L.  M.  Turner,  February,  1877. 

Geographic  distribution. — Tundras  of  northern  and  northwestern 
Alaska,  exclusive  of  the  Peninsula  and  Bristol  Bay  section.  Vertical 
range  from  sea  level  up  to  over  2,000  feet  altitude;  zonal  range, 
Arctic. 

General  characters. — Largest  of  the  American  Arctic  hares,  even 
exceeding  gramlandicus /  feet  very  large;  color  much  darker  and 
more  dusky  brownish  in  summer  than  any  other  American  form. 

Color  of  summer  pelage  (Kotzebue  Sound). — Top  of  head  blackish 
brown,  finely  grizzled  with  buffy  gray;  top  and  sides  of  nose  and 
about  mouth  dark  cinnamon  buffy;  this  cinnamon  buffy  area  extends 
up  on  top  of  nose,  dividing  at  forehead,  and  extends  back  on  each 


70  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

side  as  a  darker,  more  reddish  cinnamon  area  covering  sides  of  head 
around  eyes  and  inclosing  a  narrow  pure  white  orbital  ring;  a  patch 
on  each  side  of  nose,  in  front  of  eyes,  distinctly  grizzled  gray  over- 
lying the  cinnamon  under  color;  posterior  half  of  cheeks  and  basal 
two-thirds  of  ears  in  front  dusky,  grizzled  with  buffy,  like  top  of 
head;  terminal  third  of  anterior  outer  half  of  ears,  and  a  band 
extending  to  base  of  ears  back  of  the  dusky  anterior  area,  glossy 
black ;  tip  and  a  long  patch  on  posterior  part  of  inside  of  ears  black- 
ish; posterior  half  of  ears  on  outside  dusky  grayish  becoming  pure 
white  along  terminal  hal"*2  of  posterior  border ;  inside  of  ears  crossed 
by  a  broad  subterminal  cinnamon  buffy  band  isolating  the  blackish 
tip ;  nape  and  top  of  back  dark  dusky  brown,  shading  into  a  slightly 
grayer  or  more  plumbeous  brown  on  sides  and  entirely  covered  with 
a  fine  thin  grizzling  of  gray;  tail  white  with  scattered  dusky  hairs 
on  upper  side;  front  of  fore  legs  and  top  of  fore  feet  grizzled  dark 
brownish  buffy ;  outside  of  hind  legs  similar  to  sides  of  body  but 
becoming  dingy  buffy  along  anterior  border ;  tops  of  hind  feet  white ; 
rump  dull  blackish  brown  with  scanty  grizzling,  thus  forming  a 
poorly  defined  dusky  rump  patch;  underside  of  neck  dusky  smoky 
gray  grizzled  sparsely  with  clear  gray ;  rest  of  underparts  white. 

Color  of  winter  pelage. — Pure  white  except  small  black  tips  of  ears. 

Skull. — Large  and  massive;  largest  of  the  American  Arctic  hares, 
even  exceeding  in  size  the  skull  of  grcenlandicus,  from  which  the  short, 
heavy  mandible  and  strongly  incurved  upper  incisors  at  once  dis- 
tinguish it;  general  proportions  and  appearance  closely  like  that  of 
arcticus,  but  much  larger,  with  very  broad  and  heavy  zygomatic  arch, 
anterior  end  of  zygomatic  arch  heavier  and  more  smoothly  rounded 
than  in  the  other  forms. 

Reworks. — The  present  species  is  remarkable  for  its  dark  blackish 
brown  color  in  summer,  its  large  size,  massive  skull,  and  extremely 
large  hind  feet.  The  dark  color  contrasts  strikingly  with  the  pale 
iron  grays  of  the  summer  pelage  in  canus  and  other  eastern  forms  of 
arcticus.  While  only  one  summer  skin  has  been  available,  yet  a 
fairly  good  series  of  over  a  dozen  good  adult  skulls  from  various 
localities  agree  in  their  great  size  and  other  characters,  which  appear 
to  confirm  the  validity  of  otlius  as  a  well-marked  species.  Lepus  othus 
is  extremely  rare  in  collections.  The  only  summer  specimen  I  have 
seen  is  the  Kotzebue  Sound  example  in  the  Philadelphia  Academy  of 
Sciences,  which  is  described  above.  It  is  possible  that  material  from 
the  northern  coast  east  of  Point  Barrow  may  prove  the  intergrada- 
tion  of  othus  with  canus  or  arcticus,  but  the  series  now  available 
shows  no  signs  of  this. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  13,  from: 

Alaska:  Kotzebue  Sound   (Choris  Peninsula),  1;  Nulato  River,  1;   St. 
Michael,  10;  Yukon,  1. 


1909.]  UEPUS   ARCTICUS   GROUP POADEOMUS.  71 

LEPUS  POADEOMUS  Mebriam. 
Alaska  Peninsula  Hare. 

Lepus  poadromus  Merriam,  Proc.  Washington  Acad.  Sci.,  II,  p.  29,  March  14, 
1900.  Type  from  Stepovak  Bay,  Alaska  Peninsula;  No.  9S068,  ad.,  U.  S. 
National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection)  ;  collected  by  Charles 
Palache,  July  9,  1899. 

Geographic  distribution. — Peninsula  of  Alaska  and  Bristol  Bay 
district  of  Alaska.  Vertical  range  from  sea  level  up  to  an  unde- 
termined altitude;  zonal  range,  Arctic. 

General  characters. — In  summer,  upperparts  dull  cinnamon  brown, 
becoming  distinctly  rusty  or  reddish  cinnamon  on  head;  tail  very 
small,  dusky  gray  above  and  below ;  front  feet  brownish  cinnamon ; 
hind  feet  white. 

Color  in  summer  pelage. — Head  grizzled  rusty  brownish  cinnamon, 
becoming  plain  dull  dark  reddish  cinnamon  about  nose  and  around 
eyes  on  sides  of  head;  a  narrow  patch  of  dull  buffy  on  upper  and 
lower  eyelid ;  front  of  fore  legs  and  tops  of  fore  feet  grizzled  brown- 
ish cinnamon  a  little  paler  than  sides  of  head ;  entire  back  and  sides 
of  body  dark  cinnamon  brown  more  dusky  and  less  reddish  than 
head,  and  finely  but  thinly  grizzled  with  dull  buffy  or  dull  grayish 
buffy;  rump  more  dusky  than  top  of  back  and  forming  a  poorly 
defined  dusky  rump  patch ;  outside  of  hind  legs  dull  cinnamon  brown 
much  like  back,  but  a  little  paler;  tops  of  hind  feet  white;  tail 
smaller  and  shorter  than  in  any  other  member  of  the  group,  and 
otherwise  strikingly  peculiar  in  being  dusky  gray  above  and  dingy 
gray  below,  the  color  on  upperside  being  produced  by  a  mixture  of 
grayish  white  and  blackish  hairs;  underside  of  neck  dull  slightly 
cinnamon  brownish,  a  little  duller  than  sides  of  body ;  chin  whitish, 
shading  back  into  dull  whitish  gray  on  rest  of  underside  of  head; 
middle  of  underside  of  body  from  breast  to  base  of  tail  and  inside 
of  legs  pure  white;  sides  of  abdomen  mainly  dull  brownish  gray; 
outside  of  ears  in  front  grizzled  cinnamon  brown,  much  like  back, 
but  becoming  more  dusky  on  terminal  half;  outside  of  ears  on 
posterior  half  whitish,  becoming  pure  white  along  posterior  border; 
anterior  border  on  terminal  half  whitish,  shading  into  a  small, 
indistinct,  dusky  tip ;  inside  of  ears  brownish  and  dusky  overlaid  and 
mixed  with  grayish  white  hairs. 

Skull. — Closely  similar  to  arcticus,  but  rather  slenderer,  with  nasals 
averaging  shorter;  distinguishable  at  once  from  othus  by  small  size 
and  slender  proportions. 

Measurements  (1  skin). — Total  length,  600;  tail  vertebras,  53;  hind 
foot,  147 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  78. 

Remarks. — This  species,  judging  from  the  single  summer  skin  at 
hand,  is  the  most  strongly  marked  externally  of  any  member  of  the 


72  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

group.  Its  dark  cinnamon-brown  color  and  short  dusky  tail  being 
quite  unlike  anything  else.  With  such  striking  external  markings 
the  surprising  lack  of  characters  in  the  skulls,  of  which  a  good 
series  of  adults  is  in  the  Biological  Survey  collection,  is  remark- 
able. So  far  as  known,  poadromus  has  a  very  restricted  distribution. 
A  broken  skull  from  Nushagak,  at  the  head  of  Bristol  Bay,  is  like 
skulls  of  poadromus  from  Becharof  Lake.  A  winter  skin  from 
Nushagak  is  pure  white  with  small  black  tips  to  the  ears,  showing 
that  this  species  has  the  customary  winter  pelage. 
Total  number  of  specimens  examined  10,  from : 

Alaska:  Between  Portage  Bay  and  Becharof  Lake  (Alaska  Peninsula),  6; 
Cold  Bay  (Alaska  Peninsula),  1;  Kewatna  Bay,  Shelikoff  Strait 
(Alaska  Peninsula),  1;  Nushagak,  1  ;  Stepovak  Bay  (Alaska  Penin- 
sula), 1. 

LEPUS  CAMPESTRIS  Group   (Subgenus  LEPUS). 

WHITE-TAILED  JACK  RABBITS. 

Strictly  speaking,  the  white-tailed  jack  rabbits  are  hares,  and 
belong  to  the  subgenus  Lepus.  The  group  consists  of  a  single  species, 
L.  campestris,  and  its  two  subspecies,  townsendi  and  sierrce.  They 
are  large,  heavy  bodied  animals,  with  a  combination  of  external  and 
skull  characters  which  place  them  in  a  nearly  intermediate  position 
between  the  typical  Arctic  hares  and  the  black-tailed  jack  rabbits  of 
the  subgenus  Macrotolagus.  The  long  ears  and  long,  slender  legs 
give  campestris  and  its  subspecies  much  similarity  in  form  to  the 
black-tailed  jack  rabbits,  while  the  skull  is  much  more  like  those  of 
the  arcticus  group.  This  intermediate  character  of  campestris  is 
made  still  more  significant  by  the  fact  that  its  range  also  is  in  the 
country  intermediate  between  the  areas  occupied  by  the  Arctic  hares 
and  the  black-tailed  jack  rabbits  (see  fig.  4).  The  close  resemblance 
between  occasional  skulls  of  campestris  and  of  Lepus  calif omicus 
melanotis  from  overlapping  parts  of  their  ranges  on  the  southern 
part  of  the  Great  Plains  has  been  mentioned  elsewhere. 

The  type  of  campestris  came  from  the  extreme  northern  border  of 
its  range,  near  Carlton  House,  on  the  plains  of  the  North  Fork  of  the 
Saskatchewan  Kiver,  Canada.  From  that  region  south  it  occupies 
the  Great  Plains,  lying  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  to  Kansas  and 
Colorado.  Within  the  United  States  the  species  crosses  the  Rocky 
Mountains  and  extends  through  the  Great  Basin  to  the  east  slopes  of 
the  Sierra  Nevada  and  Cascade  Mountains.  East  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains only  typical  campestris  is  known,  but  west  of  these  mountains 
differences  in  local  conditions  have  modified  the  species  into  two  geo- 
graphic races,  townsendi  and  sierra.    L.  campestris  as  a  species  is 


1909.]  LEPUS    CAMPESTRIS   GROUP.  73 

usually  characteristic  of  broad,  open  plains,  but  it  follows  open  coun- 
try up  mountain  slopes  to  altitudes  varying  from  10,000  to  12,000 
feet  in  both  the  Rocky  and  the  Sierra  Nevada  mountains  (see  fig.  T). 
The  southern  border  of  their  range  overlaps  the  northern  part  of  the 
range  of  the  black-tailed  jack  rabbits. 

In  the  northern  and  most  elevated  parts  of  their  range,  wherever 
the  "winters  are  severe  and  accompanied  by  regular  snowfall,  campes- 
tris, townsendi,  and  sierra?  have  a  nearly  pure  white  winter  pelage, 
its  thickness  and  whiteness  increasing  northward.  In  the  extreme 
southern  parts  of  their  ranges,  where  the  winters  are  milder  and  the 
snowfall  irregular,  the  winter  coat  is  rarely  or  never  as  completely 
white  as  it  is  farther  north,  but  is  more  or  less  buffy  on  the  head  and 
upperparts  of  the  body.  In  summer  the  top  of  the  back,  sides  of  the 
body,  and  rump  are  practically  of  the  same  shade;  but  in  winter 
specimens  in  which  the  change  of  color  is  incomplete,  the  rump  and 
sides  of  the  bod}7  are  distinctly  paler  than  the  top  of  the  head  and 
back,  thus  imitating  imperfectly  the  distribution  of  color  on  the 
white-sided  jack  rabbits.  The  subspecies  townsendi  commonly  has 
the  top  of  the  tail  mixed  with  black,  and  this  character  is  most 
strongly  developed  in  southwestern  Colorado.  One  specimen  from 
Coventry,  Colorado,  has  the  top  of  the  tail  occupied  by  a  broad  band 
of  black,  almost  as  large  as  in  a  strongly  marked  form  of  the  black- 
tailed  group,  and  in  this  region  narrow  but  continuous  median  black 
lines  on  the  tail  are  usually  present.  In  true  campestris  the  tails  are 
nearly  always  uniformly  white  and  never  so  strongly  marked  as  in 
these  extreme  cases  of  townsendi.  The  ranges  of  the  subspecies  cam- 
pestris and  townsendi  meet  along  the  summit  of  the  Rocky  Mountains 
in  Colorado.  Using  the  color  of  the  upperparts  in  summer  pelage 
as  a  criterion,  specimens  from  the  east  and  west  drainages  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains  fall  respectively  into  two  sets  marked  by  color 
differences;  typical  campestris  is  yellowish  buffy,  while  townsendi 
and  sierrce  are  distinctly  gray.  Northern  specimens  of  campestris  in 
full  white  winter  pelage  have  a  strong  general  resemblance  to  winter 
specimens  of  Arctic  hares;  but  the  buffy  tips  of  the  underfur  of 
campestris  contrasted  with  the  pure  white  underfur  of  the  Arctic 
hares  is  an  unmistakable  character. 


74  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

Average   measurements   of  Lepus   campestris   and   subspecies. 


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Hope  Valley,  California 
(type). 

a  The  skull  of  the  type  is  broken  ;  the  skull  measurements  given  here  are  the  averages 
of  two  adults  from  Mono  Lake,  California. 

LEPUS  CAMPESTRIS  Bachman. 

White-Tailed  Jack  Rabbit. 

(PI.  IV,  fig.  3;  PL  V,  fig.  3.) 

Lepus  campestris  Bachman,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Philadelphia,  VII,  pt.  2,  pp. 
349-353,  1837.  Type  from  plains  of  the  Saskatchewan,  Saskatchewan, 
Canada,  probably  from  near  Carlton  House;  collected  by  John  Richardson. 

Geographic  distribution. — Great  Plains  of  Saskatchewan  in  Al- 
berta, Saskatchewan,  and  Manitoba,  Canada,  and  thence  south  on 
plains  of  the  United  States,  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  over  Mon- 
tana, Wyoming  (except  extreme  southwestern  part),  the  Dakotas, 
Minnesota  to  extreme  southeastern  corner  (Lanesboro),  Iowa  east 
to  the  Mississippi  River  (Muscatine),  Nebraska,  northern  half  of 
Kansas,  Colorado  east  of  summit  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  mid- 
dle northern  border  of  New  Mexico.  Vertical  range  from  less  than 
1,000  feet  in  Iowa  up  to  at  least  10,000  feet  on  the  mountains  of 
Colorado ;  zonal  range,  mainly  Upper  Sonoran  and  Transition  on  the 
plains  of  the  western  United  States,  extending  into  Canadian  on  the 
mountains  and  in  the  northern  part  of  its  range. 

General  characters. — A  large,  heavy  bodied  species,  usually  with 
the  tail  at  all  seasons  entirely  white ;  two  annual  molts ;  upperparts 
of  body  in  summer  becoming  light  yellowish  buffy;  in  winter  pure 
white,  except  in  extreme  southern  part  of  range,  where  back  becomes 
pale  buffy  gray  and  sides  of  body  and  rump  whitish;  ears  always 
buffy  or  buffy  gray  with  black  tips,  except  in  winter  in  extreme  north- 
ern part  of  range,  where  mainly  w7hite  with  black  tips. 

Color  in  fresh  summer  pelage. — Top  and  sides  of  head  and  body 
nearly  uniform,  varying  from  a  pale  dull  golden  gray  to  dull  yel- 


1909.]  LEPUS    CAMPESTRIS    GROUP CAMPESTRIS.  75 

lowish  buffy  gray,  usually  underlaid  and  darkened  by  the  brownish 
color  of  underfur  showing  through;  sides  of  head  slightly  paler  or 
grayer  than  back,  with  sides  of  nose  and  ring  around  eyes  white 
(yellowish  buffy  in  young  individuals)  ;  nape  pale  dull  buffy,  vary- 
ing to  buffy  whitish  and  dull  grayish ;  rump  similar  to  rest  of  back, 
but  a  little  paler  on  sides;  entire  tail  usually  white,  but  sometimes 
with  more  or  less  dusky  hairs  along  middle  of  upperside,  even  to  the 
extent  of  forming  a  narrow,  dusky  median  line ;  front  and  outside  of 
fore  legs,  including  tops  of  fore  feet,  dingy  buffy,  sometimes  more  or 
less  tinged  with  grayish  and  sometimes  with  ochraceous;  outside  of 
hind  legs  a  little  duller  and  usually  more  of  a  drab  gray  than  back; 
tops  of  hind  feet  whitish,  sometimes  tinged  with  buffy ;  rump  in  mid- 
summer similar  to  rest  of  back,  but  pale  (especially  on  sides)  in  early 
spring  and  late  fall;  underside  of  neck  varies  from  dull  buffy  with 
a  grayish  tinge  to  dull  ochraceous  buffy;  rest  of  underparts  white; 
ears  on  outside  of  anterior  half  dusky  brownish,  heavily  washed  with 
ochraceous  buffy  and  varying  to  paler  buffy  gray;  anterior  border 
strongly  edged  with  ochraceous  buffy,  varying  to  dull  buffy  or  gray- 
ish buffy  in  the  grayer-eared  specimens;  posterior  half  of  outside  of 
ear  white,  with  a  broad  terminal  black  patch  extending  to  include 
border  of  ear  at  tip ;  inside  of  ear  with  a  long  dusky  patch  near  pos- 
terior side  more  or  less  grizzled  with  buffy  or  buffy  gray,  and  a  paler, 
more  whitish,  or  buffy  whitish  edging  along  posterior  border. 

Winter  pelage. — In  the  northern  part  of  the  range— Canada,  Mon- 
tana, Wyoming,  the  Dakotas,  and  Minnesota — the  summer  coat 
changes  in  winter  to  pure  white,  except  irregular  areas  on  tops  of 
fore  feet,  on  top  of  nose,  and  about  eyes,  which  become  fulvous  buffy; 
front  and  inside  of  ears  become  deep  rusty  or  reddish  ochraceous  buffy 
underlaid  with  dusky  or  dark  buffy  gray,  well-marked  patch  at  pos- 
terior tip  always  glossy  black,  as  in  summer  pelage ;  underfur  on  back, 
neck,  and  head  usually  dark  pinkish  buffy  approaching  reddish  brown 
in  some  specimens  and  showing  more  or  less  through  wherever  the 
heavy  overlying  white  coat  is  disturbed. 

In  southern  part  of  range  from  Colorado,  east  of  Rocky  Mountains, 
through  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  winter  change  much  less  complete; 
head,  ears,  back,  and  sides  of  body  merely  become  much  paler  buffy 
than  in  summer  and  rump  and  hind  legs  whitish  with  a  slight  buffy 
wash.  Some  individuals,  notably  from  Denver,  Colorado,  and  Valen- 
tine, Nebraska,  have  rump,  shoulders,  and  sides  of  neck  and  body 
more  whitish  than  top  of  head  and  middle  of  back;  the  latter  area 
grayish  buffy  in  the  Denver  specimen  and  whitish  with  a  strong 
brownish  tinge  in  the  Nebraska  one.  One  winter  specimen  from 
El  Paso  County,  Colorado,  has  head,  ears,  and  body  dark  buffy, 
nearly  as  in  summer,  but  rump  distinctly  paler  and  more  dirty  whit- 
ish, forming  a  well-marked  rump  patch. 


76  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

Skull. — Comparatively  short,  high  arched,  with  extremely  broad 
nasals,  giving  a  broad  blunt  rostrum;  interorbital  area  strongly 
depressed  between  high-arched,  wing-like  supraorbitals;  anterior 
process  of  supraorbital  well  developed  and  inclosing  a  deep,  irregular 
notch;  postorbital  process  short,  broad  at  base,  and  tapering  rapidly 
to  a  blunt  point,  which  usually  stands  out  widely  divergent  from 
skull,  with  a  broad,  deep  notch  between ;  but  not  rarely  the  posterior 
point  extends  back  to  meet  a  bony  process  on  squamosal  and  thus  in- 
closes a  broad  obovate  foramen;  braincase  broad,  depressed,  or  flat- 
tened above,  more  or  less  angularly  ridged  on  sides;  bulla?  medium 
sized,  proportionately  smaller  than  in  the  Lepus  calif  ornicus  group ; 
rather  flattened  below  and  irregular  in  outline;  zygomatic  arch  mas- 
sive; malars  broad,  flat,  with  a  deep  pit  anteriorly;  molar  series 
broad  and  massive;  rostrum  deep  and  broad  at  base,  with  premaxil- 
laries  tapering  to  a  slender  and  projecting  point  and  long  incisors, 
thus  giving  this  part  of  rostrum  below  nasals  a  more  strongly  ex- 
tended form  than  in  the  black-tailed  jack  rabbits,  with  incisors  less 
strongly  incurved ;  postpalatal  fossa  very  broad  and  deep. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults) . — Total  length,  605 ;  tail  vertebrae, 
92 ;  hind  foot,  149 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  95.6. 

Remarks. — Summer  specimens  of  campestris  show  considerable 
individual  variation  in  color  on  the  upperparts  of  the  head  and  body, 
from  dark  yellowish  buffy,  with  the  underlying  dusky  brownish 
ground  color  showing  through  and  darkening  the  general  effect,  to  a 
much  paler  and  brighter,  or  more  golden,  buffy  varying  to  grayish 
buffy.  The  yellowish  shade  is  always  present  and  usually  strongly 
marked  as  compared  with  the  clearer  gray  of  toicnsendi  and  sierra?. 
In  full  summer  pelage  in  all  parts  of  its  range  this  form  appears  to 
have  the  rump  very  slightly  if  any  paler  than  the  back.  The  traces 
of  black  or  dusky  along  the  top  of  the  tail  are  more  often  present  in 
summer  than  in  winter,  and  are  most  frequently  present  in  specimens 
from  the  southern  half  of  its  range.  The  change  into  the  pale  winter 
pelage  takes  place  between  the  last  of  October  and  the  end  of  Novem- 
ber. Usually  the  first  change  is  the  appearance  of  a  paler  rump 
patch.  One  individual  from  Park  County,  Montana,  had  scarcely 
begun  to  change  on  October  25,  while  one  from  Valentine,  Nebraska, 
had  taken  on  the  pale  winter  coat  by  November  13.  Midwinter  speci- 
mens from  Denver  and  from  El  Paso  County,  Colorado,  have  strongly 
buffy  backs,  darker  than  those  from  Nebraska  at  the  same  season. 
There  is  a  great  amount  of  variation  in  the  winter  coat  between  these 
buffy  backed  Colorado  animals  and  the  pure  white  ones  from  farther 
north.  The  reddish  buffy  or  buffy  brown  color  of  underfur  of  the 
white  winter  animals  varies  much  in  intensity  and  in  the  amount 
of  suffusion  it  shows  about  the  head  and  neck.     A  February  specimen 


1909.]  LEPUS   CAMPESTRIS   GROUP CAMPESTRIS.  77 

from  Fort  Custer,  Montana,  has  the  strong  reddish,  almost  chestnut 
brown,  color  on  the  underfur  showing  conspicuously  through  the 
rather  thin  overlying  layer  of  white  on  the  surface  of  the  upperparts, 
especially  on  the  neck.  The  surface  of  the  white  on  the  middle  of 
the  back  in  this  specimen  is  washed  with  rusty  buffy,  giving  the 
appearance  of  a  slightly  scorched  area ;  the  tops  of  the  fore  feet  are 
rich  rusty  buffy  and  the  hind  feet  strongly  patched  with  a  paler 
shade  of  the  same,  mixed  with  white. 

The  various  stages  of  the  molt  into  summer  or  winter  pelage,  in 
addition  to  individual  variation,  make  up  an  almost  endless  amount 
of  difference  among  individuals  of  this  species.  True  L.  campestris 
appears  to  be  limited  to  the  region  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
Two  specimens  from  central  northern  New  Mexico  belong  here. 
The  darkest  and  most  brownish  buffy  individual  seen  is  one  shot 
October  10  in  Trego  County,  Kansas.  Two  specimens,  one-fourth 
grown,  collected  at  Fort  Pierre,  South  Dakota,  the  last  of  May,  have 
a  slightly  reddish  brown  shade  over  the  entire  upperparts  and  are 
washed  and  grizzled  on  the  surface  with  silvery  gray. 

A  series  of  four  adults  from  Madison,  Minnesota,  are  the  largest 
examined  from  any  part  of  the  range,  and  unless  these  individuals 
were  chosen  by  the  collector  from  a  large  number  on  account  of  their 
size,  then  campestris  must  reach  its  greatest  average  size  in  this 
region. 

The  type  of  campestris  was  a  mutilated  hunter's  skin  in  winter 
pelage.  It  was  collected  by  Richardson,  who  states  that  the  species 
was  common  on  the  plains  of  the  North  and  South  Saskatchewan 
rivers.  E.  A.  Preble,  in  the  light  of  his  knowledge  of  the  country 
and  of  the  work  of  the  early  explorers  in  northern  Canada,  considers 
it  probable  that  Richardson's  specimen  came  from  near  Carlton 
House,  on  the  lower  course  of  the  North  Fork  of  the  Saskatchewan 
River.  Preble  considers  Richardson's  northern  limit  of  55°  latitude 
for  the  species  as  almost  certainly  erroneous.  The  specimen  killed 
by  Drummond  in  September  on  the  North  Saskatchewan  above  Carl- 
ton House  is  the  northernmost  record  we  know  for  this  species. 
The  amount  of  white  in  the  winter  pelage  increases  steadily  to  the 
northward  until  near  the  northern  border  of  its  range  campestris 
in  winter  becomes  almost  as  completely  white  externally  as  the  Arctic 
hares. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  132,  from  : 

Manitoba  (Canada):  Carberry,  1. 
Saskatchewan  (Canada):  Indian  Head,  1. 
Alberta  (Canada):   Greenfield,  1. 
Minnesota:  Grant  County,  2;  Madison,  4. 
Iowa:  Ruthven,  3. 

North  Dakota:  Devil  Lake,  1;  Fort  Pierre,  1 ;  Fort  Union,  1;  Harrisburg, 
1 ;  Mandan,  1. 


78  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

South  Dakota:  Corral  Draw,  4;  Deadwood,  1;  Fort  Meade,  1;  Pierre,  1; 

Rapid  City  2;  Sioux  Falls,  1. 
Nebraska:  Fort  Kearney,  1;  Loup  Fork,  1;  Perch,  1;  Platte  River  (90 

miles  above  Fort  Kearney),  1;  Valentine,  1. 
Kansas:  Coyote  Station,  2;  Garden  City,  2;  Lawrence,  2;  Long  Island,  1; 

Red    Fork    (60   miles   west   of   Fort   Riley),    1;    Winona,   6;    Trego 

County,  4. 
Montana:  Chief  Mountain,  1;  Cinnabar,  1;  Fort  Custer,  2:  Frenchman 

River,  1 ;  Little  Dog  Creek,  1 ;  Porcupine  River,  1 ;  Powder  River,  1 ; 

Robare,  1;  Three  Buttes,  2;  Yellowstone  River   (Three  Buttes),  1. 
Wyoming:  Big  Piney,  1  ;  Bitter  Creek,  1;  Bridger  Pass,  5;  Cheyenne,  2; 

Deer  Creek,  6 ;   Devil  Tower,  1 :   Douglas,  2 ;   Fettermann,   1 ;   Fort 

Sanders,  1 ;  Fort  Steele,  1  ;  Medicine  Bow  Mountains,  1 ;  Meriden,  1 ; 

Newcastle,  3 ;  Percy,  6 ;  Rock  Creek,  1 ;  Spring  Creek,  1 ;  Wamsutter, 

2;  Woods  post-office,  1;  Yellowstone  Park  (head  of  Glenn  Creek),  1. 
Colorado:  Antonito,  1;  Cache  la  Poudre  River,  1;  Colorado  Springs   (15 

miles  east),  1;  Como,  1;  Deer  Creek,  1;  Denver,  1;  East  Dale,  1; 

Eastonville.  2;  Fort  Garland,  1;  Longmont,  1;  Loveland,  5;  Medano 

Ranch  (15  miles  northeast  of  Mosca),  6;  Mount  Whiteley  (25  miles 

north  of  Kremmling),  1;   Payton,  1;    Salida,   1;    Sterling,   1;   Villa 

Grove,  5. 
New  Mexico:  Hopewell,  1. 

LEPUS  CAMPESTRIS  TOWNSENDI  Bachman. 

Western  White-tailed  Jack  Rabbit. 

Lepus  toionscndi  Bachman,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Philadelphia,  VIII,  pt.  1,  pp. 
90-94,  pi.  II,  1839.  Type  from  old  Fort  Walla  Walla,  Washington ;  9  yg. ; 
(present  location  unknown;  probably  no  longer  extant)  ;  collected  by  J.  K. 
Townsend. 

Geographic  distribution. — Great  Basin  region,  including  east  slopes 
of  Cascade  Range,  and  thence  east  to  Rocky  Mountains,  occupying 
eastern  Washington  and  Oregon,  and  north  to  Fairview,  in  Okanogan 
Valley,  British  Columbia ;  and  from  the  northeastern  corner  of  Cali- 
fornia easterly  through  northern  Nevada,  western  and  southern 
Idaho,  extreme  southwestern  Wyoming,  most  of  Utah,  and  Colorado 
from  western  border  to  summit  of  Rocky  Mountains.  Vertical  range 
from  about  1,000  feet  in  eastern  Washington  to  12,000  feet  in  Colo- 
rado; zonal  range  mainly  Upper  Sonoran  and  Transition,  but  reaches 
up  to  Hudsonian  in  the  mountains  of  Colorado. 

General  characters. — In  summer  similar  to  campestris,  but  head  and 
body  nearly  uniform  gray,  entirely  lacking  the  yellowish  buffy  shade 
of  campestris.  Winter  specimens  in  white  pelage  not  distinguishable 
from  campestris,  except  by  the  smaller  size  and  narrower  black  tips 
to  ears;  in  southwestern  Colorado,  winter  specimens  not  white,  but 
top  of  back  becomes  pale  creamy  or  buffy  gray,  contrasting  with  the 
bright  yellowish,  almost  golden  buffy,  backs  of  some  winter  specimens 
of  campestris  from  east  of  the  mountains  in  Colorado. 


1909.]  LEPUS    CAMPESTRIS    GROUP TOWNSENDI.  79 

Color  of  fresh  summer  pelage. — Head  and  upper  parts  of  body 
nearly  uniform  dark  gray,  varying  from  an  almost  silvery  tone  to  a 
duller  and  slightly  pinkish  gray  with  an  underlying  brownish  shade ; 
underfur  tipped  with  dusky  brownish,  darker  and  less  buffy  than  in 
campestris ;  front  of  fore  legs  and  tops  of  fore  feet  dull  grizzled 
buffy  gray,  sometimes  becoming  dingy  buffy  on  tops  of  feet;  outside 
of  hind  legs  varying  from  plain  dull  gray  to  drab  gray ;  tail  white, 
sometimes  with  a  considerable  amount  of  dusky  or  black,  forming  a 
narrow  but  well-marked  median  line  on  top ;  tops  of  hind  feet  white, 
sometimes  with  a  slight  mixture  of  gray,  or  a  little  buffy  about  toes; 
nape  dingy  gray,  sometimes  with  a  smoky  brown  or  dull  buffy  brown 
suffusion ;  front  half  of  outside  of  ears  dusky  gray ;  posterior  half 
white  with  a  distinctly  more  restricted  black  tip  than  in  sierra*  or 
campestris ;  inside  of  ear  with  a  dusky  area  along  posterior  side  and 
bordered  anteriorly  with  dull  rather  pale  ochraceous  buffy;  pos- 
teriorly bordered  with  white,  the  latter  sometimes  suffused  with  deep 
buffy ;  tip  of  ears  in  front  edged  with  black ;  orbital  area  and  sides  of 
nose  sometimes  more  or  less  strongly  shaded  with  cinnamon  buffy; 
underside  of  neck  dull  drab  grayish  shaded  with  brownish  or  dull 
buffy,  distinctly  less  yellowish  and  more  brownish  gray  than  in 
campestris. 

Color  of  winter  pelage. — Specimens  from  Utah,  Nevada,  and  thence 
north  become  white  in  winter  and  practically  indistinguishable  from 
campestris  except  by  smaller  size  and  less  black  on  tips  of  ears; 
winter  specimens  from  southwestern  Colorado  become  much  more 
whitish  than  in  summer,  but,  as  in  the  case  of  campestris  east  of  the 
mountains  in  that  State,  only  a  partial  change  takes  place.  In  strong 
contrast  to  the  bright  yellowish  buffy  backs  of  Colorado  specimens  of 
campestris  in  winter,  toumsendi  from  the  same  State  at  this  season 
becomes  much  paler  or  more  whitish  on  shoulders,  sides  of  body,  and 
rump,  and  paler  buffy  gray  on  top  of  head  and  back;  the  ears  become 
paler  and  grayer  than  in  summer;  nape  grayish  white;  top  of  tail 
white  with  dusky  along  median  line  on  top,  varying  from  scattered 
hairs  to  a  strong  well-marked  black  band  in  several  specimens  from 
Coventry,  in  one  case  equaling  ordinary  texianus  in  amount  of  black; 
tops  of  fore  feet  and  legs  dingy  buffy  brownish  or  dull  grayish  buffy ; 
outside  of  hind  legs  whitish  or  dull  whitish  gray;  underside  of  neck 
varying  from  dull  brownish  buffy  to  dull  ecru  drab,  always  more  or 
less  strongly  washed  with  whitish  or  lighter  buffy;  well-marked 
rump  patch  dull  whitish,  varying  to  pale  dull  iron  gray. 

Two  white  winter  specimens  from  Utah  have  head  and  ears  much 
as  in  ordinary  campestris. 

Winter  pelage  (Osoyoos,  British  Columbia,  January  28,  1909). — 
Upperparts  of  head  and  body  pale  gray,  a  little  darker  on  top  of 
head  and  more  whitish  gray  on  sides  of  head,  body,  outside  of  thighs, 


80  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

and  on  rump;  tops  of  hind  feet  dull  whitish  mixed  with  dull  gray, 
with  a  little  dull  buffy  on  sides  of  feet  and  toes ;  tops  of  fore  feet  and 
legs  dingy  grayish  buffy;  outside  of  ears  in  front  slightly  darker 
gray  than  top  of  head;  tip  of  ears  with  a  narrow  black  border  in 
front  and  a  small  black  patch  about  half  an  inch  long  behind ;  under- 
side of  neck  dull  buffy  washed  with  whitish,  rest  of  underparts  pure 
white. 

This  specimen  shows  no  trace  of  the  salmon  buffy  so  conspicuous  on 
the  head,  ears,  and  legs  of  winter  specimens  of  L.  townsendi  sierrce. 

Skull. — Closely  similar  in  general  appearance  to  that  of  true 
campestris,  but  averages  smaller  and  lighter,  with  rostrum  narrower ; 
bullae  smaller;  palatine  foramina  narrower;  postpalatal  fossa  nar- 
rower ;  and  molar  series  smaller.  As  in  campestris  old,  much  ossified, 
specimens  have  point  of  postorbital  process  extending  back  to  touch 
small  process  on  squamosals,  thus  inclosing  a  broad  foramen;  ante- 
rior process  of  supraorbitals  in  such  individuals  often  extends  for- 
ward and  nearly  or  quite  closes  anterior  notch. 

The  skull  differences  given  above  are  merely  average,  as  many 
skulls  of  the  two  forms  are  practically  indistinguishable.  Skulls 
from  western  Colorado  are  larger  than  in  typical  townsendi,  and  in 
many  instances  are  indistinguishable  from  those  of  campestris  from 
east  of  the  mountains  in  that  State. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  575;  tail  ver- 
tebrae, 79 ;  hind  foot,  149 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  102. 

Remarks. — For  many  years  Lepus  townsendi  was  confused  with 
campestris  until  properly  characterized  by  Doctor  Merriam  in  a  re- 
vision of  the  campestris  group  published  in  1901.°  It  occupies  most 
of  the  elevated  plains  and  open  mountain  slopes  of  the  Great  Basin, 
and  becomes  white  in  winter  throughout  most  of  its  range,  except  in 
the  plains  of  the  Columbia  and  southwestern  Colorado,  where  the 
change  appears  to  be  incomplete.  The  summer  pelage  from  western 
Colorado  is  very  close  to  that  of  typical  townsendi,  but  the  dusky  or 
black  line  on  the  upper  side  of  the  tail  is  much  more  strongly  de- 
veloped and  in  some  cases  approaches  its  condition  in  the  black-tailed 
jack  rabbits.  L.  c.  townsendi  intergrades  with  campestris  in  middle 
southern  Colorado.  One  young  individual  from  Antonito  on  the 
south  central  border  of  the  State  is  as  gray  as  typical  townsendi. 
though  several  adults  from  the  same  section  are  nearer  campestris, 
though  evidently  intergrades.  An  April  specimen  from  Delta 
County  is  even  a  little  darker  gray  than  summer  specimens  of  town- 
sendi from  the  type  region,  but  the  front  border  and  inside  of  the 
ears  are  strongly  ochraceous  buffy,  the  head  and  body  are  tinged 
slightly  with  brownish,  the  tops  of  the  fore  feet  are  more  buffy,  and 

0  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XVII.  pp.  131-133.  1904. 


1909.]  LEPUS    CAMPESTKIS    GROUP TOWNSENDI.  81 

the  underside  of  the  neck  more  vinaceous  buffy.  This  specimen  is 
almost  exactly  duplicated  in  every  character  by  one  in  a  similar  condi- 
tion of  pelage  from  Goose  Lake,  California,  which  is  within  the  area 
occupied  by  typical  townsendi. 

The  material  collected  by  Warren  in  Colorado  during  the  summer 
of  1907  contains  some  interesting  records.  These  specimens  prove  the 
extension  of  the  range  of  townsendi  into  Middle  Park  and  up  to  the 
extraordinary  altitude  of  12,000  feet,  where  two  specimens  were 
secured  on  Mount  Baldy,  above  Boreas  Pass,  in  Summit  County. 
Among  these  specimens  those  from  Kremmling  in  Middle  Park, 
Yampa,  Routt  County,  and  McCoy,  Eagle  County,  are  intermediate 
in  color  between  typical  townsendi  and  campestris,  but  are  so  much 
grayer  than  the  latter  that  the  writer  refers  them  to  townsendi.  The 
Colorado  specimens  of  townsendi,  as  previously  noted,  have  distinctly 
larger  skulls  than  those  nearer  the  type  locality.  A  Kremmling 
specimen  is  the  darkest  example  of  townsendi  the  writer  has  seen, 
being  a  dusky  brownish  gray.  This  color  is  largely  due  to  the  strong 
dusky  subterminal  area  on  the  long  hairs  and  the  dark  buffy  brownish 
tips.  In  July  and  August  these  specimens  frequently  have  the  front 
of  the  ears  blackish  or  dusky  brownish,  owing  to  the  wearing  off  of 
the  overlying  long  hairs,  thus  exposing  the  dark  under  color. 

Specimens  from  the  headwaters  of  the  Arkansas  River  at  Salida 
and  from  San  Luis  Valley,  Colorado,  are  in  color  intergrades  between 
eamjiestris  and  townsendi,  but  in  size  are  nearest  campestris.  A  series 
of  winter  specimens  from  Coventry,  Colorado,  agree  in  having  the 
sides  of  the  body  and  the  rump  whitish,  with  the  top  of  the  back 
covered  with  a  buffy  grayish  mantle,  thus  producing  a  color  pattern 
very  similar  to  that  of  the  callotis  group  of  white-sided  jack  rabbits. 
There  is  considerable  variation  in  the  shade  of  the  buffy  gray  mantle 
on  the  backs  of  the  Coventry  series. 

In  a  letter  dated  February  11,  1909,  Mr.  C.  de  B.  Green,  of  Fair- 
view,  British  Columbia,  gives  the  first  definite  information  concerning 
the  distribution  and  abundance  of  L.  c.  townsendi  in  British  Colum- 
bia, as  follows: 

"  With  regard  to  this  animal  I  may  tell  you  that  from  1893  to  1903 
it  was  exceedingly  rare  and,  from  the  statements  of  the  Indians  and 
old  inhabitants,  always  had  been  rare.  I  can  show  how  rare  when 
I  say  that  during  those  ten  years  I  shot  three  specimens.  It  is  a  fact 
which  may  or  may  not  bear  on  the  case  that  in  1903  I  cleaned  out  the 
dusky  horned  owls  from  this  neighborhood;  in  1905  I  shot  23  hares 
and  about  the  same  in  the  succeeding  years.  I  think  these  owls  kept 
the  hares  near  the  point  of  extinction.  I  notice  that  the  golden  eagles 
are  now  making  serious  raids  upon  them.  Their  range  is  in  a  tract 
of  land  along  the  Okanogan  Valley  about  2  miles  wide  and  terminat- 
S5595— No.  29—09 6 


82  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

ing  at  Fairview,  20  miles  north  of  the  boundary  line;  also  in  Simil- 
kameen  Valley  for  20  miles  north  of  the  boundary.  So  far  they  have 
not  spread  farther  north  and  there  is  little  or  no  country  suitable  for 
them.  The  grease  brush  ends  at  Dog  Lake  and  they  will  probably 
spread  as  far  as  that  if  vermin  are  kept  down,  for  I  shot  a  pioneer  at 
White  Lake,  which  is  as  far  north  as  Dog  Lake,  but  farther  west. 
This  may  have  come  either  from  Keremeos,  via  Similkameen,  or  from 
Fairview,  via  the  Okanogan." 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  45,  from: 

British  Columbia:   Fairview  (Okanogan  Valley),  1. 

Washington:  Asotin,  2;  Kennewick,  1;  Mabton,  1;  Oroville,  1;  Pullman, 

1;  Toucher,  1. 
Oregon:  Antelope,  1 ;  Guano  Creek,  1 ;  Heppner,  1 ;  Umatilla,  1. 
California:  Fort  Crook,  1 ;  Goose  Lake,  1. 
Nevada:  Ruby  Valley,  2. 
Utah:  Kanab,  1;  Ogden,  2;  Salt  Lake,  1. 
Idaho:  Bear  Lake,  1 ;  Lemhi  River,  1 ;  Teton  Basin,  1. 
Wyoming:  Hams  Fork,  1 ;  Henrys  Fork,  1. 
Colorado:  Baldy  Mountain  (Summit  County),  2;  Coventry,  4;  Crawford, 

1 ;  Crested  Butte,  1 ;  Krenimling,  1 ;  McCoy,  1 ;  Mill  City,  1 ;  Sulphur 

Springs  (Grand  County),  8;  Tampa,  2. 

LEPUS  CAMPESTRIS  SIERR.E  Mebbiam. 

Siekba  White-tailed  Jack  Rabbit. 

Lepus  campcstris  sierra;  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XVII.  pp.  132- 
133,  July  14,  1904.  Type  from  Hope  Valley,  Alpine  County,  California. 
No.  67863,  9  ad.,  U.  S.  National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection)  ; 
collected  September  9,  1894,  by  F.   Stephens. 

Geographic  distribution. — In  summer,  high  slopes  of  Sierra 
Nevada  of  California,  probably  from  Mount  Shasta  south  to  Mount 
Whitney;  in  winter,  ranging  down  the  east  slope  to  Mono  Lake 
region  on  the  sagebrush  plains  of  eastern  California.  Vertical  range 
in  summer  from  about  9,000  to  over  12,000  feet;  zonal  range,  Boreal. 

General  characters. — Size  large ;  hind  feet  much  larger  and  ears 
longer  than  in  towns&ndi  or  campestris ;  color  in  summer  nearly  as  in 
townsendi;  in  winter  white,  with  front  of  ears,  top  of  head,  and  fore 
feet  strongly  pinkish  buffy  or  fulvous;  ears  strongly  tipped  with 
black. 

Color  in  summer  (type). — Scarcely  distinguishable  from  town- 
sendi; top  of  head,  with  back  and  sides  of  body,  nearly  uniform  dull 
grizzled  gray;  sides  of  head  nearly  same  color  as  body,  with  a  nar- 
row white  ring  about  eyes,  sides  of  nose  deep  fulvous  buffy;  tops  of 
fore  and  hind  feet  whitish  (perhaps  due  to  change  into  winter 
pelage)  ;  front  half  of  outside  of  ears  like  top  of  head,  but  strongly 
tipped  with  black ;  outside  of  ears  on  posterior  half  whitish,  with  a 
broad  black  patch  at  tip;  inside  of  ears  bordered  with  dull  fulvous 


1909.]  LEPUS    CAMPESTRIS    GROUP SIERRA.  83 

buffy,  tipped  with  black ;  tail  white,  with  a  narrow  dull  gray  median 
line  on  top ;  underside  of  neck  similar  to  sides  of  body ;  rest  of  under- 
pays white. 

Winter  pelage. — White,  with  the  buffy  of  underfill*  showing 
through  on  head  and  upperparts  of  body  enough  to  give  a  tinge  of 
buffy  or  brownish;  top  of  head  with  a  surface  mixture  of  grayish 
or  dull  buffy;  sides  of  nose,  front  half  of  ears  on  outside,  borders  of 
inside  of  ears,  and  tops  of  front  feet  usually  more  or  less  strongly 
vinaceous  buffy  or  fulvous  buffy,  giving  a  much  brighter  shade  to 
these  parts  than  in  eampestris  ;  tips  of  ears  strongly  margined  with 
black  anteriorly  and  with  a  broad  black  patch  posteriorly. 

Color  in  changing  pelage  in  fall  {Mono  Lake,  November) . — Head 
and  upperparts  of  body  lighter  gray  than  in  summer  and  rump 
changing  to  dingy  whitish ;  fore  and  hind  legs  and  feet  white,  with 
tops  of  fore  feet  more  or  less  overlaid  with  vinaceous  buffy ;  sides  of 
nose  and  exposed  parts  of  ears  vinaceous  buffy  varying  to  fulvous 
buffy  with  a  less  marked  tinge  of  same  mixed  with  gray  on  sides  and 
top  of  head;  some  individuals  have  head  and  ears  grayer,  with  a 
duller  tinge  of  buffy  on  sides  of  nose  and  on  ears,  more  as  in  summer 
but  paler. 

Skull. — Scarcely  distinguishable  from  that  of  townsendi. 

Measurements  {type,  ?  ad.). — Total  length,  635 ;  tail  vertebrae,  112; 
hind  foot,  167 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  108. 

Remarks. — The  range  of  sierrce  appears  to  be  restricted  to  the 
higher  parts  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  adjacent  eastern  slope  of 
California  in  the  Mono  Lake  region.  Its  strongest  characters  appear 
to  be  the  extraordinarily  large  hind  feet  and  long  ears.  The  summer 
pelage,  to  judge  from  the  type,  is  very  similar  to  that  of  townsendi. 
A  series  of  ten  fall  and  winter  specimens  of  sierra?  from  Mono  Lake, 
California,  differ  strikingly  from  eampestris  at  this  season  in  the 
strong  vinaceous  buffy  on  the  ears,  about  the  nose,  and  on  top  of  the 
fore  feet  of  a  majority  of  the  series.  This  contrasts  strongly  with 
the  buffy  (dark  ochraceous  buffy  in  richly  colored  specimens),  or 
buffy  gray,  on  the  ears  and  heads  of  winter  specimens  of  eampestris. 
Among  the  Mono  Lake  series,  however,  are  a  few  specimens  which  are 
not  different  in  color  from  eampestris.  The  vinaceous  buffy  on  head, 
ears,  and  feet  in  most  autumnal  and  to  a  less  degree  in  white  winter 
specimens  from  Mono  Lake  is  strongly  contrasted  with  the  dark 
gray  of  the  ears  and  dark  fulvous  buffy  on  the  sides  of  the  nose  of 
the  series  of  summer  specimens  of  typical  townsendi  and  of  the 
type  of  sierrce.  If  the  winter  specimen  of  townsendi  from  Osoyoos, 
British  Columbia,  is  typical,  then  the  differences  between  the  winter 
pelage  of  this  form  and  sierra3  are  well  marked.  The  backs  of  the 
November  specimens  from  Mono  Lake  are  lighter  and  a  little  more 
buffy  than  the  summer  pelage,  though  much  grayer  and  less  yel- 


84  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [xo.  29. 

lowish  than  campestris  in  the  same  pelage.  So  far  as  the  material 
at  hand  indicates,  sierra  becomes  white  in  winter  to  the  southern 
limit  of  its  range.  Although  so  large  and  conspicuous  when  moving 
about,  they  usually  lie  so  closely  hidden  and  are  so  strietty  nocturnal 
that  they  are  rarely  seen,  even  in  localities  where  their  tracks  and 
other  signs  are  abundant.  Their  range  covers  both  sides  of  the 
summit  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and  extends  12  or  15  miles  west  of  the 
summit  into  Tuolumne  Meadows,  its  greatest  extension  on  the  west 
side  of  the  mountains.  One  specimen  was  collected  by  E.  Heller  at 
Mount  Whitney,  the  extreme  southern  limit  of  the  subspecies.  Doc- 
tor Merriam  says  that  he  has  seen  signs  of  what  he  considers  this 
hare  as  far  north  as  the  timberline  meadows  of  Mount  Shasta. 
Total  number  of  specimens  examined  11,  from : 

California:  Hope  Valley  (Alpine  County),  1 ;  Mono  Lake,  10. 

LEPUS  AMERICANTJS  Group   (Subgenus  LEPUS). 
VARYING    HARES,    WHITE    RABBITS,    AND    SNOWSHOE    RABBITS. 

The  species  and  subspecies  included  in  this  group  are  Lepus  ameri- 
ca?ws,  L.  a.  struthopus,  L.  a.  virginianus,  L.  a.  phwo?iotus,  L.  a. 
bishopi,  L.  a.  macfarlani,  L.  a.  dalli,  and  L.  a.  columbiensis,  also 
Lepus  toashingtotii  and  L.  w.  klamathensis,  with  Lepus  bairdi  and 
L.  b.  cascadensis.  They  occupy  a  greater  area  than  any  other  group 
of  North  American  hares  or  rabbits,  and  yet,  to  the  majority  of 
people  in  the  United  States,  are  as  little  known  as  the  Arctic  hares. 
This  is  due  to  their  distribution,  which  is  mainly  from  the  northern 
border  of  the  United  States  to  the  northern  limit  of  trees  in  Canada 
and  Alaska.  They  range  entirely  across  the  continent  from  the 
Atlantic  coast  of  New  England  and  Canada  to  the  Pacific  coast  in 
Washington  and  British  Columbia  and  to  the  shore  of  Bering  Sea 
in  Alaska.  In  the  United  States  they  range  south  along  the  Alle- 
gheny Mountains  to  Virginia,  along  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  central 
New  Mexico,  and  along  the  Cascades  and  Sierra  Nevada  to  Donner, 
California  (see  fig.  8).  They  do  not  inhabit  the  low  country 
between  these  high  mountains,  except  along  the  extreme  northern 
border  of  the  United  States.  They  have  been  introduced  into  the 
island  of  Newfoundland,  but  are  not  known  on  Vancouver  and  Queen 
Charlotte  islands. 

All  of  these  hares  have  two  annual  molts  and,  with  the  exception 
of  L.  washingtoni  and  its  subspecies  klamathensis,  the  winter  pelage 
is  pure  white  in  strong  contrast  with  the  buffy  brown  summer  coat. 
L.  washingtoni  is  nearly  the  same  in  both  pelages,  and  Jdamathensis 
is  sometimes  the  same  and  sometimes  has  the  white  winter  coat  like 
most  other  members  of  the  group.  I  have  provisionally  recognized 
three  species,  although  the  large  series  of  specimens  examined  indi- 


1909.] 


LEPUS   AMERICAXUS    GROUP. 


85 


cate  that  when  sufficient  material  is  available  from  the  intermediate 
territory,  hairdi  and  washingtoni  with  their  subspecies  may  prove  to 
be  geographic  races  of  Lepus  americanus.  To  settle  this  perplexing 
question,  specimens  from  numerous  points  in  the  mountains  of 
Oregon,  Washington,  and  British  Columbia  are  needed. 


I.  0A VftDt 

L.sj/po/  c/fsc/fosAfs/s 


2  |  L/V/ISH/A/GTOH/ 

3  |  L .  W/ISH'A/670Af/  Kl./)Ms4TH£NS/S 

4  \L.  JM£R/C/l/i/US  COLUM8/£/VS/S 

H  L/tMS/r/cxA/e/s  s/shop/ 


L .  /?M£RtC/W(/S 
L .  /)M£R/C/INUS  V/ff6/N//IN(JS 
L./fM£R/C/!NUS  STRUTHOPUS 
L.AM£R/C/IMS  Ptf/l£OA/Or(/S 
L.JMER/C/Wl/S  MJCf/lfflW 
L.*M£/?/C/IA/l/S  P/lUt 
Fig.   S. — Distribution  of  Lepus  americanus,  L.   bairdi,  L.   ivasliinytoni,  and  allied  forms. 

The  varying  hares  were  the  first  of  the  American  members  of  the 
Leporida?  to  become  known  to  naturalists.  Lepus  americanus,  the 
first  species  named,  was  described  from  specimens  collected  on 
the  shore  of  Hudson  Bay,  and  for  a  long  time  was  confused  with  the 
cottontails  of  the  eastern  United  States. 


86 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[  no.  29. 


In  size  and  color  they  vary  from  L.  americanus  virginianus,  the 
largest  and  most  richly  colored,  to  L.  washing to?ii  and  klamathensis, 
the  smallest  and  among  the  dullest  members  of  the  group.  The 
adults  of  most  of  the  southern  forms,  including  virgi?iianns,  strutho- 
pus,  columbiensis,  washingtoni,  and  klamathensis,  when  in  the  brown 
summer  coat,  have  the  upperside  of  the  hind  feet  brownish  buffy 
similar  to  the  body;  but  the  high  mountain  and  northern  forms, 
such  as  bairdi,  cascadcnsis,  macfarlani,  and  dalli  in  summer  have 
the  tops  of  the  hind  feet  white.  In  the  forms  in  which  the  adults 
have  the  hind  feet  white  in  summer,  the  young,  in  both  juvenal  and 
postjuvenal  pelages,  have  them  buffy  or  buffy  brown. 

The  seasonal  changes  of  pelage  in  this  group  result  from  a  com- 
plete molt  twice  a  year.  Owing  to  the  gradual  change  of  color 
during  the  molt  and  the  curious  effect  of  the  mixture  of  white  and 
buffy  hairs,  it  was  for  some  time  contended  that  the  color  of  the  new 
pelage  was  produced  by  changes  in  the  color  of  the  hairs  and  not  to' 
molt.  This  may  be  readily  disproved  by  a  careful  examination  of  a 
few  molting  specimens. 

Average  measurements  in  the  Lepus  americanus  group. 


Skin. 


cS 


Skull. 


X 


■-   S3 

2  ~ 

p. 

•£3  13 

pq 


5,  : 


Origin  of  specimens 
averaged. 


Lepus  americanus 

Lepus  americanus  stru- 

thopus. 
Lepus  americanus   vir- 

ginianus. 
Lepus  americanus  phse- 

onotus. 
Lepus  americanus  bish- 

opi. 
Lepus  americanus  mac- 

farlani. 
Lepus  americanus  dalli . 
Lepus    americanus    co- 

lumbiensis. 

Lepus  washingtoni 

Lepus  washingtoni  kla- 
mathensis. 
Lepus  bairdi 


Lepus  bairdi  cascadensis. 


43.0 
52.0 
49.0 
35.4 

42.0 


133  62. 
129  66. 


117 


13:. 


41.0125 
39. 0.126 


39.0146 


59.4 
60.5 
65.0  34 
59. 5  31 
57. 5!30 


20. 5  16. 3  20. 4 

7119.8  27. 
2  22. 0'29. 
6  20. 7  28. 


67.0 


62.7 


. .  62. 0 
.  0159. 7 


0  58. 7 
0  55. 1 


:v, 


3  21.1 

9  22.5 

i 
5  21.4 

0  22.0 

! 

0  20.8 

.7  21. 4 
.120.1 

.  8  19. 5 
.  8  18. 5 


23. 0  30 
20. 928 


LJ 


9i21.3  28 
3  20. 0  27 


318.5|26. 
4  17. 6  26. 


0.58. 8  31. 
3  59. 5  32. 


7,19. 9  16. 
0  19. 9 16. 


19.6 
19.4 


10. 5  Keewatin  and  Saskatche- 
wan. 

5  9. 2  Digby,  Nova  Scotia. 

6  10. 6  Pennsylvania. 

10.  4   Minnesota  and  Manitoba. 

2110.2]  Turtle  Mountains,  North 

Dakota. 
710.9  Mackenzie,  Canada. 

2!10.  6!  Near  Nulato,  Alaska. 
11. 3]  Central  British  Columbia. 

10. 4i  Western  Washington. 
9.  7   Fort  Klamath,  Oregon. 

10.5|  Wind  River  Mountains, 
Wyoming. 

10.7;  Near  Hope,  Cascade 
Mountains,  British  Co- 
lumbia. 


1909.]  LEPUS    AMERICANUS    GROUP AMERICANUS.  87 

LEPUS  AMERICANUS  Erxleben. 

Varying  Hare  or  White  Rabbit. 

(PI.  VI,  figs.  1.  4.) 

Lepus  americanus  Erxlebeu,  Syst.  Reg.  Anirn.,  pp.  330-331,  1777.  Description 
based  on  specimens  from  district  about  Forts  Severn  and  Cburcbill  on 
western  coast  of  Hudson  Bay,  Keewatin,  Canada.  No  definite  type.  Fort 
Severn  can  be  considered  tbe  type  locality. 

Lepus  hudsonius  Pallas,  Glires,  p.  30,  1778.  No  type  nor  locality  mentioned, 
but  name  and  context  place  it  here. 

Lepus  nanus  Scbreber,  Siiugth.,  IV,  pp.  880-885,  PI.  CCXXXIVB,  1790  (in 
part).  A  composite  of  Lepus  americanus  and  Sylvilagus  floridanus.  No 
type  nor  type  locality.     Range  given  from  Hudson  Bay  to  Florida. 

Geographic  distribution. — Region  about  southern  end  of  Hudson 
Bay,  including  southern  Keewatin ;  southeastern  Mackenzie ;  most  of 
Saskatchewan;  Manitoba;  east  through  northern  Ontario  (including 
Isle  Royale  and  Michipicoten  Island,  Lake  Superior)  ;  northern 
Quebec;  all  of  Ungava  except  extreme  northern  part;  Labrador; 
south  in  the  United  States  in  all  of  Michigan  north  of  Saginaw  (ex- 
cept western  half  of  northern  peninsula),  and  west  in  an  isolated 
colony  on  the  Bighorn  Mountains,  Wyoming.  Vertical  range,  from 
sea  level  at  Hudson  Bay  to  about  2,000  feet  near  Lake  Superior  and 
10,000  feet  in  the  Bighorn  Mountains  of  Wyoming;  zonal  range, 
mainly  Canadian. 

General  characters. — Upperparts  dusky  grayish  or  grayish  brown, 
much  duller  and  less  rusty  or  ochraceous  than  virginianus  ;  size 
smaller  and  skull  much  smaller  and  more  delicately  proportioned, 
with  rostrum  shorter  aud  proportionately  broader  at  base. 

Color  in  summer  pelage. — Top  of  head  dusky  yellowish  brown; 
sides  of  head,  especially  about  eyes,  a  clearer  shade  varying  from 
dull  cinnamon  buffy  to  dull  buffy;  upperparts  of  body  varying  from 
dusky  grayish  brown  to  dusky  buffy  brown ;  in  typical  specimens 
usually  grayer  and  less  dingy  yellowish  than  top  of  head;  intergrades 
with  virginianus  often  have  body  nearly  or  quite  as  yellowish  brown 
as  top  of  head;  middle  of  back  more  or  less  strongly  washed  with 
black,  often  forming  an  indistinct  blackish  band  along  middle ;  sides 
of  body  less  washed  with  black  and  grayer  or  paler  yellowish  brown; 
rump  a  little  more  heavily  washed  with  black  than  rest  of  back ;  top 
of  tail  black ;  underside  of  tail  white ;  front  of  fore  legs  and  tops  of 
fore  feet  much  like  top  of  head  and  more  rusty  yellowish  brown  than 
body ;  outside  of  hind  legs  with  a  band  of  buffy  or  ochraceous  buffy 
along  front  (next  white  underparts)  and  shading  off  into  dull  tawny 
brown;  tops  of  hind  feet  dull  ochraceous  buffy  varying  to  dingy 
white ;  nape  dull  dusky  gray  or  dusky  brown ;  basal  half  of  ears  on 


88  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

front  of  outside  like  top  of  head  and  becoming  more  dusky  toward 
tip ;  posterior  half  of  outside  of  ears  grayish  white  becoming  blackish 
in  a  broad  border  about  tip,  the  black  border  sometimes  extending 
entirely  around  tip  of  ears  on  outside;  inside  of  ears  grayish,  nar- 
rowly edged  all  around  with  white ;  underside  of  neck  dull  cinnamon 
varying  through  various  shades  of  buffy  cinnamon;  underside  of 
head  and  middle  of  abdomen  white ;  sides  of  abdomen  often  more  or 
less  encroached  on  by  color  of  flanks;  underfur  in  summer  dull  dark 
buffy  brown,  with  plumbeous  basal  zone  sometimes  broader  than  the 
terminal  one ;  underfur  in  winter  dull  dark  ochraceous  buffy,  with  a 
basal  plumbeous  zone  of  about  equal  width. 

Immature  pelage. — Upperparts  buffy  brown  grizzled  with  gray. 

Winter  pelage. — Pure  white,  but  border  of  ears  about  tip  slightly 
dusky. 

Skull. — Comparatively  small  and  light  with  rostrum  rather  short 
and  broad  at  base;  braincase  proportionately  rather  broad  and 
rounded,  but  a  little  depressed  on  top;  upper  outline  gently  decurv- 
ing  posteriorly;  frontal  area  immediately  back  of  base  of  rostrum 
broad  and  slightly  depressed;  supraorbital  process  small,  rather 
short,  and  tapering  irregularly  to  a  blunt  point  posteriorly,  and  very 
slightly  raised  above  plane  of  frontal  area ;  anterior  notch  small  and 
shallow;  posterior  notches  broad  and  deep,  and  skull  strongly  con- 
stricted and  narrow  between ;  posterior  tips  of  postorbital  processes 
standing  well  out  from  skull ;  zygomatic  arch  broad  and  heavy ;  mid- 
dle of  jugal  flat,  with  a  large  open  pit  anteriorly;  molar  series  heavy; 
bulla?  small,  smooth,  and  rounded  below  and  in  front,  but  flattened 
and  overlaid  posteriorly  by  a  rough  descending  process  of  the  occip- 
ital. In  all  the  forms  of  this  species  there  is  a  wide  range  in  the 
form  of  the  skull,  especially  in  the  basal  width  of  the  rostrum,  so 
that  only  average  characters  can  be  given. 

Average  measurements  {5  adults). — Total  length,  470;  tail  verte- 
bras, 43 ;  hind  foot,  133 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  62. 

Remarks. — The  original  description  of  Lepus  americanus  was  based 
on  accounts  of  Kalni,  Barrington,  and  Forster.  Kalm's  account  is 
a  composite  of  the  varying  hare  and  the  cottontail  of  the  eastern 
United  States,  and  may  be  dismissed  from  consideration.  The  ac- 
counts of  Barrington  and  Forster  were  both  based  on  reports  and 
specimens  collected  by  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  employees  in  the 
districts  about  Fort  Severn  and  Fort  Churchill,  on  the  southwestern 
coast  of  Hudson  Bay ;  but  Fort  Severn  appears  to  have  been  the  main 
locality,  and  this  may  be  considered  the  type  locality  for  americanus. 
A  considerable  series  of  specimens  from  Pennsylvania  north  to  the 
Arctic  coast  shows  that  the  dusky  grayish  brown  americanus  from 
the  southern  Hudson  Bav  region  increases  in  size  and  richness  of 


J90&.]  LEPUS    AMERICANUS    GROUP AMERICANUS.  89 

color  to  the  southward,  where  two  forms,  virginianus  and  struthopus, 
are  found  in  the  eastern  part  of  its  range.  About  Hudson  Bay  and 
adjacent  region  there  is  scarcely  a  trace  of  rusty  or  ochraceous  shades 
on  the  body,  but  in  Quebec,  Ontario,  and  Labrador  many  specimens 
have  been  examined  showing  all  degrees  of  intergradation  in  color. 
South  of  the  St.  Lawrence  River,  however,  dusky  gray  specimens 
like  typical  americanus  are  uncommon,  and  when  they  do  occur  their 
large  size  and  heavier  skull  show  their  identity  with  the  local  forms. 
Over  half  of  the  good  series  from  Hamilton  Inlet,  Labrador,  are  typi- 
cal americanus  in  color,  while  the  others  are  dull  ochraceous  brown 
closely  like  strut/wpits. 

To  the  northwest  from  the  type  region  there  is  a  gradual  increase 
in  size  and  slight  darkening  in  color,  forming  the  subspecies  mac- 
fuiUtni  of  the  Mackenzie  and  upper  Yukon  region. 

A  large  series  in  summer  pelage  from  Isle  Royale,  Lake  Superior, 
and  from  the  northern  part  of  the  southern  peninsula  of  Michigan, 
in  the  Museum  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  are  typical  americanus, 
without  a  trace  of  the  ochraceous  shade  characteristic  of  virginianus. 
It  was  most  surprising  to  find  that  a  series  of  four  summer  speci- 
mens from  the  Bighorn  Mountains,  Wyoming,  in  the  Biological  Sur- 
vey collection,  is  also  distinctly  referable  to  americanus  and  not  to 
bairdi.  These  four  specimens  are  dusky  iron  gray  on  the  body  and 
suffused  with  dull  buffy  on  the  head.  The  gray  of  the  body  averages 
a  little  paler  than  in  more  northern  specimens,  though  now  and  then 
equaled.  Otherwise  they  appear  to  be  quite  typical  in  size,  color, 
and  skull.  The  latter  can  be  matched  both  in  size  and  shape  by 
examples  from  Fort  Chipewyan,  Alberta.  They  have  the  same 
short  and  rather  broad  rostrum,  flattened  frontal  region,  and  supra- 
orbital processes  nearly  on  a  plane  with  the  frontals,  instead  of  being 
raised  above  it  as  in  most  examples  of  bairdi.  The  braincase  is  also, 
like  typical  americanus,  broader  and  more  flattened  than  in  bairdi, 
but  the  jugals  average  slenderer  and  more  as  in  the  last  form. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  90,  from : 

Wyoming:  Bighorn  Mountains,  4. 

Michigan:  Butter  Bridge  (Oscoda  County),  1;  Isle  Royale,  33;  Luzerne 
(Oscoda  County),  2;  Marquette,  1;  Saginaw  County,  1. 

Ontario  (Canada):  North  Bay  (Lake  Nipissing),  1;  Michipicoten  Is- 
land, 1. 

Manitoba  (Canada):  Dog  Lake,  1;  Sandy  Bay,  1. 

Saskatchewan  (Canada):  Indian  Head,  2;  Osier,  4. 

Alberta  (Canada):  Edmonton,  2;  50  miles  north  of  Edmonton,  1;  Fort 
Chipewyan,  7 ;  Bed  Deer,  1 ;  South  Edmonton,  2. 

Keewatin  (Canada):  Oxford  House,  4. 

Labrador  (Canada):  Black  Bay,  1 ;  Hamilton  Inlet.  14;  Lance  au  Loup,  1. 

Ungava  (Canada) :  Forks,  near  Chimo,  4 ;  Fort  Chimo,  1. 


90  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

LEPUS  AMERICANUS  STRUTHOPUS  Bangs. 

Nova  Scotia  Varying  Hare. 

Lepus  cmericanus  struthoptis  Bangs,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XII,  pp. 
81-S2,  March  24,  1898.  Type  from  Digby,  Nova  Scotia,  Canada ;  No.  2025. 
5  ad.,  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology  (Bangs  collection)  ;  collected  by 
Outram  Bangs,  August  4.  1804. 

Geographic  distribution. — Maine,  east  of  Penobscot  River,  Nova 
Scotia,  New  Brunswick,  eastern  Quebec  (south  of  lower  St.  Lawrence 
and  including  Magdalen  Islands),  and  Newfoundland.  Vertical 
range,  from  sea  level  up  to  over  2,500  feet  altitude  in  New  Brunswick; 
zonal  range,  Canadian. 

General  characters. — Size  nearly  the  same  as  in  americanus  but  ears 
longer;  color  similar  to  virginianus  but  duller  and  browner;  skull 
smaller  and  slenderer. 

Color  in  summer  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  upperparts  of  body 
cinnamon  brown  or  cinnamon  buffy  brown,  brightest  on  head  and 
darkened  with  a  wash  of  blackish  on  back;  sides  of  head  deep  cinna- 
mon, sometimes  around  eyes  and  sides  of  nose  almost  deep  dull 
ochraceous  buffy ;  sides  of  body  clearer  cinnamon  brown  than  back 
and  often  becoming  rusty  or  slightly  reddish  cinnamon  brown  on 
fore  feet  and  legs,  and  a  duller  shade  of  same  along  lower  border  of 
flanks,  front  of  hind  legs  and  tops  of  hind  feet ;  front  of  ears  on 
outside  similar  to  top  of  head,  but  a  black  border  near  tip ;  inside 
of  ears  more  or  less  cinnamon  brown  or  rusty  brown  with  a  border 
of  same  in  front  and  border  of  whitish  posteriorly ;  top  of  tail  black- 
ish; underside  of  neck  similar  to  sides  of  flanks  or  a  little  brighter 
more  rusty  cinnamon ;  rest  of  underparts  white,  sometimes  with  color 
of  lower  flanks  spreading  over  the  borders  of  abdomen ;  underf ur 
dull  dark,  slightly  ochraceous  buffy  brown  underlaid  with  plumbeous; 
in  winter  same  as  virginianus. 

Skull. — Very  similar  to  that  of  americanus,  but  averaging  a  little 
larger  with  narrower  braincase  and  slenderer  rostrum ;  slighthy  heav- 
ier zygomatic  arches  and  smaller  bulla?.  Nearer  in  size  to  americanus 
than  to  virginianus,  from  which  it  differs  in  smaller  size,  narrower 
rostrum,  narrower  postorbital  process,  and  slenderer  jugals. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  474;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 52 ;  hind  foot,  129 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  66. 

Remarks. — This  rather  poorly  marked  subspecies,  an  intergrade 
between  virginianus  and  americanus,  is  t}^pical  only  in  Nova  Scotia 
and  adjacent  parts  of  New  Brunswick.  Specimens  from  northern 
New  Hampshire  and  western  Maine  are  similar  to  strut  hopus  in  their 
small  size,  but  are  so  richly  colored  that  they  must  be  referred  to 
virginianus.    Specimens  from  Lake  Edward,  Quebec,  are  much  nearer 


1909.]  LEPUS   AMERICANUS   GROUP STRUTHOPUS.  91 

to  the  present  form  than  to  americanus,  though  grading  toward  the 
latter.  The  single  summer  skin  from  Newfoundland  is  close  to  typi- 
cal struthopus  in  color,  but  the  two  winter  skins  differ  in  having  the 
tops  of  the  feet  and  ears  strongly  overlaid  or  mixed  with  bright  cin- 
namon buff;  and  the  bright  cinnamon  buff  of  the  underfur  on  the 
upperparts  of  head  and  body  is  so  lightly  overlaid  with  white  that 
it  shows  through  and  tinges  the  color  of  the  upperparts  even  in  mid- 
winter. The  skulls  also  differ  somewhat  from  those  of  typical  strut ho- 
pus  in  having  an  even  slenderer  rostrum.  Although  these  animals 
were  introduced  into  Newfoundland  from  Nova  Scotia,  they  appear 
already  on  the  way  to  the  formation  of  a  distinct  subspecies. 

A  single  specimen  in  the  Carnegie  Museum,  an  adult  male  in  full 
summer  pelage,  taken  on  Grosse  Isle  July  1,  1901,  is  the  only  one 
from  the  Magdalen  Islands  seen  by  me.  In  color  it  is  absolutely 
indistinguishable  from  typical  americanus.  The  upperparts  of  the 
body  are  dusky  iron  gray,  with  a  wash  of  blackish  along  the  middle 
of  the  back  and  on  the  rump.  The  sides  of  the  body  are  paler ;  the 
head  and  bases  of  the  ears  in  front  are  like  the  back,  but  are  suffused 
with  dull  ochraceous;  the  underside  of  the  neck  and  a  line  along  the 
front  of  the  hind  legs  are  dull,  slightly  rusty,  ochraceous  buffy.  In 
color  this  specimen  is  almost  exactly  like  one  in  the  Biological  Survey 
collection  from  Oxford  House,  Keewatin,  Canada,  near  the  type 
region  of  americanus.  The  skull,  however,  is  that  of  struthopus,  to 
which  form  it  must  be  referred.  Mr.  Todd,  wTho  collected  this  speci- 
men, writes  that  he  saw  many  others  during  the  same  season,  all  simi- 
lar to  this,  but  during  the  summer  of  1907  Mr.  Osgood  spent  ten  days 
on  the  Magdalen  Islands  and,  aided  by  resident  hunters,  made  every 
effort  to  secure  more  of  these  rabbits,  without  even  seeing  fresh  signs 
of  one.  The  people  on  the  islands  informed  him  that  rabbit  tracks 
were  extremely  scarce  last  winter;  so  it  is  apparent  that  the  same 
cause  which  made  varying  hares  so  scarce  throughout  a  large  part 
of  Canada  in  1907  was  equally  effective  on  these  islands.  In  July, 
1907,  Mr.  Osgood  obtained  four  adult  topotypes  of  struthopiis,  and  it 
was  interesting  to  note  that  they  are  much  less  suffused  with  dull 
ochraceous,  and  are  thus  more  dingy  grayish  brown,  than  the  con- 
siderable series  of  Nova  Scotia  specimens  of  struthopus  in  the  Bangs 
collection,  including  the  series  of  topotypes.  This  gives  rise  to  the 
question  whether  the  general  coloration  of  these  rabbits  may  not,  as  I 
have  suspected  in  the  case  of  other  species,  vary  in  different  years  as 
the  result  of  seasonal  climatic  differences. 

An  August  specimen  from  the  Eestigouche  River,  New  Bruns- 
wick, is  bleached  to  a  light  rusty  yellowish  color,  paler  than  any 
other  example  of  this  form  seen. 

Mr.  James  P.  Howley,  Director  of  the  Geological  Survey  of 
Newfoundland,  in  a  letter  dated  March  23,  1908,  writes  as  follows 


92  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

concerning  the  introduction  of  Lepus  americanus  struthopus  into 
Newfoundland  and  its  supposed  effect  on  the  local  abundance  of 
Lepus  arcticus  bangsi:  "  It  is  now  over  forty  years  since  this  animal 
[struthopus]  was  introduced  into  this  country  from  Nova  Scotia. 
It  has  spread  itself  all  over  the  island,  and  is  to  be  found  in  every 
section  of  it,  especially  in  the  wooded  parts.  Of  course  this  spread- 
ing was  facilitated  from  the  first  by  sending  a  few  pairs  into  the 
different  districts.  The  representatives  of  the  districts,  aided  by 
the  government,  purchased  a  few  pairs  here  near  St.  Johns,  where 
they  were  first  turned  loose,  and  distributed  them  over  their  several 
districts. 

"  Undoubtedly  they  have  driven  out  the  large  Arctic  hare  [bangsi], 
once  fairly  plentiful  in  most  parts  of  the  island,  but  now  only  to  be 
found  on  the  highest  and  barest  uplands,  which  do  not  afford  food 
or  shelter  for  the  rabbit  [struthopus].  The  former  are  now  quite 
rare." 

From  Outram  Bangs  the  writer  learns  that  the  Nova  Scotia  hare 
was  introduced  into  Newfoundland  in  1864  by  the  late  Hon.  Stephen 
Rendell. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  69,  from: 

Maine:  Bucksport,  1;  Enfield,  2;  Grand  Lake,  2. 

New  Brunswick  (Canada):  Artliurette,  1;  Forks  of  Tobique  River  (Vic- 
toria Comity),  3;  Restigouclie  River,  1;  Tabncintac,  3;  Andover,  25. 

Nova  Scotia  (Canada):  Digby,  13;  James  River,  1;  Kings  Coimty,  5; 
Shenacadie,  2. 

Newfoundland  (Canada):  Bay  of  Islands,  1;  Bay  of  St.  George,  2; 
Rantem,  1. 

Prince  Edward  Island  (Canada):  Alberton,  1. 

Quebec  (Canada):  Lake  Edward,  4;  Magdalen  Islands   (Grosse  Isle),  1. 

LEPUS  AMERICANUS  VIRGIXIAXUS  Harlan. 

Virginia  Varying  Hare. 

(PL  II,  figs.  1,  2,  3.) 

Lepus  virginianus  Harlan,  Fauna  Americana,  pp.  196-19S,  1825.     Type  from 

Blue  Mountains,  near  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania. 
Lepus  wardii  Schiuz,  Das  Tbierreicb,  IV,  p.  428,  1825.     Based  on  the  varying 

bare  of  soutbern  part  of  tbe  United  States    (Warden,  in   Stat.  Pol.  and 

Hist.  Account  United  States,  I,  p.  233,  1819). 

Lepus  borealis  Schinz,  Syn.  Mamm.,  II.  pp.  2S6-287,  1845.  No  type  nor  type 

locality  mentioned.     Distribution  given  as  Virginia  and  tbe  Allegbenies. 

Geographic  distribution. — Mountains  of  West  Virginia  and  Vir- 
ginia north  through  Maryland,  Pennsylvania,  New  York,  New  Jersey, 
Delaware,  Connecticut,  Rhode  Island,  Massachusetts,  Vermont.  New 
Hampshire,  most  of  Maine  east  to  Penobscot  River  and  Mount 
Katahdin,  and  extreme  southern  Ontario.     Vertical  range  from  near 


1909.]  LEPUS   AMERICANUS    GROUP VIEGINIANUS.  93 

sea  level  in  Rhode  Island  up  to  over  4,000  feet  in  the  Adirondack* 
of  New  York;  zonal  range,  Canadian. 

General  characters. — Largest,  and  in  summer  the  brightest  and 
most  richly  colored,  form  of  americanus.  Upperparts  usually  some 
shade  of  rusty  ochraceous  brown  varying  in  a  small  percentage  of 
specimens  to  a  duller,  more  buffy  brown.  Skulls  of  typical  speci- 
mens from  Pennsylvania  and  south  average  distinctly  larger  and 
more  massive  than  those  from  farther  north,  where  they  grade  into 
the  smaller  americanus  and  struthopus. 

Color  of  summer  pelage. — Entire  upperparts  of  head  and  body 
nearly  uniform  dull  rusty  brown  or  ochraceous  brown,  varying  to 
buffy  brown,  always  more  or  less  darkened  by  a  wash  of  black, 
heaviest  on  the  back;  legs  and  feet  commonly  clearer  and  brighter 
rusty  than  body,  and  often  clear  bright  rusty  rufous,  but  like  ears 
are  mingled  whitish  and  rusty  later  in  spring  and  earlier  in  fall 
than  body;  ears  on  basal  half  in  front  like  head,  but  becoming 
darker  brownish  or  even  blackish  on  terminal  half;  posterior  half 
of  ears  on  outside  whitish  or  gray,  changing  to  a  more  or  less  well- 
marked  blackish  border  about  tip ;  inside  grayish  with  grayer  border 
in  front  and  pure  white  border  along  posterior  margin;  a  dusky 
margin  sometimes  present  on  terminal  fourth  of  anterior  border; 
nape  similar  to  back  but  duller;  rump  rather  more  heavily  washed 
with  black  than  back ;  top  of  tail  blackish  or  dusky  brown,  underside 
white  or  grayish;  underside  of  neck  and  a  narrow  line  along  lower 
border  of  flanks  and  legs  very  rich  bright  dusky  rufous,  clearer  and 
brighter  than  back,  and  always  brighter  and  more  rusty  than  upper- 
parts,  even  in  the  duller  colored  specimens;  rest  of  underparts  pure 
white ;  underfur  rich  dark  ochraceous  buffy  underlaid  with  an  equal 
basal  zone  of  plumbeous. 

Winter  pelage. — In  southern  part  of  their  range  sometimes  pure 
white  with  a  little  dusky  about  tips  of  ears,  but  commonly  with  more 
or  less  dull  rusty  brownish  on  feet  and  terminal  half  of  ears;  the 
surface  layer  of  white  over  back  rather  thinner  than  in  americanus ; 
underfur  dark  buffy  or  dull  rusty  ochraceous  buffy  underlaid  with  a 
plumbeous  zone  of  about  equal  width. 

Skull. — Much  larger  and  more  massive  than  in  either  americanus 
or  struthopus ;  braincase  more  rounded  and  upper  outline  of  entire 
skull  more  arched;  curve  over  braincase  more  abruptly  descending 
posteriorly;  upper  outline  of  rostrum  more  curved  than  in  ameri- 
canus and  frontal  area  less  depressed;  supraorbital  process  similar, 
with  the  same  small  notch  anteriorly  and  broad,  deep  notch  poste- 
riorly; posterior  process  varying  from  a  heavy  strap-shaped  to  a 
roughly  triangular  form;  zygomatic  arch  and  underparts  of  skull, 
including  bullae,  proportionately  about  as  in  americanus;  as  in  latter, 
breadth  of  rostrum  varies  greatly,  and  one  specimen  from  Gold,  Penn- 


94  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

sylvania,  remarkable  for  great  breadth  and  massive  proportions  of 
rostrum;  in  some  individuals  upper  outline  of  rostrum  nearly 
straight,  while  more  or  less  strongly  curved  in  most  others. 

The  accompanying  cut  of  three  adult  skulls  from  Gold,  Pennsyl- 
vania, shows  the  great  amount  of  individual  variation  even  in  a 
single  locality,  and  demonstrates  the  difficulty  of  finding  definite 
characters  for  descriptive  purposes.  Throughout  the  group  the  skull 
characters  available  are  merely  averages,  subject  to  much  variation 
individually  as  well  as  locally. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  518;  tail  verte- 
brae, 49 ;  hind  foot,  141 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  66. 

Remarks. — This  is  the  brightest  colored  and  most  rufous  of  all  the 
subspecies  of  americanus,  but  there  is  great  variation  in  the  exact 
shade,  and  some  are  much  duller  and  more  bufTy  brown  than  others. 
The  material  in  summer  pelage  at  hand  from  the  southern  part  of  its 
range  is  scanty,  but  appears  to  be  quite  uniform  with  the  large  series 
from  central  New  York.  The  change  of  coat  from  summer  to  winter, 
or  the  reverse,  furnishes  much  curious  variation,  some  of  which  little 
resembles  either  of  the  full  pelages.  Specimens  collected  near 
Ossipee,  central  New  Hampshire,  the  last  of  September,  are  still 
in  full  summer  pelage,  but  in  others  collected  the  middle  of  October 
the  feet  and  ears  are  nearly  white. 

A  few  faded  specimens  in  summer  coat  from  central  Xew  York 
are  dull  buffy  brown  almost  like  phceonofais  and  in  marked  contrast 
with  the  great  majority  of  the  large  series  of  richer  and  darker  speci- 
mens from  that  vicinity.  Specimens  from  the  central  part  of  New 
Hampshire  and  from  various  points  in  Maine  as  far  east  as  the 
Penobscot  Eiver  and  Mount  Katahdin  are  nearly  all  bright  ochra- 
ceous  rusty  on  the  feet  and  upperparts,  and  thus  must  be  classed  with 
virginianus,  although  the  skulls  are  small  and  slender,  closely  like 
typical  sti'titliopus.  A  number  of  specimens  from  this  intergrading 
region  are  dull  colored  like  struthopus,  just  as  a  few  specimens  among 
the  large  series  from  northern  New  York  are  colored  like  u/nericani/s. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  146,  from : 

West  Virginia:  Travelers  Repose,  1. 

Maryland:  Cumberland,  1. 

Pennsylvania:   Austin,    2;    Bell    Landing,    3;    Southern   part   Bradford 

County,  2 ;  Center  County,  1 ;  Erie,  1 ;  Gold,  4 ;  Gouldsboro,  4 ;  Lopez, 

3;  Montrose,  1;  Pabst  Mountain   (Lycoming  County),  1. 
New  York:   Big  Moose  Lake.   1;   Catskill   Mountains,  2;    Elizabeth,  1; 

Elizabethtown,  1 ;  Lake  George,  7 ;  Locust  Grove,  2 ;  Lyonsdale,  1 ; 

Owego,  1;  Peterboro,  1;  Piseco,  11;  Spruce  Lake  (Hamilton  County), 

14;  T  Lake   (Hamilton  County),  1. 
Rhode  Island:  Exeter,  1;  Washington  County,  9. 
Massachusetts:  Concord,  1;  Lunenburg,  7;  Middleboro,  3. 
Vermont:  Hartland,  10;  Rutland,  10;  Sherburne,  1. 


1909.]  LEPUS   AMERICANUS   GROUP PH^EONOTUS.  95 

New  Hampshire:  Ossipee,  14;  Webster,  2. 

Maine:  Bethel,  1;  Greenville,  8;  King  and  Bartlett  Lake  (60  miles  south 

of  Rangeley  Lakes),  2;  Mount  Katahdin,  1;  Sandy  Stream  Pond,  2; 

Sebec  Lake,  1;  Upton,  2. 
Ontario  (Canada):  Bobcaygeon,  2;  Mount  Forest  (east  of  Lake  Huron),  2. 

LEPUS  AMERICANUS  PH^EONOTUS  Allen. 
Minnesota  Varying  Hare. 

Lepus  americanus  pliceonotus  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  XII,  Art. 
II,  p.  11,  March  4,  1899.  Type  from  Hallock,  Kittson  County,  Minnesota; 
No.  f  ItH,  $  ad->  American  Museum  of  Natural  History ;  collected  by  E.  A. 
Mearns,  November  17,  1891  (in  changing  pelage). 

Geographic  distribution. — Western  half  of  northern  peninsula  of 
Michigan,  northern  Wisconsin,  northern  Minnesota,  and  north  into 
extreme  western  Ontario,  and  southern  Manitoba.  Vertical  range 
from  about  000  to  2,000  feet  in  northern  peninsula  of  Michigan ;  zonal 
range,  Canadian. 

General  characters. — Size  of  typical  americanus,  but  in  summer 
paler  and  more  buffy ;  more  like  columbiensis  in  the  light  buffy  color, 
but  darker,  less  yellowish,  and  often  tinged  slightly  with  dull  reddish. 

Color  in  summer  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  dull  buffy,  vary- 
ing to  pale  dull  ochraceous  buffy  brown,  darkest  on  head,  and  top  of 
back  only  slightly  darker  than  sides  of  body;  rump  slightly  more 
washed  with  black  than  back ;  top  of  tail  mixed  black  and  dingy  white 
(sometimes  more  or  less  buffy,  as  in  type),  giving  a  dusky  grayish 
or  buffy  gray  color;  below  white;  sides  of  head,  especially  about  eyes 
and  back  to  base  of  ears,  richer,  clearer,  and  more  ochraceous  buffy 
than  back;  tops  of  fore  feet  and  fore  legs  similar  to  head,  but  deeper 
rusty  ochraceous  buffy,  finely  grizzled  and  darkened  with  dusky; 
tops  of  hind  feet  white  in  all  specimens  seen ;  front  of  ears  like  top 
of  head  on  basal  half,  becoming  darker  toward  tip,  where  bordered 
with  black ;  posterior  half  whitish  with  a  broad  black  margin ;  inside 
of  ears  grayish,  with  dull  ochraceous  buffy  margin  in  front  and  white 
margin  posteriorly;  underside  of  neck  varies  from  dark  fulvous 
buffy  to  rusty  cinnamon  and  deep  rich  cinnamon  rufous;  rest  of 
underparts  bright  white,  except  where  color  of  sides  sometimes 
encroaches  on  sides  of  abdomen;  underfur  in  summer  nearly  as  in 
americanus,  but  averaging  lighter  buffy  brownish,  sometimes  becom- 
ing more  or  less  tinged  with  cinnamon  on  top,  with  the  same  basal 
zone  of  rather  dark  plumbeous. 

Winter  pelage. — Entirely  pure  white  except  a  well-marked  black- 
ish border  about  tips  of  ears  and  sometimes  more  or  less  brownish 
buffy  on  front  of  same;  underfur  tipped  with  a  broad  band  of  dark 
rusty  ochraceous  varying  to  rich  cinnamon,  similar  to  virginianus, 


96  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

with  a  basal  zone  of  plumbeous;  the  ochraceous  buffy  surface  of 
underfur  overlaid  by  such  a  thin  outer  coat  of  white  that  it  shows 
through  strongly  whenever  the  overlying  white  is  even  slightly 
disarranged. 

Immature  pelage. — General  color  dull  buffy  brownish,  thinly  griz- 
zled with  gray. 

Skull. — Small  and  rather  light ;  scarcely  distinguishable  from  that 
of  typical  americanus,  but  rostrum  averaging  a  little  broader  and 
heavier  and  braincase  slightly  broader;  the  same  small  supraorbitals 
with  deep,  narrow,  well-marked,  slit-like  anterior  notch  and  rather 
short,  irregular  postorbital  process. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  464;  tail  verte- 
bra*, 35.4 ;  hind  foot,  137 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  62. 

Remarks. — The  present  form,  while  strikingly  different  from  vir- 
ginianus  in  its  pale,  dull  colors,  is  far  less  distinct  from  americanus. 
though  distinctly  paler  in  the  southern  part  of  its  range.  Specimens 
from  the  southern  part  of  its  range  in  Minnesota  are  palest  and  most 
strongly  marked,  while  those  from  the  type  locality  to  the  north 
are  darker  and  browner  and  intergrade  with  americanus.  It  is  purely 
a  color  form,  and  there  appear  to  be  no  distinctive  skull  or  other 
characters  to  separate  it  from  americanus.  Its  range  is  extremely 
restricted,  and  more  material  is  needed  to  show  its  relationship  with 
bisliopi. 

The  type  is  a  young  adult  in  mixed  pelage  changing  from  summer 
to  winter  coat,  with  feet,  ears,  rump,  and  lower  flanks  nearly  all  white. 
The  rest  of  the  back  is  dark  rusty  cinnamon  brown  like  several 
Manitoba  specimens.  The  type  skull,  that  of  a  young  of  the  year, 
is  much  mailer  and  lighter  than  average  adult  skulls  of  this  form. 
Specimens  from  the  Porcupine  Mountains  and  elsewhere  in  the  west- 
ern half  of  the  northern  peninsula  of  Michigan  show  gradation 
toward  american  us,  but  are  referable  to  phceonotus.  A  summer  adult 
from  Red  River  Settlement  (=  Winnipeg)  has  the  color  of  ameri- 
canus, but  the  prevailing  form  along  the  southern  border  of  Manitoba 
is  phceonotus. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  66,  from : 

Michigan:  Houghton,  1;  Porcupine  Mountains  (Ontonagon  County),  2; 
Pine  Lake  (Marquette  County),  1. 

Wisconsin:  Eagle  River,  5;  Fisher  Lake  (Iron  County),  1;  Rhinelander, 
5;  St.  Croix  River  (Douglas  County),  1. 

Minnesota:  Argyle,  1;  Bridgrnan,  1;  Elk  River,  21;  Hallock  (Kittson 
County),  3;  Hinckley,  1;  Moores  Lake  (Todd  County),  3:  Mora 
(Kanabec  County),  1;  St.  Vincent.  2;  Warren,  1. 

Ontario  (Canada):  Rainy  Lake,  1;  Rat  Portage  (Lake  of  the  Woods),  4. 

Manitoba  (Canada):  Carberry,  5;  Red  River  Settlement,  2;  Selkirk  Set- 
tlement, 4. 


1909.]  LEPUS  AMERICANUS   GROUP BISHOPI.  97 

LEPUS  AMERICANUS  BISHOPI  Allen. 

Turtle  Mountain  Snowshoe  Rabbit. 

Lepus  bishopi  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mils.  Nat.  Hist.,  N,  Y.,  XII,  Art.  II,  pp.  11-12, 
March  4,  1899.  Type  from  Mill  Lake,  Turtle  Mountains,  North  Dakota; 
No.  J9°oW'  <$  a(l->  American  Museum  of  Natural  History;  collected  by 
Dr.  L.  B.  Bishop,  July  12,  1895. 

Geographic  distribution. — Known  only  from  type  locality,  Turtle 
Mountains,  North  Dakota. 

General  characters. —  (The  type,  in  extremely  worn  summer  pelage.) 
Upperparts  dark,  dull,  grayish  buffy  brown  with  more  or  less  dull 
ochraceous  about  head,  back,  and  legs;  a  narrow  dusky  dorsal  line; 
skull  remarkably  short  and  broad. 

Color  of  the  type  {and  only  known  specimen,  in  extremely  worn 
summer  pelage). — Head  dull  slightly  ochraceous  rusty  brown,  be- 
coming much  paler  and  more  of  a  dull  ochraceous  buffy  from  sides 
of  nose  through  orbital  region  to  base  of  ears;  top  of  head  darkest 
and  same  color  extending  halfway  up  front  of  ears ;  latter  becoming 
blackish  on  terminal  third  and  edged  all  around  with  whitish;  top 
of  back  similar  to  top  of  head,  but  duller  colored  and  more  or  less 
clouded  or  mingled  with  dull  rusty  ochraceous  buff  and  with  a  nar- 
row median  band  of  blackish ;  sides  of  body  and  rump  more  of  a  dull 
grayish  brown  slightly  tinged  with  dull  buffy;  tops  of  fore  feet  and 
fore  legs  similar  to  top  of  head  but  a  deeper  dark  rusty  ochraceous 
buff;  outside  of  hind  legs  similar  to  sides  of  body  but  strongly  washed 
on  outside  and  in  front  with  ochraceous  buffy;  tops  of  hind  toes 
rusty  ochraceous  and  rest  of  feet  whitish  mixed  with  same ;  upperside 
of  tail  dusky  brown;  underside  white;  underside  of  neck  dark  cinna- 
mon brown;  rest  of  underparts  pure  white;  underfur  dark  slightly 
buffy  grayish  brown  on  surface  and  dark  plumbeous  at  base. 

Skull. — Proportionately  the  shortest  and  broadest  (especially 
across  the  braincase)  of  any  member  of  the  americanus  group ;  ros- 
trum short  and  broad;  frontal  area  much  more  strongly  depressed 
than  in  phceonotus  or  americanus ;  braincase  full  and  rounded  and 
extraordinarily  broad;  supraorbitals  short  and  broad  with  well- 
marked  anterior  notch  and  short  broad  postorbital  process  stand- 
ing out  widely  from  skull;  jugals  broad  and  heavy  with  a  deep 
flat  groove  anteriorly;  posterior  end  of  incisive  foramina  broadest 
with  an  angular  form  to  outer  posterior  corner,  as  not  infrequently 
seen  in  specimens  of  bairdi;  molar  series  small ;  bulla?  about  as  in 
americanus. 

Remarks. — The  type  and  only  known  specimen  of  this  form  is  an 
adult  in  such  badly  worn  summer  pelage  that  the  long  outer  hairs 
have  practically  disappeared,  leaving  the  dark  woolly  underfur  ex- 
posed. The  general  color  and  such  traces  of  the  long  hairs  as  remain 
Nnr.95— No.  29—09 7 


98  NOKTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [xo.  29. 

indicate  a  dark,  dull  colored  animal  somewhat  like  dull  brownish 
specimens  of  typical  americanus.  The  skull,  however,  is  remarkable 
for  its  short  broad  form  so  different  from  any  of  the  other  members 
of  the  americanus  group  that  it  appears  advisable  for  the  present  to 
recognize  bishopi.  The  type,  even  though  so  badly  worn,  is  so  dark 
that  apparently  it  is  quite  a  differently  colored  animal  from  pha-ono- 
tus.  The  grayish  buffy  brown  of  the  underfur  is  more  like  ameri- 
canus, but  the  traces  of  the  surface  shades  left  on  head,  back,  feet,  and 
legs  indicate  that  in  full  summer  pelage  bishopi  may  be  more  dark 
rusty  ochraceous  than  any  of  the  forms  mentioned.  Further  material 
from  Turtle  Mountains  may  show  this  to  be  a  good  form  or,  what  is 
still  more  probable,  may  prove  that  the  peculiarities  of  the  type  are 
due  to  individual  variation,  and  that  the  hares  from  these  mountains 
are  true  americanus.  This  is  rendered  more  probable  by  the  dis- 
covery that  the  animals  from  the  Bighorn  Mountains  of  Wyoming 
are  not  separable  from  americanus,  of  Canada. 
Total  number  of  specimens  examined  1,  from: 

North  Dakota:  Turtle  Mountains,  1. 

LEPUS    AMERICANUS    MACFARLANI    Merriam. 
Mackenzie  Varying  Hare. 

Lepus  americanus  macfarlani  Merriam,  Proe.  Washington  Acad.  Sci.,  II,  p.  30, 
March  14,  1900.  Type  from  Fort  Anderson,  north  of  Great  Bear  Lake, 
Mackenzie,  Canada ;  No.  14467,  ad.  ( skull  only ) ,  U.  S.  National  Museum ; 
collected  by  R.  MacFarlane,  March,  1863. 

Lepus  saliens  Osgood,  N.  Am.  Fauna  No.  19,  pp.  39^0,  October  6,  1900.  Type 
from  Caribou  Crossing,  Yukon  River,  between  Lakes  Bennett  and  Tagish; 
No.  98956,  $  ad.,  U.  S.  National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection)  ; 
collected  by  W .  H.  Osgood,  June  26,  1899. 

Geographic  distribution. — Wooded  parts  of  Alaska,  in  Upper 
Yukon  region,  and  southwest  to  Cook  Inlet ;  base  of  Alaska  Peninsula 
and  all  of  Yukon  Territory,  western  Mackenzie,  northern  British 
Columbia,  and  northwestern  Alberta,  Canada.  Its  northern  limit 
coincides  with  that  of  the  trees.  Vertical  range,  in  the  Mackenzie 
Kiver  region,  from  near  sea  level  up  to  over  2,000  feet  altitude;  zonal 
range  mainly  Hudsonian. 

General  characters. — Most  like  typical  americanus  but  darker; 
the  darkest  and  most  dusky  gray  form  of  this  species;  upperparts 
of  body  dusky  brownish  gray  varying  to  dusky  fulvous;  head  simi- 
lar but  strongly  suffused  on  sides  with  dark  ochraceous  buff;  rump 
blackish;  top  of  tail  black.  Size  averaging  distinctly  larger  and 
ears  longer  than  americanus. 

Color  in  summer  pelage. — Top  of  back  dark  brownish  gray,  vary- 
ing from  nearly  dark  iron  gray  to  dusky  cinnamon  or  dusky  buff, 
with  an  overlying  black  wash,  heaviest  along  middle,  and  often  form- 


i'"'>  I  LEPTJS  AMERICANTTS   GROUP MACFARLANI.  99 

ing  a  blackish  median  band;  rump  more  blackish  than  top  of  back, 
often  nearly  black;  upper  side  of  tail  black;  sides  of  body  less  heavily 
washed  with  black  and  paler  than  back;  head  usually  more  or  less 
strongly  suffused  with  dark  ochraceous  buffy,  becoming  clearest 
about  eyes  and  grayish  on  sides  of  nose;  front  of  ears  on  basal  half 
like  top  of  head,  shading  into  blackish  on  terminal  half;  posterior 
half  of  outside  of  ears  grayish  white  with  a  broad  blackish  band 
next  the  narrow  pure  white  posterior  edging;  inside  of  ears  dusky 
brownish,  becoming  darkest  on  posterior  part  and  bordered  with 
grayish  in  front  and  white  posteriorly ;  front  feet  and  legs  and  hind 
feet  and  lower  hind  legs  pure  white;  underside  of  neck  varies  from 
deep  rich  fawn  color  to  dull  dark  cinnamon  and  dull  grayish  buffy; 
color  of  flanks  encroaching  on  sides  of  abdomen  in  some  specimens 
but  otherwise  rest  of  underparts  pure  white;  underfur  dull  ochra- 
ceous buffy  underlaid  with  an  equal  zone  of  plumbeous. 

Post juvenal  pelage  (young  of  the  year). — Upperparts  usually  a 
shade  of  dull  buffy  brown,  always  with  much  less  black  on  back  and 
rump  than  in  adults,  giving  the  back  and  sides  of  body  a  nearly 
uniform  color;  tops  of  fore  and  hind  feet  and  legs  always  dark 
colored,  varying  from  rusty  cinnamon  or  rusty  ochraceous  to  dull 
dark  buffy. 

Winter  pelage. — Pure  white,  except  a  narrow  dusky  margin  about 
tips  of  ears;  underfur  in  winter  dingy  ochraceous  buff  as  in  ameri- 
canus;  overlying  white  coat  heavier  than  in  virginianus. 

Skull. — Closely  like  that  of  typical  a?nericanus,  but  averaging 
larger  with  usually  larger  bullre  and  jugals. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  489;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 42 ;  hind  foot,  147 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  67. 

Remarks. — This  is  a  poorly  marked  subspecies  distinguished  only 
by  its  larger  size  and  rather  darker  colors.  There  is  the  usual  wide 
range  of  individual  variation  in  the  summer  pelage,  some  specimens 
being  dark  iron  gray  while  others  are  dark  cinnamon  buffy,  but  the 
prevailing  duskiness  is  an  average  character  separating  this  from  the 
other  forms.  One  specimen  from  Fort  Anderson,  Mackenzie,  is  not 
distinguishable  in  color  from  a  Lepus  bairdi  from  Mullan,  Idaho, 
except  for  the  larger  amount  of  white  on  the  legs  and  of  gray  about 
the  bases  of  the  ears.  Other  specimens  from  Alaska  and  Yukon  Ter- 
ritory are  scarcely  distinguishable  in  color  from  summer  specimens  of 
bairdi  from  the  type  region  in  Wyoming,  but  may  be  separated  by 
their  skull  characters. 

The  considerable  series  of  summer  specimens  from  the  upper 
Yukon  and  its  tributaries  (representing  saliens)  average  a  little 
larger  than  those  from  either  the  type  region  of  dalli  or  macfarlani 
with  no  color  differences  to  separate  them  from  macfarlani  so  far  as 


100  NOETH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

the  series  from  the  type  region  of  the  latter  show.  After  careful 
consideration  of  the  present  material  it  appears  best  to  recognize  both 
macfarlani  and  dalli,  though  the  former  is  a  poorly  marked  form 
characterized  mainly  by  its  slightly  darker  color  and  larger  size. 
Macfarlani  reaches  its  greatest  development  about  the  headwaters  of 
the  Yukon,  whence  come  the  largest  specimens  examined. 

A  small  series  of  summer  skins  from  Tyonek,  Cook  Inlet,  Alaska, 
are  similar  to  those  from  the  Yukon  and  Mackenzie  rivers. 

Four  summer  specimens  in  postjuvenal  pelage  from  Lake  Clark, 
only  a  short  distance  from  Cook  Inlet,  have  the  body  dusky  brownish 
gray  with  a  dingy  rusty  yellowish  tinge,  the  tops  of  the  fore  feet  and 
legs  dark  rusty  cinnamon  and  the  tops  of  the  hind  feet  a  slightly 
lighter  shade  of  the  same.  There  are  no  marked  skull  characters  in 
the  specimens  from  Lake  Clark,  but  the  rostrum  appears  to  be  more 
slender  and  the  supraorbitals  rather  smaller  than  typical  macfarlani 
and  more  like  dalli,  and  it  is  possible  they  may  represent  the  latter 
form.  Specimens  from  Fort  Resolution  and  Fort  Rae,  on  Great 
Slave  Lake,  Mackenzie,  are  intermediates  between  americanus  and 
macfarlani. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  345,  from: 

Mackenzie  (Canada) :  Fort  Anderson,  4  ;  Fort  Franklin,  5 ;  Fort  Laird,  7  ; 
Fort  Providence,  1 ;  Fort  Rae,  5 ;  Fort  Resolution,  4 ;  Fort  Simpson, 
43;  Fort  Smith,  2;  Great  Bear  Lake,  1;  Mount  Charles  (Great  Bear 
River),  9;  Nahanni,  1;  Old  Fort  Good  Hope,  3;  Peel  River,  1. 

Yukon  (Canada) :  Caribou  Crossing,  1 ;  Fort  Selkirk,  6 ;  Forty  Mile,  2 ; 
Lake  Le  Barge,  1 ;  La  Pierre  House,  1 ;  Macmillan  River,  4 ;  Pelly 
River,  189;  Russell  Mountains,  1;  Thirty  Mile  River  (15  miles  north 
of  lower  Lake  Le  Barge),  2. 

British  Columbia  (Canada):  Bennett,  4. 

Alaska:  Mouth  of  Charlie  Creek,  4;  Circle,  2;  Tyonek  (Cook  Inlet),  (5; 
15  miles  below  Eagle,  1 ;  Fort  Yukon,  5 ;  Lake  Clark,  17 ;  head  of 
Seward  Creek  (near  Eagle),  7;  Mount  McKinley  (north  base),  4; 
Sheep  Creek,  2 ;  mouth  of  Porcupine  River,  2. 

LEPUS  AMERICANUS  DALLI  Mereiam. 

Alaska  Varying  Hare. 

Lepus  amcricanus  dalli  Merriam,  Proc.  Washington  Acad.  Sci.,  II,  pp.  29-30, 
March  14,  1900.  Type  from  Nulato,  Alaska;  No.ffff,  $  ad.  (skull  only), 
U.  S.  National  Museum ;  collected  by  W.  H.  Dall,  January  27,  1867. 

Geographic  distribution. — Wooded  parts  of  western  Alaska  from 
below  Fort  Yukon  to  coast  of  Bering  Sea  at  mouth  of  Yukon,  and 
from  Bristol  Bay  north  to  tree  limit.  Vertical  range  from  near  sea 
level  on  lower  Yukon  up  to  about  2,000  feet  on  adjacent  mountains; 
zonal  range  mainly  Hudsonian. 


1909.]  LEPUS   AMERICANUS   GROUP DALLI.  101 

General  characters. — Size  about  as  in  macfarlani,  from  which  it 
differs  strikingly  in  its  ochraceous  buffy  summer  pelage  and  the  more 
pointed  and  rounded  rostrum. 

Color  in,  summer  pelage. — Upperparts  of  head  and  body  dark 
ochraceous  buffy,  darkened  on  top  of  back  and  paler  and  brighter  on 
sides  of  head  and  neck;  upperparts  grizzled  with  grayish  buffy; 
underside  of  neck  nearly  clear  dull  ochraceous  buffy;  rest  of  under- 
pays with  fore  and  hind  feet  white;  underfur  on  top  of  back  tipped 
with  a  thin  zone  of  dusky  brownish,  underlaid  with  a  stronger  and 
broader  zone  of  dark  ochraceous  buffy  followed  by  a  broad  basal  zone 
of  plumbeous;  the  ochaceous  buffy  zone  of  underfur  gives  the  pre- 
vailing tone  to  upperparts. 

Post juvenal  pelage,  from  Yukon  Delta  (September,  1880). — Top  of 
back  dark  ochraceous  buffy  thinly  washed  with  black,  becoming  paler 
and  clearer  ochraceous  buffy  on  sides  of  body;  rump  and  outside  of 
hind  legs  a  little  more  dusky;  top  of  head  a  little  more  rusty  than 
back  and  grizzled  with  grayish  buffy ;  sides  of  nose,  orbital  area,  and 
thence  back  to  base  of  ears  cinnamon  buffy,  pale  on  sides  of  nose 
and  darker  and  richer  about  eyes ;  underside  of  neck,  lower  shoulders, 
and  front  of  fore  legs  bright  rusty  ochraceous,  shading  into  paler 
and  duller  buffy  on  tops  of  fore  feet ;  tops  of  hind  feet  dull  slightly 
rusty  buffy ;  rest  of  unclerparts  white ;  top  of  tail  blackish,  underside 
grayish  white;  front  of  ears  similar  to  top  of  head,  edged  with  dusky 
about  tip ;  behind  whitish  with  dusky  border  near  tip ;  inside  of  ears 
pale  buffy  grayish,  edged  with  deep  rusty  buffy  in  front  and  pure 
white  behind. 

Winter  pelage. — Pure  white,  except  a  dusky  border  to  tips  of  ears ; 
underfur  varies  from  dull  cinnamon  to  a  dark  slightly  brownish 
shade  of  same,  as  in  many  specimens  of  macfarlani  and  virginianns. 

Skull. — In  general  dimensions  about  as  in  macfarlani  from  the 
central  Mackenzie  and  upper  Yukon  regions;  rostrum  about  the  same 
at  base  but  tapering  much  more  rapidly  to  a  narrow,  rounded  muzzle, 
giving  a  sharply  pointed  form  contrasting  with  the  broader  and  more 
flattened  muzzles  of  macfarlani;  supraorbitals  the  same  with  well- 
marked  notch  in  front  and  rather  short,  blunt,  outstanding  process 
behind;  jugal  heavy  and  bulla?  rather  large. 

Remarks. — Only  two  skins  of  dalli  in  summer  pelage  have  been 
examined;  one  of  them  from  near  the  type  locality  appears  to  be  a 
young  adult,  but  is  in  bad  condition.  The  other  is  a  partly  grown 
young  in  its  postjuvenal  pelage,  and  is  closely  similar  in  color  to 
the  older  skin  except  for  a  slightly  richer  shade  of  ochraceous.  These 
two  skins  from  widely  separated  localities  agree  in  possessing  the 
most  ochraceous  buffy  color  among  the  very  large  number  of  speci- 
mens of  this  group  examined;  they  appear  to  prove  that,  so  far  as 


102  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  20. 

color  goes,  dalli  is  one  of  the  most  strongly  marked  forms  of  ameri- 
canus.  The  contrast  between  the  dusky  gray,  or  brownish  gray,  of 
macfarlani  and  americanus  and  the  rich  ochraceous  buffy  of  dalli  is 
striking.  The  skull  characters  are  less  well  marked,  though  the  dif- 
ferences in  the  rostrum  are  fairly  constant.  The  exact  limits  of  the 
ranges  of  dalli,  macfarlani,  and  americanus  can  be  worked  out  satis- 
factorily only  by  the  use  of  summer  material,  as  there  are  no  positive 
skull  characters.  The  skulls  from  the  region  about  the  type  locality 
of  macfarlani  are  more  like  those  of  dalli  than  are  those  from  the 
upper  Yukon  and  Mackenzie  River  region. 

The  total  number  of  specimens  examined  12  from : 

Alaska:  Anvik,  3;  Kokoyukuk,  1;  Koyukuk,  3;  Nulato,  4;  Yukon  Delta,  1. 

LEPUS  AMERICANUS  COLUMBIENSIS  Rhoads. 

British  Columbia  Snowshoe  Rabbit. 

Lepus  americanus  columbiensis  Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Philadelphia, 
June,  1895,  pp.  242-243.  Type  from  Vernon.  British  Columbia;  No.  7462, 
$  ad.,  Philadelphia  Academy  of  Sciences  (Rhoads  collection)  ;  collected  by 
S.  N.  Rhoads.  July  29,  1S92. 

Geographic  distribution. — Rocky  Mountain  region  of  southeastern 
British  Columbia  (except  extreme  southeastern  corner)  and  western 
Alberta,  Canada  (from  Vernon,  British  Columbia,  to  Jasper  House, 
Alberta).    Vertical  and  zonal  ranges  not  definitely  known. 

General  characters. — Size  small,  about  as  in  washingtoni,  with 
ears  and  hind  feet  longer;  color  in  summer  usually  dingy  yellowish 
buffy  darkened  by  a  thin  wash  of  blackish ;  head,  underside  of  neck, 
and  tops  of  feet  reddish  or  rusty  cinnamon ;  hairy  pads  on  underside 
of  toes,  in  full  summer  pelage,  dingy  whitish,  contrasting  with  dull 
smoky  brown  on  soles  of  hind  feet,  the  contrast  less  marked  than  in 
washingtoni. 

Color  in  summer  pelage. — Upperparts  of  body  in  typical  specimens 
dingy  yellowish  buffy ;  back  with  an  overlying  thin  black  wash ;  sides 
of  body  without  black  wash  and  paler  and  clearer  buffy  than  back; 
rump  slightly  more  heavily  washed  with  black  than  rest  of  back; 
top  of  tail  blackish,  underside  dingy  whitish  gray ;  top  and  sides  of 
head  with  tops  of  fore  feet  and  legs  deep  dull  cinnamon  or  rusty 
buffy,  darkened  by  mixture  of  dusky  on  crown  and  tops  of  feet  and 
legs,  clearest  about  eyes  and  sides  of  nose;  underside  of  neck  usually 
similar  to  sides  of  head,  but  brighter  and  richer  and  varying  from 
dark  buffy  to  rich  rusty  cinnamon ;  tops  of  hind  feet  and  front  border 
of  thighs  dull  rusty  buffy,  sometimes  approaching  color  of  fore  legs ; 
underside  of  head  and  body  pure  white,  except  along  sides  of  abdo- 
men, over  which  color  of  flanks  often  mixes  with  or  overlies  the 
white;  anterior  half  of  outside  of  ears  similar  to  or  sometimes  a 


1909.]  LEPUS   AMERICAJSTUS   GEOUP COLUMBIENSIS.  103 

little  darker  than  crown;  ears  sometimes  nearly  uniform  to  tip,  but 
usually  becoming  darker  on  terminal  half  with  a  narrow  black 
margin  about  tip ;  posterior  half  of  outside  of  ears  grayish  white 
with  a  well-marked  black  tip,  sometimes  about  half  an  inch  broad ; 
inside  of  ears  usually  whitish  with  a  white  border  all  around,  and 
sometimes  a  mixture  of  buffy  brown  along  posterior  side;  nape 
similar  to  back  but  more  dusky  and  not  grizzled;  in  specimens  not 
too  worn  and  stained  the  hairy  pads  on  underside  of  hind  toes  show 
distinctly  whitish,  contrasting  with  the  more  dusky  soles  of  hind 
feet,  though  this  character  is  far  less  pronounced  than  in  washingtoai 
and  is  evidently  intermediate  between  latter  and  the  uniform  color 
of  these  parts  in  phceonotus;  underfur  with  terminal  zone  varying 
from  dull  buffy  brown  to  dull  ochraceous  buffy;  basal  zone  of  about 
equal  width  plumbeous. 

Juvenal  pelage. —  (Field,  British  Columbia,  August  27, 1892.)  Top 
of  head  and  back  dingy  buffy  brown  grizzled  with  buffy  gray;  sides 
of  body  paler  and  much  less  grizzled,  becoming  grayer  buffy  on 
flanks  and  brighter,  more  fulvous  buffy  on  sides  of  neck  and  outside 
of  hind  legs;  sides  of  head,  from  sides  of  nose  back  around  eyes  and 
cheeks  to  inside  of  ears,  clearer  and  more  of  a  deep  dull  ochraceous 
buffy ;  outside  of  ears  a  little  duller  ochraceous  buffy  brown  margined 
with  white ;  tops  of  hind  feet  whitish ;  soles  of  hind  feet  dusky,  con- 
trasting with  whitish  soles  of  toes. 

Winter  pelage. — Not  seen. 

Skull. — In  typical  specimens  much  like  that  of  Washington!,  but 
slightly  larger,  with  rostrum  similarly  long  and  slender;  braincase 
narrow  and  rounded;  supraorbital  process  light  with  narrow  and 
often  almost  rod-like  posterior  process;  anterior  part  of  supraorbital 
broader  with  a  more  strongly  marked  notch;  jugals  proportionately 
about  the  same ;  bulla?  slightly  larger  and  more  irregularly  roughened 
on  underside;  molar  series  the  same;  incisive  foramina  varying  be- 
tween the  subtriangular  form  of  americanus  (with  its  broadest  part 
at  posterior  end)  to  the  form  characteristic  of  toashingtoni  with  the 
foramina  gradually  broadening  to  near  middle  and  then  decreasing 
slightly  to  the  posterior  end;  specimens  from  Shuswap,  British 
Columbia  show  both  forms  of  incisive  foramina. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  436;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 41 ;  hind  foot,  135 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  66. 

Remarks. — The  material  at  hand  shows  that  columbiensis  is  a  well- 
marked  subspecies  wTith  much  similarity  to  washingtoni  in  the  form 
of  skull,  but  no  material  is  at  hand  proving  direct  intergradation. 
Its  range  covers  a  comparatively  limited  area  in  the  Rocky  Mountains 
of  southeastern  British  Columbia  and  across  the  adjacent  border  into 
western  Alberta.  Specimens  from  the  type  district  west  of  the  main  di- 
vide in  British  Columbia,  and  from  Jasper  House  and  Fiddle  Creek  on 


104  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [xo.  29. 

the  east  side  of  the  mountains  in  Alberta,  are  practically  alike  in  the 
curious  dingy  yellowish  color  of  the  body,  which  is  the  most  dis- 
tinctive character  of  this  form.  Specimens  from  about  the  type  lo- 
cality are  distinctly  smaller  than  those  from  Jasper  House  and  Fiddle 
Creek  east  of  the  mountains,  and  their  skulls  are  lighter  with  smaller 
supraorbitals,  narrower  jugals,  smaller  teeth,  and  with  the  incisive 
foramina  smaller  and  more  as  in  washingtoni.  In  fact,  while  speci- 
mens from  both  sides  of  the  mountains  agree  closely  in  color,  the 
series  west  of  the  range  are  nearer  washingtoni  in  size  and  skull  char- 
acters, while  the  series  from  east  of  the  mountains  (Jasper  House  and 
Fiddle  Creek)  approach  the  much  larger  macfarlani  in  these  char- 
acters. Every  specimen  from  east  of  the  mountains  examined  has 
the  posterior  end  of  the  incisive  foramina  broadest,  while  only  about 
half  of  the  series  from  west  of  the  mountains  exhibits  this  character, 
the  others  being  like  washingtoni.  As  already  stated,  the  most 
marked  character  of  columbiensis  is  the  prevailing  dingy  yellowish 
color  of  the  body,  with  the  richer,  dull  cinnamon  bufly  of  the  head 
and  feet.  A  large  proportion  of  the  series  from  both  British  Colum- 
bia and  Alberta  agree  in  this,  but  there  is  considerable  variation 
among  the  remaining  specimens.  A  nearly  grown  young  of  the  year 
from  Jasper  House,  Alberta,  is  nearly  uniform  dull  reddish  brown 
over  the  head  and  body,  with  the  sides  of  the  head  and  underside  of 
the  neck  a  little  clearer  and  brighter  shade  of  the  same.  This  is  the 
main  case  of  individual  variation  in  color  among  a  series  of  14  speci- 
mens which  otherwise  are  remarkably  uniform.  The  Alberta  speci- 
mens were  taken  the  first  half  of  October  and  have  white  feet  and 
ears.  September  specimens  from  British  Columbia  still  have  rusty 
colored  feet,  though  some  white  hairs  are  appearing.  The  lack  of 
reddish  and  the  generally  slightly  paler  tone  of  color,  compared  with 
that  of  most  other  forms  of  americanus,  at  once  suggests  phwonotus, 
its  nearest  neighbor  to  the  east,  to  which,  although  readily  distin- 
guishable, it  has  a  closer  superficial  resemblance  than  to  any  other. 
The  limits  of  columbiensis,  where  it  grades  into  macfarlani  on  the 
north  and  gives  way  to  klamathensis  and  cascadensis  on  the  south,  are 
still  unknown.  From  the  resemblance  between  the  skulls  of  colum- 
biensis and  cascadensis,  as  well  as  other  characters,  it  appears  alto- 
gether likely  that  they  intergrade  with  one  another  as  well  as  with 
washingtoni,  but  more  material  from  intermediate  areas  is  necessary 
to  determine  this  question. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  15,  from: 

British  Columbia  (Canada):  Field,  1;  Shnswap,  7;  Vernon,  1. 
Alberta  (Canada):  Fiddle  Creek,  3;  Jasper  House,  3. 


1909.]  LEPUS   AMERICAXUS   GROUP WASHINGTONI.  105 

LEPUS  WASHINGTONI  Baied. 

Washington  Varying  Hare. 

(PI.  VI,  figs.  2,  5.) 

Lcpus  washingtoni  Baird,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Philadelphia,  1855,  p.  333. 
Type  from  Fort  Steilacoom,  Washington ;  No.  V/o3".  ad..  U.  S.  National 
Museum ;  collected  by  Dr.  George  Suckley. 

Geographic  distribution. — Washington  and  north  to  Fraser  River, 
British  Columbia,  from  the  western  slope  of  the  Cascade  Mountains 
to  the  sea  (including  the  Olympic  Mountains).  Vertical  range  from 
sea  level  to  about  3,500  feet  on  the  west  slope  of  the  Cascades;  zonal 
range  mainly  Transition  and  Canadian. 

General  characters. — Size  small,  ears  and  feet  short;  upperparts 
dull  dark  reddish  brown,  with  tops  of  feet  a  brighter  and  more  intense 
shade  of  same ;  soles  of  hind  feet  smoky  blackish,  sharply  contrasting 
with  the  whitish  soles  of  the  toes;  underside  of  tail  gray  or  dull 
buffy;  two  annual  molts. 

Color  in  summer  and  winter  pelage. — Upperparts  dull  dark 
slightly  reddish  cinnamon  brown,  darkest  on  top  of  head  and  back, 
where  washed  with  black,  paler  and  clearer  on  sides  of  body ;  sides  of 
nose,  area  about  eyes,  and  back  to  base  of  ears  sometimes  nearly  like 
sides  of  body  but  usually  a  brighter,  more  cinnamon  rufous  shade; 
tops  of  fore  and  hind  feet  richer  and  darker  cinnamon  rufous  than 
sides  of  head  and  finely  grizzled  with  black;  outside  of  fore  and 
hind  legs  similar  to  sides  of  body;  rump  like  rest  of  back;  nape  dull 
rusty;  outside  of  ears  in  front  like  top  of  head  but  becoming  darker 
on  terminal  half;  outside  of  ears  behind  bright  rusty  or  rusty 
whitish,  with  a  broad  terminal  black  band  extending  as  a  narrower 
band  over  tip  in  front ;  inside  of  ear  whitish  with  a  brown  band  pos- 
teriorly^ edged  anteriorly  with  same  color  as  orbital  area  and  pos- 
teriorly with  white ;  top  of  tail  black ;  underside  of  tail  varying  from 
dingy  gray  to  dull  cinnamon  or  rusty  buff ;  underside  of  neck  similar 
to  sides  of  body,  sometimes  becoming  brighter  like  sides  of  head; 
rest  of  underparts,  including  a  narrow  line  along  back  of  fore  legs 
and  front  of  hind  legs  and  inner  border  of  hind  feet,  clear  bright 
white,  except  where  color  of  flanks  sometimes  encroaches  on  sides  of 
abdomen ;  underf ur  with  a  terminal  zone  of  dull  buffy  brown,  some- 
times becoming  more  or  less  ochraceous,  and  a  basal  zone  of 
plumbeous. 

Winter  pelage  of  typical  washingtoni  similar  to  summer  pelage, 
except  for  a  slightly  paler  more  vinaceous  cinnamon  tinge  to  the 
upperparts. 

Post juvenal  pelage. — Similar  to  old  adults,  but  upperparts  darker 
and  more  deeply  reddish  brown;  underparts  of  body  and  inside  of 


106  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

legs  dingy  white,  washed  with  dull  rusty;  underside  of  feet  and 
toes  as  in  adults. 

Jure  mil  pelage. — Color  the  same  as  in  postjuvenal  pelage,  but 
pelage  more  woolly. 

Skull. — Small  and  proportionately  narrow  and  slender;  braincase 
narrow  and  more  rounded  than  in  the  larger  forms  of  americanus ; 
rostrum  proportionately  long  and  slender  with  long,  narrow  nasals; 
frontal  area  slightly  depressed  and  supraorbital  breadth  very  nar- 
row ;  supraorbitals  slightly  raised  above  plane  of  frontal  area,  nar- 
rowing from  back  to  front,  thus  decreasing  width  of  anterior  border 
until  anterior  notch  becomes  obsolete  or  represented  by  a  broad  and 
shallow  concavity ;  posterior  process  small  and  slender,  slightly  taper- 
ing or  rod-like,  posterior  tip  often  nearly  touching  skull  and  inclos- 
ing a  large  flattened  oval  notch;  zygomatic  arch  narrow  and  slender 
with  a  shallow  groove  and  shallow  open  pit  anteriorly;  molar  series 
small  and  light;  bullae  proportionately  large  and  rounded  below; 
palatal  bridge  proportionately  broad  with  a  sharp  point  in  the  middle 
of  posterior  border;  incisive  foramina  broadest  in  middle  and  slightly 
decreasing  in  width  to  the  doubly  rounded  posterior  end. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  429;  tail  verte- 
bras, 41 ;  hind  foot,  125 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  62. 

Remarks. — The  series  of  over  forty  specimens  of  typical  washing- 
toni examined,  taken  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  shows  remarkable 
uniformity  of  color  and  no  trace  of  a  change  into  a  white  winter 
coat.  An  immature  specimen  taken  at  3,500  feet  altitude  on  the 
west  slope  of  Mount  Rainier  is  indistinguishable  from  one  of  the 
same  age  from  the  coast  of  Neah  Bay;  so  it  is  evident  that  typical 
washingtoni  ranges  up  some  distance  on  the  west  slope  of  the  Cas- 
cades. The  most  surprising  changes  in  distribution  among  the  mem- 
bers of  this  group  of  rabbits  appear  to  take  place  in  British  Colum- 
bia. At  Chilliwack  typical  washingtoni  (which  does  not  change 
to  a  white  winter  coat)  is  found,  while  only  a  comparatively  short 
distance  up  Fraser  River,  at  Hope,  occurs  a  distinct  form,  cascadensis, 
characterized  by  its  darker  colors,  which  changes  to  a  white  winter 
coat.  Only  a  little  to  the  east  of  this  there  is  another  abrupt  change 
to  eolumbiensis.  The  skulls  of  these  three  forms  show  close  rela- 
tionship, and  it  would  be  an  interesting  piece  of  work  for  some  one 
to  secure  specimens  from  the  intervening  areas  to  determine  whether 
there  is  or  is  not  direct  intergradation  in  color.  It  appears  entirely 
probable  that  they  will  all  prove  to  be  subspecies  of  the  same  thing. 

The  southern  limit  of  washingtoni,  where  it  intergrades  with 
Jclamathensis,  is  still  to  be  determined.  The  slender  rostrum,  supra- 
orbitals narrowing  anteriorly,  and  the  incisive  foramina  narrowing 
posteriorly,  are  strong  characters  of  washingtoni,  all  of  which  appear 


1909.]  LEPUS   AMERICANUS   GROUP KLAMATHENSIS.  107 

irregularly  and  in  a  modified  degree  in  the  adjacent  forms,  and  thus 
evidence  their  close  relationship.  Of  the  forty  specimens  of  wash- 
ingtoni  examined,  in  all  but  five  the  soles  of  the  hind  feet  are  black, 
in  strong  contrast  with  the  white  soles  of  the  hind  toes.  The  uni- 
formity of  the  color  on  the  underside  of  the  feet  and  toes  of  the 
remaining  five  was  evidently  due  to  staining.  This  character  ap- 
pears almost  as  strongly  marked  in  klamathensis,  and  to  a  much  less 
degree  in  columbiensis  and  cascadensis. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  57,  from : 

Washington:  Avon,  1 ;  Baker  Lake,  1 ;  Boulder  Lake,  1 ;  Chehalis  County, 
1 ;  Chilomensk  Depot,  1 ;  Granville,  3 ;  La  Push,  1 ;  Mount  Rainier. 
1 ;  Mouut  Vernon,  9 ;  Neali  Bay,  5 ;  Nisqually  Flats,  3 ;  Quiniault 
Lake,  2 ;  Shoalwater  Bay,  1 ;  Steilacoom,  4 ;  Trout  Lake,  1 ;  White 
Salmon,  1. 

British  Columbia  (Canada):  Ghilliwack,  3;  Douglas,  3;  Hastings,  1; 
Mouut  Lehman,  2 ;  Sumas,  12. 

LEPUS  WASHINGTON!   KLAMATHENSIS   Merriam. 

Ohegon  Snowshoe  Rabbit. 

Lepus  klamathensis  Merriam,  N.  A.  Fauna  No.  16,  pp.  100-101,  October  2S,  1899. 
Type  from  head  of  Wood  River,  near  Fort  Klamath,  Oregon,  No.  92248 
9  ad.,  U.  S.  National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection)  ;  collected 
by  B.  L.  Cunningham,  January  25,  1S9S. 

Geographic  distribution. — Cascade  Mountains  and  adjacent  parts  of 
Oregon  and  higher  parts  of  Sierra  Nevada  of  eastern  California 
south  at  least  to  Pacific,  Eldorado  County.  Vertical  range  from  about 
4,000  feet  in  mountains  near  Fort  Klamath  up  probably  to  timber- 
line;  zonal  range,  mainly  Canadian. 

General  characters. — Size  about  as  in  washingtoni;  color  most  like 
the  latter,  but  paler  and  more  of  a  vinaceous  cinnamon. 

Color  in  brown  winter  pelage. — Most  like  washingto?ii,  but  dis- 
tinctly paler ;  upperparts  of  head  and  body  dull  vinaceous  cinnamon, 
usually  slightly  darker  on  top  of  back  (in  one  specimen  strongly 
washed  with  black)  and  paler  on  sides  of  body;  orbital  area  richer 
and  brighter  or  more  pinkish  buffy  than  top  of  head,  sometimes  with 
an  ochraceous  tinge ;  rump  rather  paler  than  rest  of  back ;  top  of  tail 
dull  brownish  buffy  with  a  narrow  median  black  area ;  underside  dull 
pale  buffy  whitish ;  front  half  of  outside  of  ears  similar  to  top  of  head, 
but  a  little  darker  and  becoming  much  darker  near  tip,  where  strongly 
bordered  with  black;  posterior  half  of  outside  of  ears  dull  buffy  or 
buffy  gray  at  base  and  tipped  with  a  broad  black  patch  as  in  wash- 
ingtoni;  inside  of  ears  dull  whitish,  with  a  brown  band  near  posterior 
side  and  edged  along  front  and  below  black  tip  with  deep  ochraceous 
buffy,  and  on  posterior  border  with  pure  white;  tops  of  fore  feet  and 
legs  and  tops  of  hind  feet  darker  and  more  rusty  reddish  than  body, 


108  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

with  a  fine  grizzling  of  blackish,  the  rusty  reddish  sometimes  extend- 
ing out  over  adjacent  part  of  lower  shoulders  and  along  lower  side 
of  flanks ;  outside  of  hind  legs  like  flanks ;  tops  of  hind  feet  and  fore 
toes  more  or  less  irregularly  marked  and  blotched  with  white;  under- 
side of  fore  legs  and  front  border  of  thighs  with  a  narrow  pure  white 
band;  underside  of  neck  brighter  and  more  intensely  colored  than 
flanks  and  usually  more  rusty  reddish ;  rest  of  underparts  pure  white ; 
soles  of  hind  feet  dusky,  contrasting  with  whitish  underside  of  toes, 
but  not  so  strongly  as  in  icashingtoni;  underfur  with  a  narrow  termi- 
nal zone  of  dingy  buffy,  and  a  much  broader  basal  zone  of  plumbeous. 
The  foregoing  description  is  based  on  three  adults  in  perfect  brown 
coat,  taken  near  Fort  Klamath  between  December  29  and  January  25. 
Five  other  specimens,  labeled  from  the  same  place,  taken  in  Novem- 
ber, December,  January,  and  April,  vary  from  mixed  white  and 
brown  of  the  changing  pelage  in  November  to  the  pure  white  winter 
pelage  of  later  dates,  except  that  the  outside  of  the  ears  in  front  are 
rusty  buffy  and  the  posterior  tips  are  blackish.  The  outer  zone  on 
the  underfur  varies  in  these  specimens  from  pale  salmon  buffy  to  dull 
salmon,  with  an  underlying  zone  of  plumbeous,  varying  in  intensity 

with  outer  zone. 

Skull. — Similar  to  washingtoni,  but  even  smaller  and  slenderer; 
rostrum  averaging  narrower  and  slenderer;  braincase  narrow  and 
rounded;  supraorbital  processes  narrowing  anteriorly  until  anterior 
notch  becomes  obsolete  in  some  specimens  as  in  washingtoni,  but  in 
others  the  notch  is  more  distinctly  marked;  postorbital  process  even 
longer  and  slenderer  or  more  rod-like,  almost  touching  skull  posteri- 
orly and  inclosing  a  wide  flattened  oval  notch ;  zygomatic  arch  about 
the  same ;  molar  series  the  same ;  palatal  bridge  narrower,  with  pos- 
terior border  nearly  plane ;  incisive  foramina  broadest  in  middle  and 
narrowing  posteriorly  in  about  half  the  specimens  as  in  washingto?ii, 
and  subtriangular  and  broadest  at  posterior  end  in  the  others. 

Average  measurements  (•>  adults). — Total  length,  414;  tail  verte- 
bra^, 39 ;  hind  foot,  126 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  64. 

Remarks. — The  present  form  appears  to  be  restricted  to  the  region 
south  of  Columbia  River.  Judging  from  the  specimens  examined, 
the  winter  pelage  in  the  district  about  Fort  Klamath  is  either  brown 
or  white,  probably  according  to  the  altitude.  Kldmathensis  has  the 
smallest,  lightest,  and  most  slender  skull  of  the  entire  group  of 
American  varying  hares.  The  skull  of  one  white  winter  specimen 
from  Fort  Klamath,  collected  by  Capt.  Charles  Bendire,  is  so  small 
and  slight,  with  such  a  narrow  rostrum  and  small  bullas  that  it  is 
with  difficulty  distinguished  from  skulls  of  Sylvilagus  bachnani 
ubericdlor  from  northern  California.  Between  this  and  the  heavier 
and  more  typical  skulls  of  klamathensis  exists  every  degree  of  grada- 
tion.    One  of  the  brown  winter  specimens  from  Fort  Klamath  is 


1909.]  LEPUS   AMEBIC  ANUS    GROUP BAIRDI.  109 

more  intensely  or  brightly  colored  than  the  others,  with  a  more  red- 
dish shade  of  vinaceous  cinnamon,  especially  about  the  head,  under- 
side of  neck,  and  fore  feet,  while  the  wash  of  black  on  the  back 
(which  is  scarcely  noticeable  in  the  others)  is  strongly  marked. 

A  young  of  the  year  taken  in  changing  pelage  at  Donner,  Califor- 
nia, is  darker  and  more  cinnamon  rufous  on  the  back  and  head  than 
the  Klamath  specimens.  From  the  remarkable  manner  in  which  this 
group  of  rabbits  breaks  up  into  local  forms  in  the  Pacific  coast  region 
this  difference  may  indicate  that  there  is  another  local  form  in  the 
Sierra  Nevada.  At  present,  however,  the  lack  of  material  makes  it 
necessary  to  refer  the  two  specimens  examined  from  there  to  Mama- 
then  sis.  The  underfur  of  the  brown  specimen  from  Donner  is  light 
salmon  buff  on  the  top  and  pale  plumbeous  below.  A  white  winter 
specimen  from  the  same  region  has  the  underfur  even  paler  salmon 
buff  and  plumbeous  as  in  some  white  specimens  from  Fort  Klamath. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  10,  from : 

Oregon:  Fort  Klamath,  S. 

California:  Dormer,  1;  Pacific   (Eldorado  County),  1. 

LEPUS  BAIRDI  Hayden. 

Rocky  Mountain  Snowshoe  Rabbit. 

(PI.  VI,  fig.  3.) 

Lepus  bairdi  Hayden,  Am.  Naturalist,  III,  pp.  115-116,  1  text  fig.,  May,  1869. 
Type  from  near  Fremont  Peak,  summit  of  Wind  River  Mountains,  Wyo- 
ming; No.  3482o6o2r»  ad.,  U.  S.  National  Museum;  collected  by  Dr.  F.  V. 
Hayden,  June  2,  I860  (in  full  summer  pelage). 

Geographic  distribution. — Higher  parts  of  Rocky  Mountains  from 
Idaho,  Montana,  and  extreme  eastern  Washington  and  Oregon  south- 
east through  western  Wyoming,  eastern  Utah,  and  middle  Colorado 
to  central  New  Mexico.  Also  probably  extreme  southern  Alberta  and 
extreme  southeastern  British  Columbia,  though  no  specimens  have 
been  seen  from  these  areas.  Vertical  range  from  about  8,000  to  11,000 
feet  (timberline)  in  northern  New  Mexico  and  Colorado;  zonal  range, 
Canadian  and  Hudsonian. 

General  characters. — Size  nearly  the  same  as  in  typical  americanus, 
but  ears  and  hind  feet  longer;  color  in  summer  less  iron  gray  and 
more  dusky,  or  dusky  reddish  brown,  than  americanus ;  feet  usually 
pure  white;  head  deep  reddish  cinnamon  contrasting  with  the  more 
dusky  color  of  body ;  approaches  caseadensis,  washingtoni,  and  hlam- 
athensis  in  the  reddish  brown  of  the  upperparts. 

Color  in  summer  pelage. — Upperparts  of  body  varying  from  dusky 
slightly  buffy  grayish  brown  to  rusty  cinnamon  brown;  wash  of 
dusky  strongest  along  top  of  back,  about  as  in  americanus,  and  rump 
even  more  blackish  (about  as  in  macfarlani)  ;  top  of  tail  black;  sides 


110  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [so.SG. 

of  body  Hko  back;  top  and  sides  of  head  deep  reddish  cinnamon 
mixed  with  dusky  on  crown  and  cheeks,  but  nearly  pure  about  eyes 
and  sides  of  nose;  the  color  of  head  usually  brighter  and  contrasting 
with  the  duller  and  darker  color  of  body;  basal  front  half  of  ears 
similar  to  top  of  head  and  shading  into  dusky  near  tip;  posterior 
half  of  ears  on  outside  dingy  grayish  on  basal  part  and  becoming 
blackish  on  terminal  half;  inside  of  ears  dusky  brownish  with  a  well- 
marked  white  border  around  entire  margin ;  nape  dusky  brown,  duller 
than  back;  front  and  hind  feet  usually  white,  but  one  Idaho  and  one 
Wallowa  Lake,  Oregon,  specimen  have  fore  feet  and  legs  and  front 
border  of  thighs  similar  to  head  and  tops  of  hind  feet  whitish  with  a 
thin  mixture  of  rusty  cinnamon  hairs;  underside  of  neck  similar  to 
sides  of  body  but  often  much  deeper  or  more  richly  colored;  rest  of 
underparts  snowy  white  with  color  of  flanks  sometimes  extending  in 
on  sides  of  abdomen. 

Post juvenal  pelage  (a  half-grown  specimen  from  Big  Snowy 
Mountains,  Montana). — Nearly  uniform  dull,  slightly  ochraceous, 
buffy,  clearest  about  eyes  and  on  feet ;  underside  of  neck  rich  rusty 
cinnamon.  Another  specimen  of  same  age  from  the  Snowy  Moun- 
tains much  duller  and  grayer  than  the  one  described  and  about  inter- 
mediate between  it  and  one  from  Wyoming. 

Winter  pelage.— -Entirely  pure  white,  except  a  narrow  dusky  bor- 
der to  tip  of  ears,  and  sometimes  a  mixture  of  brown  along  front  of 
same ;  underfur  uniform  delicate  salmon  varying  to  pale  salmon  buff. 

Skull. — Closely  similar  to  that  of  typical  americanus,  but  averag- 
ing lighter  and  slenderer  with  supraorbital  process  less  strongty  de- 
veloped, zygomatic  arch  lighter;  incisive  foramina  narrower;  brain- 
case  narrower. 

In  most  skulls  of  bairdi  the  supraorbital  has  the  anterior  process 
and  notch  more  or  less  well  marked,  but  in  about  one-third  of  the 
large  series  examined  the  supraorbital  decreases  in  width  anteriorly 
until  the  anterior  process  and  notch  are  lacking  nearly  or  quite  as 
completely  as  in  washingtoni.  Skulls  lacking  the  anterior  process  to 
the  supraorbital  usually  have  the  rostrum  slenderer  and  braincase 
narrower  than  those  with  a  more  strongly  developed  supraorbital, 
the  latter  character  being  accompanied  by  the  broader  rostrum  and 
braincase,  thus  approximating  americanus.  The  skulls  with  supra- 
orbitals decreasing  anteriorly  are  rather  common  from  the  type 
region  in  Wyoming,  while  those  from  Montana,  Colorado,  and  New 
Mexico  have  the  supraorbitals  averaging  more  strongly  developed. 
Some  skulls  from  the  Wind  River  Mountains  are  very  close  in  gen- 
eral appearance  to  those  of  washingtoni.  One  skull  from  the  Wal- 
lowa Mountains  of  northeastern  Oregon  is  unusually  large,  with  a 
remarkably  long  heavy  rostrum  and  heavy  supraorbitals  with  rather 
small  but  well-marked  anterior  process  and  notch.     This  skull  is  so 


1909.]  LEPUS   AMERICANUS    GROUP BAIRDI.  Ill 

different  in  general  appearance  from  any  other  of  this  group  exam- 
ined that  it  must  be  an  extreme  case  of  individual  variation.  This 
appears  more  certain  from  the  fact  that  another  younger  skull  from 
the  same  place  is  like  other  slender  skulls  of  bairdi. 

Average  meastirements  (3  adults). — Total  length,  459;  tail  verte- 
bra1, 39 ;  hind  foot,  146 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  70. 

Remark's. — The  considerable  amount  of  material  examined  in  the 
j) resent  connection  shows  that  the  supposed  specific  differences  sepa- 
rating bairdi  from  the  americanus  group  are  likely  to  disappear  when 
a  series  of  specimens  from  the  entire  range  of  the  two  is  available  for 
comparison.  Hitherto  specimens  of  virginianus  from  the  northern 
part  of  its  range,  or  of  struthopus,  have  usually  been  used  for  com- 
parison to  represent  typical  americanus,  and  the  differences  were 
easily  established.  But  with  a  series  of  true  americanus  and  its 
northwestern  forms  available  the  strong  differences  supposed  to  char- 
acterize bairdi  tend  to  disappear  or  become  much  less  important. 
Furthermore,  the  material  at  hand  shows  that  specimens  of  bairdi 
from  Idaho,  northwestern  Montana,  the  Blue  Mountains  of  eastern 
Oregon,  and  Washington  grade  toward  hlamathensis  of  the  southern 
Cascades  and  into  the  closely  allied  cascadensis  of  the  northern  Cas- 
cades. Specimens  of  bairdi  from  Colorado,  New  Mexico,  and  "Wyom- 
ing are  apparently  indistinguishable  from  Wyoming  specimens,  but 
summer  material  from  Colorado  and  south  is  very  scanty.  In  a  series 
of  nearly  twenty  October  specimens  from  Silverton,  Colorado,  just 
assuming  the  winter  coat,  the  underfur  is  a  delicate  salmon  buff  nearly 
or  quite  to  the  base,  the  leaden  basal  color  when  present  forming  only 
a  narrow  band.  Two  winter  specimens  from  Montana  have  the  same 
salmon  colored  underfur,  but  a  winter  specimen  from  the  Wind  River 
Mountains,  Wyoming,  has  a  dull  salmon  buffy  terminal  band  about 
one-third  the  length  of  the  underfur  with  the  basal  two-thirds  leaden 
bluish.  Most  of  the  considerable  number  of  adult  summer  specimens 
of  bairdi  examined  have  the  underfur  nearly  unicolor  and  varying 
from  some  shade  of  buffy  (varying  from  dull  salmon  to  dull  ochra- 
ceous)  to  pale  bluish  gray.  There  is  a  wide  range  of  variation  in  the 
color  and  even  the  color  pattern  on  the  underfur  in  summer.  The 
summer  season  is  so  short  in  the  cold,  elevated  summits  where  these 
rabbits  live  that  there  is  but  a  short  period  between  the  spring  and 
autumn  molts,  so  that  very  few  of  the  specimens  examined  show  the 
perfect  summer  coat.  For  this  reason  changes  in  the  underfur  appear 
in  progress  almost  throughout  the  summer.  One  Wind  River  Moun- 
tain specimen  has  the  underfur  tipped  with  dusky,  with  a  broader 
zone  of  salmon  buffy  below  this  and  a  still  broader  plumbeous  zone 
next  the  body.  Young  of  the  year  in  the  postjuvenal  pelage  have 
the  underfur  marked  with  a  buffy  terminal  band  overlying  a  basal 
slaty  bluish  band  of  about  equal  width. 


112  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

A  specimen  in  summer  pelage  from  Marcus,  in  northeastern  Wash- 
ington, is  an  intergrade  with  cascadensis,  nearest  the  latter. 
Total  number  of  specimens  examined  98,  from : 

Montana:  Big  Snowy  Mountains,  2;  Bozernan,  1;  Essex,  1;  Fort  Benton, 

1;  Nyasck,  3;  St.  Marys  Lake,  5;  Stanton  Lake.  3. 
Idaho:  Big  Lost  River,  1 ;  Bitter  Root  Valley,  1;  Ketchum,  1;  Moscow,  2; 

Mullan,  1 ;  Sawtooth  Lake,  2 ;  Sinyakwatun  Depot,  1. 
Wyoming:  Bull  Lake,  1;   Fort  Bridger  Reservation,  1;  Hart  Lake,  1; 

Le  Barge  Creek,  2;  Lake  Fork   (Wind  River  Mountains),  9;  Lewis 

Lake,  1 ;  Shoshone  Lake,  1 ;  Snake  River,  1 ;  Wind  River  Mountains, 

4 ;  Yellowstone  Lake,  2. 
Colorado:  Boulder  County,  1;  Coulter,  1;  Gunnison  County   (divide  be- 
tween   Sapinero   and   Curricanti   creeks).    1;    Gunnison   County,   1; 

Irwin,  1;  Mill  City  Canyon,  1;  Sangre  de  Cristo  Pass,  1;  Silverton, 

2S;  Sulphur  Springs,  5. 
New  Mexico:  Canton  Burgwin,  1;  Chama,  1;  45  miles  northwest  of  Las 

A'egas,  6;  Mount  Baldy    (Pecos),  1;  Red  River   (30  miles  north  of 

Taos),  1. 

LEPUS  BAIRDI  CASCADENSIS  Nelson. 

Cascade  Mottntain  Snow  shoe  Rabbit. 

Lepus  bairdi  cascadensis  Nelson,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XX,  p.  S7, 
December  11,  1907.  Type  from  Roab's  ranch,  near  Hope,  British  Colum- 
bia ;  No.  1886,  $  ad..  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology ;  collected  by  W.  C. 
Colt.  June  12.  1894. 

Geographic  distribution. — Cascade  Mountains  near  extreme  south- 
ern border  of  British  Columbia  from  Hope,  on  Fraser  Kiver,  south 
along  east  side  of  mountains  at  least  to  Martin  and  Easton,  Wash- 
ington. Vertical  range  undetermined;  zonal  range  probably  Cana- 
dian and  Hudsonian. 

General  characters. — Color  of  upperparts  most  like  that  of  bairdi, 
but  darker  and  more  dusky  reddish  cinnamon  brown  with  rump 
more  blackish ;  head  clearer  reddish  cinnamon,  contrasting  with  more 
dusky  body ;  skull  intermediate  between  that  of  bairdi  and  washing- 
toni  in  form  and  closely  resembling  that  of  columbiensis,  the  color 
in  summer  very  different  from  both  of  these  latter;  ears  large,  as  in 
bairdi. 

Color  in  nearly  'perfect  summer  pelage. — Upperparts  of  body 
nearly  uniform  dusky,  rusty  cinnamon  brown,  only  slightly  darker 
on  top  of  back  than  on  flanks;  rump,  back  of  hind  legs,  and  middle 
of  tail  on  top  blackish;  rest  of  tail  pure  white;  head  brighter  than 
body,  rich  dark  reddish  or  rusty  cinnamon,  darkest  on  top  and 
brightest  on  sides  of  nose  and  thence  back  around  eyes  to  base  of 
ears;  top  of  fore  legs  and  front  border  and  adjacent  parts  on  out- 
side of  hind  legs  dark  rusty  cinnamon  similar  to  top  of  head ;  basal 
half  of  ears  in  front  like  top  of  head ;  terminal  half  black ;  back  of 


1909.]  LEPUS  AMERICANUS   GROUP CASCADENSIS.  113 

ears  dingy  buffy  brown  more  broadly  edged  and  tipped  with  black 
than  in  bairdi;  inside  of  ears  dusky  grayish  and  edged  all  around 
with  whitish;  underside  of  neck  similar  to  top  of  head  but  paler 
rusty ;  underside  of  head  whitish,  more  or  less  tinged  with  dull  buffy 
and  rusty ;  rest  of  underparts  pure  white  mixed  with  color  of  flanks 
on  sides  of  abdomen ;  underf ur  varies  from  pale  grayish  with  slight 
tinge  of  salmon  to  strong  salmon  buffy  with  a  narrow  basal  zone  of 
pale  slaty  gray. 

Whiter  pelage. — Entirely  pure  white,  except  a  dusky  border  around 
tip  of  ears ;  underf  ur  of  specimens  from  near  Hope  varies  from  a  pale 
to  a  dull  dark  (sometimes  slightly  cinnamon  tinged)  salmon,  with  a 
narrow  basal  zone  of  plumbeous  gray,  latter  sometimes  very  pale  and 
poorly  marked. 

The  change  from  winter  to  summer  pelage  begins  in  April,  and  the 
white  winter  pelage  is  resumed  in  October  and  November.  Speci- 
mens from  Okanagan,  British  Columbia,  in  winter  pelage  have  the 
underfur  sometimes  rich  salmon  buffy. 

Skull. — Size  and  general  appearance  much  like  that  of  Washing- 
ton!; the  same  narrow,  slender  form,  with  supraorbitals  commonly 
decreasing  in  width  anteriorly  so  as  to  render  the  anterior  process 
and  notch  obsolete;  posterior  process  long,  narrow  (or  rod-like),  and 
often  extending  back  to  nearly  touch  the  skull,  and  inclosing  a  large 
flattened  oval  notch;  zygomatic  arch  the  same;  underside  of  skull, 
including  the  bulla?,  the  same,  except  that  the  incisive  foramina  are 
usually  distinctly  shorter,  and  broader  at  posterior  end  than  in  mid- 
dle, having  this  character  even  more  marked  than  in  typical  colum- 
biensis; in  top  view  skulls  more  closely  resemble  those  of  Washing- 
ton? and  on  underside  those  of  columbiensis  and  bairdi 

Remarks. — It  was  with  some  hesitation  that  I  ventured  to  describe 
another  form  of  this  group  from  a  locality  so  near  and  between  the 
areas  occupied  by  two  such  well-marked  forms  as  washingtoni  and 
columbiensis.  However,  with  a  series  before  me  of  more  than  a  dozen 
specimens,  of  which  half  are  in  more  or  less  complete  summer  dress, 
I  found  they  differed  so  much  from  the  described  forms  that  they 
could  not  be  satisfactorily  placed  with  any  of  them.  They  are  most 
like  bairdi  in  the  general  color  of  the  upperparts,  but  are  richer, 
darker,  and  more  reddish,  with  blacker  rumps,  while  the  skulls  aver- 
age more  slender,  and  the  peculiar  narrowing  of  the  supraorbitals 
anteriorly  is  nearly  as  marked  as  in  wctsMtLgioni.  A  summer  speci- 
men from  Easton,  Washington,  is  lighter  and  more  reddish  than  those 
from  Hope,  and  thus  shows  an  approach  toward  klamathensis,  but  it 
has  the  characteristic  blackish  rump  of  cascadensis.  The  skulls  of 
specimens  from  Easton  and  Martin  however,  have  the  anterior  notch 

S5595— No.  29—09 8 


114  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

like  those  from  Hope,  while  the  incisive  foramina  are  broadest  in 
middle  and  narrow  at  posterior  end  as  in  washingtoni.  The  color  of 
this  form  is  so  different  from  others  of  the  group  immediately  ad- 
jacent to  it  in  distribution  that  until  more  material  shows  actual 
intergradation  I  have  considered  it  best  to  treat  it  as  a  subspecies  of 
bairdi,  with  which  the  color  and  skull  characters  show  intergrada- 
tion. The  close  resemblance  between  the  skulls  of  cascadensis,  colum- 
btensis,  washingtoni,  klamathensis,  and  bairdi  is  so  strong  that  it 
indicates  an  extremely  close  relationship,  although  the  color  differ- 
ences between  some  of  them  are  marked;  but  sufficient  material  is 
not  available  to  prove  actual  intergradation.  The  resemblance  be- 
tween washingtoni  and  klamathensis,  however,  is  too  close  for  them 
to  be  considered  anything  but  subspecies.  A  single  adult  specimen 
from  Skagit,  British  Columbia,  which  is  typical  cascadensis  in  color, 
has  short  supraorbital  processes  standing  well  out  from  the  skull, 
with  a.  well-marked  anterior  process  and  notch  very  different  from 
average  specimens.  Two  out  of  three  specimens  from  Okanagan, 
British  Columbia,  in  white  pelage  have  the  underfur  rich  deep  sal- 
mon buff  with  a  narrow  zone  of  pale  slate  color  next  the  body.  One 
of  these,  shot  March  29,  is  getting  the  summer  coat  in  half  a  dozen 
small  spots  on  the  back  and  rump,  and  the  color  of  these  patches 
shows  conclusively  that  the  form  at  Okanagan  is  cascadensis.  The 
last-mentioned  individual  has  pale  salmon  buffy  underfur,  becoming 
plumbeous  at  base.  A  midwinter  specimen  from  Okanagan  is  pure 
white,  with  only  a  duskiness  about  the  borders  of  the  ears,  but  the 
two  killed  in  March  have  the  ears  more  distinctly  bordered  with 
dusky,  especially  the  posterior  half  of  the  tip.  The  specimens  from 
Hope,  British  Columbia,  show  that  by  the  last  of  October  the  change 
into  the  winter  coat  is  well  advanced.  The  July  specimen  from 
Easton,  Washington,  is  the  only  one  of  this  form  seen  in  full  sum- 
mer dress.  It  has  the  tail  black  above  and  blackish  on  the  terminal 
half  of  the  underside  and  whitish  only  on  the  basal  half  of  the  lower 
side  of  the  tail.  Mr.  Allan  Brooks  writes  that  the  hares  north  of 
Fraser  River  are  said  to  turn  white  in  winter.  These  are  no  doubt 
cascadensis. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  21,  from : 

British  Columbia  (Canada):   Bonaparte   (24-ruile  House),  1;  Chilliwack 
Lake.  1:  Elko.  1;  Hope  (Roab's  ranch),  S;  Okanagan,  3;  Skagit,  1. 
Washington:  Easton,  1;  Martin,  5. 


1909.]  LEPUS   CALLOTIS   GROUP.  115 

SUBGENUS  MACROTOLAGUS  Mearns. 

LEPUS  CALLOTIS  Group. 

WHITE-SIDED  JACK  RABBITS. 

This  group  contains  the  handsomest  and  most  striking  species  of 
the  North  American  Leporidse.  It  is  made  up  of  five  well-marked 
species  and  two  subspecies,  as  follows :  Lepus  callotis,  L.  flavigularis, 
L.  alt  amir  a?,  L.  gaillardi,  L.  gaillardi  battyi,  L.  alleni,  and  L.  alleni 
palitans.  In  both  external  and  skull  characters  the  species  show 
considerable  diversity,  but  agree  in  two  strong  characters  which 
serve  to  separate  them  from  other  jack  rabbits.  One  is  the  absence 
of  a  black  patch  on  the  back  of  the  ears  at  tip;  the  other  is  the 
presence  of  a  whitish  area  covering  the  sides  from  shoulder  to  rump 
and  extending  from  the  abdomen  well  over  the  flanks,  while  the 
outside  of  the  thighs  and  rump  are  usually  gray.  These  lateral 
whitish  areas  are  much  more  conspicuous  in  life  than  in  skins. 

It  is  safe  to  assume  that  the  white  on  the  sides  serves  the  same 
purpose  in  all  these  species,  since  its  use  as  a  directive  marking  has 
been  noted  repeatedly  by  Goldman  and  myself  in  Lepus  alleni 
palitans,  L.  callotis,  and  L.  flavigidaris. 

By  means  of  muscles  the  skin  of  either  side  can  be  drawn  over 
the  back  at  will.  In  this  manner  the  buffy  or  brown  dorsal  area 
is  shifted  more  or  less  completely  to  one  side  and  the  white  on  the 
opposite  side  is  drawn  nearly  or  quite  to  the  median  line.  This 
habit  has  been  observed  when  the  rabbits  were  standing,  or  moving 
along  at  moderate  speed,  usually  after  they  had  been  driven  from 
their  forms.  This  enlargement  of  the  white  area  is  always  on  the 
side  turned  toward  the  chance  intruder,  and  accordingly  alternates 
from  side  to  side  as  the  animals  slowly  zigzag  away.  In  the  bright 
sunlight  the  snowy  white  side  flashes  brilliantly,  attracting  atten- 
tion from  afar,  and  affording  a  fine  example  of  directive  coloration 
(see  PL  I).  In  the  case  of  L.  flavigularis  I  had  the  opportunity 
on  several  occasions  of  observing  this  display  within  20  yards, 
and  in  that  of  L.  callotis  at  a  somewhat  greater  distance.  One 
individual  of  flavigularis  hopped  slowly  from  its  form,  not  10  yards 
away,  as  I  rode  by  on  horseback,  and,  standing  broadside,  shifted 
the  buffy  dorsal  area  over,  at  the  same  time  slowly  drawing  the 
white  area  up  like  a  curtain  until  the  side  toward  me  was  pure 
white,  except  a  narrow  buffy  line  along  the  top  of  the  back.  The 
rabbit  then  hopped  slowly  along  in  the  direction  I  was  riding,  but 
gradually  moved  farther  away,  keeping  the  white  area  in  the  same 
position  until  it  had  traveled  50  or  60  yards,  when  the  color  areas 
slowly  resumed  their  normal  positions.  I  have  seen  callotis  zigzag 
along,  changing  its  course  every  10  or  15  yards,  and  each  time  it 
turned  it  flashed  the  white  on  the  side  toward  me.     I  am  inclined 


116 


NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA. 


[no.  29. 


to  think  this  flashing  of  the  white  is  most  frequent  during  the  rut- 
ting time. 

The  range  of  this  group  of  species  extends  from  southern  Arizona 
and  extreme  southern  New  Mexico  south  to  beyond  the  Isthmus  of 
Tehuantepec  (see  fig.  9).  The  group  is  represented  along  the  Pa- 
cific coast  from  Sonora  to  northern  Tepic  (L.  alleni  palitans).  From 
southern  Tepic  south  it  is  absent  from  the  coastal  region  until 
it  appears  again  on  the  shore  of  the  Pacific  at  the  Isthmus  of 
Tehuantepec,  in  southern  Oaxaca  and  Chiapas  (fiavigularis) .  On 
the  east  it  reaches  the  Gulf  coast  only  in  extreme  southern  Tamauli- 
pas  (altamirce).  From  southern  New  Mexico  (gaillardi)  it  extends 
south  in  a  narrow  belt  along  the  east  side  of  the  Sierra  Madre  to 

Durango  {gaillardi 
battyi),  and  thence 
south  over  all  the  rest 
of  the  tableland  and 
beyond  the  Sierra 
Madre,  over  the  arid 
hills  and  valleys  of  the 
interior,  including  the 
Pacific  slope  beyond 
middle  Oaxaca  (cal- 
lotis). 

From  this  distribu- 
tion it  appears  that  the 
white-sided  jack  rab- 
bits are  a  Mexican 
group,  of  which  only 
two  species  range 
north  far  enough  to 
cross  the  border  in  the 
United    States.      They 

Fig.   9. — Distribution  of  the  white-sided  jack  rabbits  of      are     mainly     Arid 
the  Lepus  callotis  group.  —..      -.  -.      T 

Tropical  and  .Lower 
Sonoran  in  distribution,  but  callotis  and  gaillardi  sometimes  range 
through  Upper  Sonoran  and,  more  rarely  still,  a  short  distance  into 
the  Transition  Zone.  The  vertical  range  of  the  group  is  from  sea 
level  up  to  about  8,500  feet. 

Lepus  callotis,  gaillardi,  altamirce,  and  fiavigularis  are  most  alike 
in  general  appearance.  L.  alleni  is  the  handsomest  and  most  strongly 
marked  of  the  jack  rabbits,  its  huge  ears,  long  legs,  short  tail,  and 
bright  color  completely  differentiating  it  and  making  it  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  and  striking  of  American  mammals. 

Lepus  altamirce  is  less  strongly  differentiated  from  the  calif  ornicus 
type  of  jack  rabbit  than  the  others,  owing  mainly  to  the  less  definite 
segregation  of  white  on  the  sides. 


1909.]  LEPUS    CALLOTIS    GROUP ALLENI. 

Average  measurements  in  the  Lepus  callotls  group. 


117 


— 
bo 

Skin. 

Skull. 

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cd 

a 

fl 

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a 

K   O 

OC 

as 

Ss 

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~  5 

■S 

03 

A 

«' 

Origin  of  specimens 

1 

o 
0. 

60 

a 

CD 

"3 

a 

i 

cd 
> 

a 

2  c 

a 

o 

"So 

a 

CD 

03 
03 
(3 

o 
a 

MH     CD 

53  a 

"3 
S 

FH 
O 

J-l 
CD 

•a 

03 
CD 

tH 

ro3 

cd 

o 

CD 

a 

03 

averaged. 

os 

03 

<u 

m 

5 

H 
ROfi.O 

63.4 

W 

131.0 

144.0 

80.5 

!-) 

n 

^4 

HH 

Pj 

H 

45.4 

26.4 

22.4 

29.7 

32.0 

15.0 

Near  Tucson,  Ariz. 

Lepus  alleni  palitans. . 

5.771.0,57.0 

131.6 

142.0 

83. 7  49. 4 

28.7 

24.6 

29.7 

32. 5  13. 7 

Southern  Sinaloa. 

Lepus  gaillardi 

3  536. 0  80. 0 

132. 6 

109.6 

72.7 

39.4 

24.0 

21.1 

26.4 

29. 9 13. 6 

Northwestern    Chihua- 

Lepus  gaillardi  battyia 

5^49. 9  59. 4 

123.7 

112.0 

70.0 

38.7 

24.4 

21.7 

25.7 

28.713.6 

Northern  Durango. 

Lepus  eallotis 

5  560.0i71.0 

133.0 

117.1 

72,  6 

40.6 

26. 3 

22. 4 

28. 0 

30. 6  14. 1 

Puebla  and  Morelos. 

Lepus  altamirse 

5|587. 0  72. 0 

136.0 

110.6 

77.1 

44.9 

26.7 

22.  6 

26.  S 

30.4 

13.8 

Alta  Mira,  Tamaulipas. 

Lepus  flavigularis 

5  595. 0  77. 0 

133.0 

112.0 

75.7 

45.3 

27.2 

24.2 

26.9 

31.7 

12.6 

South  side  Isthmus  Te- 
huantepec. 

a  The   skin   measurements   of   this   series   show   certain   discrepancies   which   indicate   a. 
method  of  measuring  different  from  that  in  common  use. 

LEPUS  ALLENI  Meabns. 

Antelope  Jack  Rabbit. 

(PL  VII,  fig.  4;  pi.  VIII,  fig.  4.) 

Lepus  alleni  Mearns,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  II,  pp.  294-297,  February, 
1890.  Type  from  Rillito  Station,  Pima  County,  Arizona ;  No.  2412,  $  ad., 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History ;  collected  by  Dr.  E.  A.  Mearns,  May 

8,  1885. 

Geographic  distribution. — The  desert  plains  of  southern  Arizona, 
from  Phoenix,  Tucson,  and  Benson,  south  through  similar  country  to 
a  little  beyond  Guaymas,  in  northern  Sonora,  Mexico.  Vertical  range 
from  near  sea  level  in  Sonora  up  to  about  3,500  feet  in  southern 
Arizona ;  zonal  distribution  Lower  Sonoran. 

General  characters. — Lepus  alleni,  including  its  subspecies  palitans, 
is  the  handsomest  and  most  striking  of  the  North  American  hares, 
and,  with  the  exception  of  campestris  and  grcenlandicus,  is  the 
largest  of  the  North  American  species.  Typical  alleni  is  character- 
ized by  long  slender  legs,  enormous  ears,  very  small  short  tail;  color 
on  sides  of  shoulders,  flanks,  sides  of  abdomen,  rump,  and  out- 
side of  hind  legs  uniform  iron  gray;  skull  largest  among  American 
rabbits,  except  palitans. 

Colo'i  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  and  side  of  head  dingy  creamy 
buff,  slightly  washed  on  top  with  black,  and  sides  paler  or  grayer, 
shading  back  into*  gray  on  sides  of  neck  and  nape ;  middle  of  nape 
dingy  buff  or  brownish  buff  washed  with  gray ;  ring  around  eye  buff 
or  buffy  white ;  top  of  back  cream  buff  (sometimes  with  a  light  pink- 
ish tinge)  washed  with  black;  sides  of  shoulders,  flanks,  sides  of  ab- 


118  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

domen,  rump,  and  outside  of  hind  legs  light  iron  gray;  middle  of  tail 
on  upper  side,  and  extending  up  as  a  short  median  line  at  base  of 
rump,  black;  rest  of  tail  white;  front  of  fore  legs  and  tops  of  fore 
feet  pale  grayish  buff  grizzled  with  dusky;  inside  of  fore  legs  and 
inside  of  thighs  white  or  pale  gray;  underside  of  head,  chest,  and 
middle  of  abdomen  and  back  to  include  sides  of  base  of  tail,  front  of 
hind  legs,  and  tops  of  hind  feet,  pure  white ;  underside  of  neck  rich 
buff,  sometimes  tinged  with  ochraceous,  but  never  so  rich  as  in  pali- 
tans;  front  half  of  ears  buffy  or  sandy  gray ;  entire  back  of  ears  paler, 
more  whitish;  front  of  ears  bordered  with  a  fringe  of  long  grayish 
or  yellowish  gray  hairs  with  a  short  dusky  area  near  tip ;  tip  of  ears 
pale  buff  or  buffy  white  and  posterior  border  narrowly  edged  with 
velvety  white. 

Skull. — Very  large;  rostrum  long  and  heavy;  frontal  area  broad; 
supra-  and  postorbitals  broad  and  heavy,  posterior  end  of  post- 
orbitals  rest  on  small  bony  processes  of  skull  and  inclose  long  nar- 
row postorbital  foramina;  anterior  notch  in  front  of  supraorbital 
process  small  and  sometimes  obsolescent;  molar  series  heavy;  bullae 
small;  basioccipital  long  and  not  deeply  constricted  posteriorly;  in 
general  shape  skull  most  like  that  of  L.  ftavigularis,  but  much  larger. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  606;  tail  verte- 
brae, 63.4;  hind  foot,  131;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  144. 

Remarks. — The  pale  typical  form  of  this  handsome  species  is 
limited  mainly  to  the  hot  plains  of  southern  Arizona.  Specimens 
from  Magclalena,  Sonora,  not  far  south  of  the  Arizona  border,  are 
more  richly  colored  than  those  from  Arizona  and  the  increase  in 
intensity  continues  to  the  southward;  specimens  from  south  of 
Guaymas  must  be  placed  with  the  more  brightly  colored  palitans. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  28,  from : 

Arizona:   Calabasas,   1;    Casa   Grande,   1;    Fort  Lowell,   6;    Oracle,   1; 

Picacbo   Station,  1 ;  Rillito  Creek,  3 ;  Rillito  Station,   1 ;  Tucson,  4. 
Sonora  (Mexico):  Batamotal,  2;  Hermosillo,  2;  Magdalena,  2;  Oputo,  1; 

Ortiz,  3. 

LEPUS  ALLENI  PALITANS  Bangs. 

Sinaloa  Jack  Rabbit. 

Lepus  (Macrotolagus)  attend  palitans  Bangs,  Proc.  New  England  Zool.  Club, 
I,  pp.  85-86,  February  23, 1900.  Type  from  Agua  Caliente,  soutbern  Sinaloa, 
Mexico;  No.  flOOG,  9,  ad.,  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology  (Bangs  col- 
lection) ;  collected  by  P.  O.  Simons,  August  7,  1897. 

Geographic  distribution. — Coastal  plains  of  northwest  Mexico  from 
a  little  south  of  Guaymas,  in  southern  Sonora,  south  through  Sinaloa 
to  Rosa  Morada  in  northern  Tepic.  Vertical  range  from  near  sea 
level  to  about  2,000  feet  in  southern  Sonora;  zonal  range  Arid 
Tropical  and  lower  part  of  Lower  Sonoran  Zone. 


1909.]  LEPUS   CALLOTIS   GROUP PALITANS.  119 

General  characters. — Similar  to  alleni,  but  even  handsomer,  with 
sides  of  head  and  back  much  richer  and  brighter  cream  buff  or 
pinkish  buff;  and  tail  with  less  black  on  upperside;  skull  larger, 
rostrum  heavier,  and  bulla?  smaller. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  varying  from 
deep  cream  buff  to  dark  rich  pinkish  buff  washed  with  black;  sides 
of  nose  dark  cream  buff  shading  into  buffy  grayish  on  cheeks  and 
sides  of  head  back  of  eyes;  ring  around  eyes  gray;  nape  and  sides  of 
neck,  just  back  of  head,  dingy  grayish,  sometimes  becoming  dusky 
or  dull  buffy  along  middle  of  nape ;  sides  of  body,  including  shoulders, 
flanks,  sides  of  abdomen,  rump,  and  outside  of  hind  legs,  nearly 
uniform  light  iron  gray;  middle  of  top  of  tail  usually  blackish,  but 
the  black  line  along  middle  of  rump  and  sometimes  the  black  on  top 
of  tail  obsolescent;  underside  of  head  white,  shading  into  gray  on 
sides  of  neck;  underside  of  neck  vivid  ochraceous  buff,  shading  up 
on  sides  of  neck  posteriorly  into  color  of  back ;  front  of  fore  legs  and 
tops  of  fore  feet  pale  cream  buff  lightly  grizzled  with  black ;  under- 
side of  fore  legs  and  inside  of  thighs  pale  gray  or  white;  underside 
of  chest,  middle  of  abdomen,  and  back  around  both  sides  of  base  of 
tail,  front  of  hind  legs,  and  tops  of  hind  feet,  pure  white;  ears 
nearly  uniform  dull  sandy  or  grayish  buffy,  scantily  clothed  with 
short  hairs  on  both  front  and  back,  but  edged  along  front  with  a 
fringe  of  long  dull  buffy  gray  hairs  becoming  dusky  for  an  inch  near 
tip;  posterior  edge  with  a  narrow  border  of  velvety  white  changing 
about  tip  to  buff. 

Skull. — Larger  than  that  of  any  other  American  rabbit;  similar  to 
that  of  typical  alleni,  but  larger,  with  nasals  longer,  rostrum  heavier, 
and  bullae  smaller. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  571;  tail  verte- 
bras, 57 ;  hind  foot,  131.6 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  142. 

Remarks. — This  subspecies  is  decidedly  more  brightly  colored  than 
alleni;  it  also  has  a  wider  range.  The  most  intensely  colored  speci- 
mens are  from  Alamos,  southern  Sonora.  These  have  the  back  deep 
vivid  pinkish  buff,  heavily  washed  with  black.  The  underside  of  the 
neck  is  a  richer  ochraceous  buff,  and  the  sides  of  the  body  a  clearer 
iron  grajr  than  in  specimens  from  southern  Sinaloa,  whence  came  the 
type  of  palitans.  One  specimen  from  Escuinapa,  Sinaloa,  has  most 
of  the  top  and  sides  of  the  head  and  the  adjoining  parts  of  the  neck 
(except  for  a  thin  wash  of  black  on  crown  and  gray  wash  on  nape)  a 
clear  deep  creamy  buff,  approaching  the  ochraceous  buffy  of  the 
underside  of  the  neck. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  26,  from: 

Sonora  (Mexico):  Alamos,  2. 

Sinaloa    (Mexico):  Culiacan,   2;    Escuinapa,    16;    Los    Liuiones,    3;    Ro- 
sa rio,  1. 
Territory  of  Tepic  (Mexico):  Acaponeta,  2. 


120  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

LEPUS  GAILLARDI  Mearns. 

Gaillabd  Jack  Rabbit. 

Lepus  gaillardi  Mearns,  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  XVIII,  pp.  560-562,  June  24, 
1S96.  Type  from  west  fork  Playas  Valley,  southwestern  New  Mexico 
(near  Monument  63  on  Mexican  boundary)  ;  No.  fffrl)  8  a(l->  U.  S.  National 
Museum ;  collected  by  Dr.  E.  A.  Mearns  and  F.  X.  Holzner,  June  17,  1892. 

Geographic  distribution. — Grassy  plains  of  southwestern  New 
Mexico  near  Mexican  border  and  southward,  along  eastern  base  of 
Sierra  Madre.  through  adjacent  parts  of  northern  Chihuahua.  Verti- 
cal range  from  about  4,500  to  7,000  feet  in  northwestern  Chihuahua ; 
zonal  range  mainly  Upper  Sonoran  extending  into  lower  part  of 
Transition  Zone. 

General  characters. — Much  like  callotis  in  size  and  general  appear- 
ance, but  differs  in  having  nape  plain  buff,  without  a  trace  of  black, 
and  upperparts  paler,  more  vinaceous  buff. 

Color  in  worn  pelage. — Top  and  sides  of  head  and  back  deep  dull 
vinaceous  buff  approaching  fawn  color;  nape  the  same,  but  duller; 
front  half  of  ears  dull  buff;  posterior  half  white,  without  trace  of 
black  at  tip ;  inside  of  ears  buff,  becoming  ochraceous  buff  on  fringe 
along  front  border  and  buffy  white  on  posterior  edge ;  a  narrow  dusky 
line  on  membrane  inside  of  ear,  along  posterior  border,  widening  to 
form  a  broad  black  patch  an  inch  wide  underlying  the  short  buffy 
hairs  at  tip ;  rump  with  outside  and  back  of  hind  legs  pale  iron  gray, 
sometimes  becoming  whitish  from  loss  of  black  hairs;  rump  divided 
by  a  median  line  of  dusky  extending  down  and  becoming  black  over 
upper  surface  of  tail;  underside  of  tail  to  tip  white;  front  of  hind 
legs  and  tops  of  feet  white ;  front  of  fore  legs  and  tops  of  feet  gray, 
palest  on  feet;  underside  of  head  dull  buff  becoming  whitish  in  mid- 
dle; underside  of  neck  dark  dull  buff;  rest  of  underparts,  including 
flanks,  white ;  white  of  flanks  less  strongly  contrasting  with  rump  in 
gaillardi  than  in  callotis,  owing  to  paler  color  of  rump  patch  in 
gaillardi. 

Skull. — Much  like  that  of  callotis  but  smaller,  with  similar  short, 
broad  supra-  and  post  orbital  processes  raised  even  higher  above  plane 
of  f rontals  than  in  callotis,  thus  giving  a  sunken  appearance  to  frontal 
area  just  back  of  nasals ;  rostrum  lighter  and  more  tapering  than  in 
callotis;  frontal  area  broad  and  depressed;  basioccipital  small,  pro- 
portionately long  and  narrow  with  only  a  slight  constriction  pos- 
teriorl}7,  thus  leaving  the  sides  nearly  straight  and  parallel. 

Average  measurements  (3  adults). — Total  length,  536;  tail  verte- 
brae, 80 ;  hind  foot,  132.6 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  109.6. 

Remarks. — This  is  one  of  the  rarest  of  the  jack  rabbits  and  has  a 
comparatively  limited  distribution.  So  far  as  known,  it  occurs 
mainly  along  the  eastern  basal  slopes  of  the  Sierra  Madre  in  Chi- 


1909]  LEPUS    CALLOTIS   GROUP BATTYI.  121 

huahua,  extending  thence  over  the  immediately  adjacent  part  of  the 
grassy  plains  and  westward  into  the  open  pine  forest  of  the  Sierra 
Madre.  We  found  it  to  be  rare  in  the  pine  forest  up  to  7,000  feet  near 
Colonia  Garcia.  It  is  altogether  probable  that  the  individuals  found 
in  this  forest  were  merely  stray  summer  residents  which  returned  to 
the  foothills  and  plains  in  winter. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  7,  from : 

Chih.uah.ua  (Mexico):  Colonia  Juarez,  2;  Whitewater,  5. 

LEPUS  GAILLARDI  BATTYI  Allen. 

Durango  Jack  Rabbit. 

Lepus  (Macrotolagus)  gaillardi  battyi  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIX, 
p.  607,  November  12,  1903.  Type  from  Rancho  Santuario,  northwestern 
Durango,  Mexico ;  No.  21257,  $  ad.,  American  Museum  Natural  History ; 
collected  by  J.  H.  Batty,  February  17,  1903. 

Geographic  distribution. — East  base  of  Sierra  Madre  and  adjacent 
plains  of  northwestern  Durango  and  southwestern  Chihuahua.  Ver- 
tical range  from  about  4,500  to  G,500  feet  in  north-central  Durango; 
zonal  range  mainly  Upper  Sonoran. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  gaillardi  but  smaller  and  upper- 
parts  paler,  especially  on  head  and  neck. 

Color  in  slightly  worn  winter  pelage. — Upperparts,  including  top 
and  sides  of  head,  neck  (with  entire  nape),  and  back  varying  from 
nearly  uniform  rich  buff  to  pinkish  or  creamy  buff;  usually  palest  on 
head  and  neck,  and  a  well-marked  wash  of  black  over  top  of  head 
and  back;  sometimes  a  slight  wash  of  black  on  sides  of  head;  neck 
all  around  always  plain  buff,  much  paler  on  underside ;  sides  of  head 
commonly  like  neck;  ring  around  eye  white;  top  of  rump  whitish 
mixed  with  a  varying  amount  of  buffy  and  gray;  but  slight  trace  of 
black  median  line  above  base  of  tail ;  top  of  tail  black ;  underside 
white;  front  half  of  ears  varying  from  buffy  to  grayish  buffy;  pos- 
terior half  varying  from  buff  to  grayish  white  on  basal  part,  be- 
coming velvety  white  on  terminal  third ;  inside  of  ears  dull  buffy  or 
buffy  gray  with  the  membrane  darkened  along  posterior  border  and 
about  tip ;  ear  bordered  anteriorly  by  a  fringe  of  long  buffy  or  buffy 
gray  hairs  which  become  shorter  and  dusky  for  about  an  inch  near 
tip;  posterior  border  edged  with  velvety  white;  underside  of  head 
and  body,  including  sides  of  shoulders,  flanks,  entire  hind  legs,  tops 
of  hind  feet,  and  most  of  rump  white;  front  of  fore  legs  pale  dull 
grayish;  tops  of  fore  feet  whitish;  on  sides  of  hips,  rump  and,  to  a 
less  degree,  along  flanks,  occur  scattered  black  hairs,  but  less  abun- 
dantly than  in  typical  gaillardi. 

Skull. — Smaller  than  in  gaillardi  with  bulla?  proportionately 
larger;  basioccipital  more  strongly  constricted  posteriorly,  giving 
a  more  rounded  outline  to  sides. 


122  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  449.9;  tail  ver- 
tebrae, 59.4;  hind  foot,  123.7;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  112. 

Remarks. — This  is  not  a  strongly  marked  subspecies,  but  the  paler 
colors  and  smaller  size  of  specimens  from  northern  Durango  appear 
constant  enough  to  warrant  recognition  of  Doctor  Allen's  name. 
The  material  for  comparison,  however,  is  still  rather  scanty,  particu- 
larly in  the  case  of  gaillardi,  and  most  of  that  available  is  in  more  or 
less  worn  pelage. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  6,  from : 

Durango  (Mexico):  Rancho  Santuario,  3;  Rio  Carupo,  3. 

LEPUS   CALLOTIS   Wagler. 
White-sided  Jack  Rabbit. 

(See  frontispiece;  PI.  VII,  fig.  3;  PI.  VIII,  fig.  3.) 

Lepus  callotis  Wagler,  Naturliches  System  Amphibien,  p.  23,  1S30.  Type  from 
Mexico   (southern  end  of  Mexican  Tableland)  ;  in  Berlin  Museum. 

Lepus  mexicanus  Liechtenstein,  Abhandl.  K.  akad.  Wiss.,  Berlin  (1S27)  1830, 
p.  101.  Type  from  "Mexico"  (southern  end  of  Mexican  Tableland)  in 
Berlin  Museum ;  collected  b3?  F.  Deppe. 

Lepus  nigricaudatus  Bennett,  P.  Z.  S.,  London,  1S33,  pp.  41-42.  Type  from 
"that  part  of  California  which  adjoins  to  Mexico"  (probably  southwestern 
part  of  Mexican  Tableland)  ;  No.  53.  8.  29.  37,  British  Museum. 

Geographic  distribution. — Open  plains  of  southern  half  of  Mexican 
Tableland  from  central  Durango,  northern  Zacatecas,  and  central 
San  Luis  Potosi  south  through  Aguas  Calientes,  most  of  Jalisco, 
northern  Michoacan,  Guanajuato,  Queretaro,  State  of  Mexico,  Fed- 
eral District,  Hidalgo,  Puebla,  Morelos,  the  northwestern  half  of 
Oaxaca,  and  the  northern  half  of  Guerrero.  Vertical  range  from 
about  2,500  feet  in  Morelos  to  8,500  feet  in  northern  Puebla ;  zonal 
range  Upper  and  Lower  Sonoran  and  into  upper  border  of  Arid 
Tropical  Zone. 

General  characters. — Size  medium;  hair  coarse;  upperparts  dark, 
slightly  pinkish,  buff  heavily  washed  with  black ;  nape  blacky  back  of 
ears  mainly  white  without  trace  of  black  tip;  flanks  white;  rump 
iron  gray. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  and  sides  of  head  and  back 
dark  pinkish  buff  heavily  overlaid  with  black;  nape  black,  sometimes 
grizzled  on  surface  with  gray ;  front  half  of  ears  dark  buff  or  grayish 
buff;  posterior  half  black  on  basal  third,  and  white  on  terminal  two- 
thirds,  with  no  trace  of  black  at  tip;  front  border  of  ears  fringed 
with  buff  or  ochraceous  buff  hairs;  posterior  border  and  entire  tip 
velvety  white ;  inside  of  ears  with  a  well-marked  dusky  line  on  mem- 
brane along  posterior  border,  broadening  to  form  a  broad  blackish 
patch  underlying  the  buffy  hairs  at  the  tip ;  rump,  with  back  and  out- 


1909.]  LEPUS   CALLOTIS   GROUP CALLOTIS.  123 

side  of  hind  legs,  iron  gray;  front  of  hind  legs  and  tops  of  feet 
white;  median  line  of  black  on  rump  not  strongly  marked  and  not 
extending  much  above  base  of  tail ;  entire  top,  sides,  and  tip  of  tail 
black;  basal  two-thirds  of  underside  of  tail  white,  terminal  third 
black;  front  of  fore  legs  and  tops  of  fore  feet  varying  from  pale 
gray  to  dull  iron  gray,  palest  on  feet;  underside  of  neck  dull  dark 
grayish  buff,  varying  to  buffy  drab;  rest  of  underparts,  including 
flanks,  white;  the  white  on  flanks  extends  high  up  on  sides  and  ends 
abruptly  posteriorly  against  iron  gray  of  rump  patch;  a  few  scat- 
tered long  black  hairs  occur  throughout  the  white  of  underparts  and 
flanks. 

In  worn  pelage  most  of  the  heavy  black  wash  on  the  upperparts 
is  lost,  and  the  upperparts  bleach  to  a  pale  buffy  pinkish  or  buffy 
yellowish. 

SkvM. — Rather  short  and  stout  with  upper  outline  high-arched; 
nasals  proportionately  short  and  less  tapering  toward  tip  than  in 
California  is,  thus  giving  rostrum  a  heavier  appearance  when  viewed 
from  above;  supra-  and  postorbital  processes  short  and  broad,  raised 
higher  above  plane  of  frontals  than  usual,  and  divergent  posteriorly, 
with  tip  usually  free;  jugal  broad  and  flat  with  a  pit  anteriorly; 
basioccipital  rather  small  and  strongly  constricted  posteriorly. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  560;  tail  ver- 
tebra?, 71 ;  hind  foot,  133;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin.  117.1. 

Remarks. — The  names  callotis  and  mexicanus  were  published  the 
same  year,  but  I  have  been  unable  to  learn  the  exact  elates  of  pub- 
lication, and  until  these  can  be  ascertained  I  have  retained  the  name 
in  common  use. 

There  is  considerable  general  resemblance  between  L.  callotis  and 
L.  gaillardi,  but  on  close  comparison  they  appear  to  be  perfectly  dis- 
tinct species.  L.  callotis  shows  comparatively  little  variation  from 
one  extreme  of  its  range  to  the  other.  There  is  some  variation,  how- 
ever, and  a  specimen  from  the  city  of  Durango  has  less  black  than 
usual  on  the  nape.  Another  specimen  from  the  city  of  Oaxaca,  at 
the  opposite  extremity  of  its  range,  is  yellower  or  more  buffy  on  the 
underside  of  the  neck.  The  skull  of  this  specimen  is  the  largest  in 
the  series,  with  huge  supraorbital  processes  and  rather  larger  bulla?, 
than  the  average.  A  specimen  from  Tlapancingo,  Oaxaca,  has  the 
yellow  on  the  underside  of  the  neck  similar  to  the  one  from  the  city 
of  Oaxaca,  and  it  is  possible  that  a  recognizable  subspecies  exists  in 
the  valley  of  Oaxaca  and  surrounding  region. 

In  the  introduction  and  under  the  general  notes  on  the  callotis 
group  the  use  of  directive  coloration  by  this  species  is  given  in  detail. 
This  habit  in  callotis  was  first  noted  on  the  plains  southwest  of 
Cuernavaca,  Morelos,  in  January,  1893. 


124  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  50,  from : 

Durango  (Mexico):  Durango  City,  1. 

Zacatecas  (Mexico):  Monte  Escobedo,  1. 

San  Luis  Potosi  (Mexico):  Arenal,  2. 

Jalisco  (Mexico) :  Ameca,  2 ;  Arroyo  de  Gavilau,  9 ;  Atenquiqui,  1 ;  Etzat- 
lan,  2;  Hueliuqnilla,  1;  La  Barca,  1;  Lagos,  1;  Las  Canoas,  2;  La 
Laja,  4  ;  Ocotlan,  1 ;  Teuchitlan,  1 ;  Zapotlan,  1 ;  Reyes,  1. 

Michoacan  (Mexico):  Los  Reyes,  1;  Querendaro,  1. 

Guanajuato  (Mexico):  Celaya,  1. 

Hidalgo  (Mexico):  Marques,  1;  Tulancingo,  1. 

Morelos  (Mexico):  Cuernavaca,  6. 

Puebla  (Mexico):  Atlixco,  4;  San  Martin,  1;  Tehuacan,  1. 

Oaxaca  (Mexico):  Oaxaca  City,  1;  Tlapancingo,  1. 

LEPUS  ALTAMIRiE  Nelson. 
Tamaulipas  Jack  Rabbit. 

Lepus  merriami  altamirw  Nelson,  Proe.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XVII,  p.  109, 
May  18,  1904.  Type  from  Alta  Mira,  Tamaulipas,  Mexico;  No.  93691, 
$  ad.,  U.  S.  National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection)  ;  collected  by 
E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A.  Goldman,  May  16,  1898. 

Geographic  distribution. — Coastal  plains  of  southern  Tamaulipas, 
extreme  northern  Vera  Cruz,  and  eastern  border  of  San  Luis  Potosi, 
Mexico.  Vertical  range  from  sea  level  to  at  least  500  feet  in  Tamau- 
lipas; zonal  range  Arid  Tropical. 

General  characters. — In  size  and  color  of  upperparts,  including 
iron  gray  rump  patch,  resembling  L.  merriami  aselhis  but  paler  and 
more  buffy  yellowish;  nape  with  two  lateral  black  bands  extending 
back  from  base  of  ears,  and  separated  by  a  median  band  of  buffy; 
posterior  half  of  ears  white  without  any  trace  of  black  at  tip ;  white 
of  underparts  extending  up  on  flanks  nearly  as  in  L.  callotis. 

Color  in  faded  spring  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  creamy  buff, 
thinly  washed  with  black;  sides  of  head  clearer  and  brighter  buff; 
nape  marked  by  two  broad  black  stripes  beginning  on  posterior  base 
of  ears,  extending  back,  and  separated  by  a  narrower  median  band 
or  stripe  of  buff  similar  in  color  to  back ;  front  half  of  ears  dark  buff ; 
posterior  half  white,  as  in  callotis,  with  no  trace  of  black  at  tip ;  inside 
of  ears  buff,  except  for  a  darker  shade  near  posterior  border,  a  very 
narrow  border  of  white  along  extreme  edge  and  a  darkening  of  the 
skin  near  the  tip;  this  dark  part  sometimes  edged  with  black  hairs 
on  extreme  tip ;  sides  of  head  and  shoulders  similar  to  back  but  paler 
or  less  washed  with  black;  rump,  with  sides  and  back  of  hind  legs, 
iron  gray  with  a  median  line  of  black  extending  from  base  over 
upper  surface  of  tail ;  underside  of  tail  gray ;  front  of  hind  legs  and 
top  of  hind  feet  white;  front  of  fore  legs  and  feet  grayish  buffy, 
sometimes  changing  to  whitish  on  tops  of  fore  feet;  underside  of 
neck  deep  buff,  brighter  and  more  intense  than  back;  rest  of  under- 


1909.]  LEPUS    CALLOTIS   GROUP FLAVIGULARIS.  125 

parts  and  most  of  flanks  white,  almost  as  in  callotis,  the  white  on 
sides  ending  abruptly  against  the  iron  gray  area  on  rump  and  hind 
legs. 

Skull. — In  general  resembles  that  of  callotis,  but  much  longer  and 
proportionately  narrower,  with  rostrum  broad,  heavy,  and  slightly 
tapering;  supra-  and  postorbital  processes  small  and  slender,  as  in 
L.  c.  texianus,  with  a  deep  notch  in  front;  braincase  narrow  and  de- 
pressed; frontal  area  smooth  and  slightly  arched,  as  commonly  seen 
in  L.  c.  merriami  and  L.  calif 'ornicus ;  basioccipital  rather  narrow  and 
not  much  constricted  posteriorly,  with  sides  but  slightly  curved. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  587;  tail  verte- 
brae, 72 ;  hind  foot,  136 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  110.6. 

Remarks. — This  well-marked  species  was  described  originally  as  a 
subspecies  of  L.  merriami.  A  more  careful  examination  of  the  ma- 
terial shows  that  its  relationships  are  with  the  members  of  the  white- 
sided  L.  callotis  group.  Superficially  the  color  of  the  upperparts 
resembles  merriami,  but  the  lack  of  a  black  patch  on  the  posterior 
half  of  the  ear  at  the  tip  and  the  white  flanks  (somewhat  obscured 
in  some  of  the  original  specimens)  are  strong  characters  which  place 
it  in  the  callotis  group. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  6,  from : 
Tamaulipas  (Mexico):  Alta  Mira,  6. 

LEPUS  FLAVIGULARIS  Wagner. 

Tehuantepec  Jack  Rabbit. 

Lepus  callotis  var.  y  flavigularis  Wagner  in  Schreber's  Saugtbiere  Suppl.  IV, 
pp.  106-107,  1884.  Type  from  Mexico  (probably  near  Tebuantepec  City, 
Oaxaca)  ;  in  Monaco  Museum;  collected  by  Karwinski. 

Geographic  distribution. — Coastal  plains  and  bordering  foothills 
on  southern  end  of  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec,  in  southern  Oaxaca,  and 
thence  along  Pacific  coast  to  beyond  Tonala,  Chiapas.  Vertical  range 
from  sea  level  up  to  about  2,000  feet  in  southern  Oaxaca ;  zonal  range 
Arid  Tropical. 

General  characters. — Size  same  as  callotis;  hair  coarse ;  upperparts 
bright  ochraceous  buff  strongly  washed  with  black;  ears  entirely 
buff  with  no  sign  of  black  near  tip  on  posterior  half;  nape  with  a 
black  stripe  back  from  base  of  each  ear  and  a  median  stripe  of  buff; 
flanks  and  underparts  of  body  white ;  rump  iron  gray. 

Color  in  fresh  fall  pelage. — Top  and  sides  of  head  and  back  rich 
ochraceous  buff  heavily  washed  with  black;  nape  with  a  broad  me- 
dian line  of  dull  ochraceous  buff  separating  two  black  stripes  begin- 
ning on  posterior  bases  of  ears  and  extending  back;  these  black 
stripes  usually  narrow  and  tapering  posteriorly  to  a  slender  point ;  in 
some  specimens,  especially  in  worn  pelage,  these  black  stripes  become 
more  or  less  obsolete,  or  exist  only  as  black  patches  on  the  posterior 


126  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

bases  of  the  ears;  rest  of  ears  dark  ochraceous  buff,  with  a  slightly 
more  richly  colored  border  of  same  all  around  the  edge,  sometimes 
becoming  buffy  white  along  extreme  posterior  edge;  rump,  with  out- 
side and  back  of  hind  legs,  iron  gray ;  front  of  hind  legs  and  top  of 
hind  feet  white;  middle  of  rump  divided  by  a  black  line  extending 
down  over  upper  surface  of  tail;  underside  of  tail  gray;  fronts  of 
fore  legs  vary  from  iron  gray  to  grayish  white,  becoming  paler  and 
more  buffy  on  tops  of  fore  feet;  underside  of  neck  very  rich  ochra- 
ceous buffy ;  rest  of  underparts  white,  latter  color  extending  up  over 
flanks  and  ending  abruptly,  as  in  callotis,  against  iron  gray  area  of 
rump  and  hind  legs. 

Skull. — Most  like  that  of  alleni,  with  proportionately  smaller 
bulla?;  supra-  and  postorbital  processes  short  and  broad  as  in  callotis, 
but  joined  more  broadly  to  skull  at  base;  the  supraorbitals  joined 
closely  to  skull  anteriorly  and  anterior  notch  nearly  or  quite  obso- 
lete, thus  giving  great  frontal  breadth;  postorbital  process  broadly 
ossified  and  attached  to  skull  posteriorly;  postorbital  foramina  nar- 
rower than  in  most  other  species;  rostrum  compressed  laterally, 
unusually  high-arched,  and  tapering  more  rapidly  toward  tip  than 
in  callotis;  bulla?  very  small,  smaller  than  in  any  other  Mexican 
jack  rabbit;  basioccipital  large,  broad,  and  strongly  constricted 
posteriorly. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  595;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 77;  hind  foot,  133;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  112. 

Remarks. — In  worn  spring  pelage  the  black  wash  on  the  back 
wears  away  and  the  buff  of  the  upperparts  fades  to  a  pale  yellowish 
shade,  but  the  rich  buff  of  the  underside  of  the  neck  changes  less  and 
is  always  conspicuous.  The  plain  yellow  ears  and  the  stripes  on 
the  nape  are  strongly  diagnostic.  This  species  appears  to  be  very 
distinct  and  to  be  wholly  tropical  in  distribution.  The  resemblance 
between  fiavigularis  and  callotis  is  sufficiently  close,  however,  to 
render  it  barely  possible  that  a  series  of  specimens  covering  the  hilly 
country  between  the  valley  of  Oaxaca  and  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuante- 
pec  may  prove  them  to  be  specifically  identical. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  28,  from : 

Oaxaca  (Mexico):  Huilotepec,  24;  San  Mateo  del  Mar,  3  ;  Santa  Efigenial. 

LEPUS  CALIFORNICUS  Group   (Subgenus  MACROTOLAGTTS). 

GRAY-SIDED    JACK    RABBITS. 

The  present  group  comprises  Lepus  californicus  and  subspecies, 
wallawalla,  ricliardsoni,  deserticola,  bennetti,  martirensis,  magdalence, 
ocanti.  eremicus,  texianus,  melanotis,  merriami,  asellus,  and  festinus 
with  the  closely  related  L.  insularis.  L.  californicus,  including  its  sub- 
species, covers  an  enormous  territory,  and  is  by  far  the  most  widely 


1909.] 


LEPUS   CALIFORNICUS  GROUP. 


127 


spread  of  the  jack  rabbits.  It  is  the  typical  and  well-known  jack 
rabbit  of  the  western  United  States,  where  some  form  occupies  all 
parts  of  the  country  from  Kansas  and  Texas  to  the  Pacific  coast  and 
from  South  Dakota  and  the  Columbia  River  to  the  Mexican  border. 
In  Mexico  it  ranges  from  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande  to  the  Pacific 
coast,  including  all  of  Lower  California,  and  from  the  northern 
border  south  to  the  Valley  of  Mexico  (see  fig.  10).  This  great  area 
includes  several  life  zones  from  the  extreme  upper  border  of  the 
Arid  Tropical  up  through  the  Arid  Lower  Sonoran  and  Arid  Upper 
Sonoran  well  into  the  Transition  Zone.  Its  vertical  range  in  Mexico 
reaches  from  sea  level,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande,  to  about 
8,000  feet  near  the  Val- 
ley of  Mexico.  The 
great  diversity  of  cli- 
matic and  physio- 
graphic conditions  in 
the  range  of  the  group 
has  resulted  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  large 
number  of  geographic 
races  listed  above.  The 
differences  among  typ- 
ical examples  of  the 
most  divergent  sub- 
species are  so  great 
that  many  of  them 
have  been  considered 
distinct  species.  For- 
tunately, abundant  ma- 
terial is  now  available 
to  prove  the  true  re- 
lationship of  these  sev- 
eral forms  and  to  actu- 
ally demonstrate  the 
intergradation  of  such 
diverse  subspecies  as 
californicus,  deserti- 
cola,  merriami,  and  melanotis.  The  striking  differences  between 
californicus  and  melanotis  at  the  two  extremes  of  the  range  of  the 
group  in  the  United  States  is  equaled  b}^  difference  between  subspecies 
living  within  a  comparatively  limited  area  in  California.  There,  on 
the  humid  coast,  lives  the  large  dark-colored  t}7pical  californicus,  while 
onty  a  few  miles  inland,  in  the  hot  dry  San  Joaquin  Valley,  is  the  pale 
richardsoni;  and  a  little  farther  south,  on  the  Mohave  and  Colorado 


Fig.  10.- 


-Distribution  of  black-tailed  jack  rabbits  of  the 
Lepus  californicus  group. 


128  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

deserts,  is  the  still  more  different  pale  gray  deserticola.  These 
changes  in  color  and  other  characters  within  such  short  distances  are 
indicative  of  corresponding  changes  in  climatic  conditions  and  of  the 
ready  response  of  the  species  to  such  influences. 

The  most  extraordinary  member  of  this  group  is  the  black-backed 
Lepus  insularis  on  Espiritu  Santo  Island,  at  the  mouth  of  La  Paz 
Bay,  Lower  California,  which  is  mentioned  in  detail  in  the  intro- 
duction. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  facts  developed  by  a  study  of  the  re- 
cent collections  is  the  proof  of  direct  intergradation  in  south  central 
Texas  between  L.  merriami,  previously  considered  a  distinct  species, 
and  L.  c.  texianus,  thus  adding  merriami  to  the  list  of  subspecies 
of  calif ornicus.  The  black  nape,  the  most  strongly  marked  character 
of  merriami,  is  gradually  lost  to  the  north  and  east  on  the  outskirts 
of  its  range  in  Texas.  To  the  south  merriami  grades  into  the  black- 
naped  asellus  of  San  Luis  Potosi  and  this  into  the  gray-naped 
festinus  of  Hidalgo.  The  skulls  of  the  calif  ornicus  group  have  much 
general  similarity  in  form,  although  varying  considerably  in  size 
and  minor  details.  The  strongest  differences  are  those  of  size,  and  on 
this  basis  the  subspecies  may  be  separated  roughly  into  two  groups: 

1.  Subspecies  with  large  massive  skulls,  with  heavy  rostrum  and 
broad,  heavy  jugal.  These  include  calif  ornicus,  eremicus,  melanotis, 
texianus,  merriami,  and  asellus. 

2.  Subspecies  with  smaller,  lighter  skulls,  wTith  slenderer  rostrum 
and  lighter  jugal.  These  are  bennetti,  martirensis,  magdalence,  xanti, 
deserticola,  richardsoni,  wallawalla,  festinus,  and  insularis. 

The  occasional  enormous  abundance  of  some  of  the  subspecies  of 
calif  ornicus  in  various  parts  of  the  west  causes  serious  loss  to  agri- 
culture. Throughout  the  arid  regions,  where  irrigated  crops  are 
grown,  the  black-tailed  jack  rabbits  are  among  the  most  noxious 
rodents. 


1909. J  LEPUS    CALIFORNICUS    GEOUP CALIFOBNICUS.  129 

Average  measurements  in  the  Lepus  califomicus  group. 


Skin. 


Skull. 


pq 


a 

3 

0  i  »  ° 
hOJOO 

2  >      -^ 

irj  O    rt  C 

o 
Q 


55 
v  -- 

pq 


Ph 


Origin  of  specimens 
averaged. 


Lepus  califomicus 

Lepus  califomicus  wal- 

lavvalla. 
Lepus  califomicus  rich- 

ardsoni. 
Lepus  califomicus  ben- 

netti. 
Lepus  califomicus  des- 

erticola. 
Lepus  califomicus  ere- 

micus. 
Lepus  califomicus  texi- 

anus. 
Lepus  califomicus  me- 

lanotis. 
Lepus  califomicus  mer- 

riami. 
Lepus  califomicus  asel- 

lus. 
Lepus  califomicus  festi- 

nus. 
Lepus  califomicus  mar- 

tirensis. 
Lepus  califomicus  mag- 

dalense. 
Lepus  califomicus xanti 

Lepus  insularis 


95.0131 


101.0 
97.0 


86.0121 
88.4122 
99. 8134 


606'  85.0133 


582   80.0 
592   96.8 


574 


75.0 
77.4 
95.8 
92.2 


523   80.0113 


95.8121 


76.9 
71.2 
70.7 
1.0 
69 

74.6 
75.2 
74.5 
74.9 
75.9 
72.1 
74.5 
67.3 
70.0 
74.3 


8,24.0 
2,23. 6 
7  23.3 


21.6  26. 
19.026. 
20. 0  26. 

25. 


4  22.719.1 
222.4tt8.7 


25. 


124.7'21.8  28. 


I      J 


30.912.6 

30.312.8 

29. 8  12. 9 

7  31.013.5 

3  30.013.2 

5  30. 8  14. 9 


8  24.7  21.4  25 
2  25. 8  22. 6  26 


14.5 
13.6 


P26.6 
0^25. 8 
9  23.1 
4  23.1 
9^21.1 
7  23.1 
123.0 


22. 7  26 


22.1 
20.7 
19.6 
17. 9  24, 
20.8  27, 
19. 1  26, 


7KS.  9 

8  31.1 
2  30.914.7 
5:31.114.9 
230. 4 13.  7 
4!29.313.8 

9  29.213.7 
0J30.013.3 
132.114.2 


Monterey  County,  Cali- 
fornia. 

Washington,  Oregon, 
California. 

District  near  Alila,  Cali- 
fornia. 

Near  San  Diego,  Califor- 
nia. 

Colorado  Desert,  Califor- 
nia. 

Southern  Arizona. 

Western  Texas. 
Eastern  Kansas. 
Fort  Clark,  Texas. 
San  Luis  Potosi,  Mexico. 

Southern  Hidalgo,  Mex- 
ico. 

San  Pedro  Marti r  Moun- 
tains, Lower  California. 

Magdalena  and  Marga- 
rita Islands. 

Santa  Anita,  Lower  Cali- 
fornia. 

Espiritu  Santo  Island, 
Lower  California. 


LEPUS  CALIFORNICUS  Gray. 

California  Jack  Rabbit. 
(PI.  VII,  fig.  1  ;  PI.  VIII,  fig.  1.) 


Lepus  californiea  Gray,  P.  Z.  S.,  1S.3G,  p.  88,  nomcn  nudum. 

Lepus  californiea  Gray,  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.  (Charlesworth).  I.  pp.  586-5S7,  1S3T. 
Type  from  St.  Antoine,  California  (probably  from  coastal  slope  of  moun- 
tains near  the  Mission  of  San  Antonio,  Jolon.  Monterey  County)  ;  No. 
53.8.29.30,  British  Museum ;  collected  by  David  Douglas  in  May,  1831. 

Geographic  distribution. — Humid  coast  belt  of  California  from 
Gaviota  Pass  north  to  Cape  Mendocino,  spreading  inland  over  ex- 
treme northern  end  of  San  Joaquin  Valley,  all  of  Sacramento  Val- 
ley, up  through  the  adjacent  foothills  of  the  Sierra,  and  north 
through  Shasta  Valley  to  Rogue  River  and  Willamette  Valley  in 
Oregon.     Vertical  range  from  sea  level  at  San  Francisco  up  to  about 

85595— No.  29—09 9 


130  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [xo.  20. 

3,000  feet  altitude  on  west  slope  of  the  Sierra ;  zonal  range  mainly 
Upper  Sonoran  and  lower  border  of  the  Transition  Zone. 

General  characters. — Size,  large;  color,  darkest  of  the  jack  rabbits, 
except  L.  insularis;  upperparts  dark  ochraceous  brown  or  dark  buffy 
brown ;  lower  flanks  and  most  of  underparts  deep  ochraceous  buff, 
sometimes  approaching  dark  salmon  buff;  ears  dark  brown. 

Color  in  fresh  ivinter  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  upperparts  vary- 
ing from  dark  ochraceous  buffy  to  dark  salmon  buffy  strongly  washed 
with  black,  producing  a  dark  buffy  brown  color;  sides  of  body  with 
much  less  overlying  black  than  on  back  and  shading  downward  into 
a  clearer  dark  ochraceous  buffy  (sometimes  salmon  buffy)  on  lower 
flanks  and  most  of  underparts,  but  paler  on  middle  of  abdomen; 
outside  of  hind  legs  similar  to  sides  of  body,  but  darker  or  browner; 
lower  parts  of  shoulders  and  upper  parts  of  fore  legs  brighter  and 
richer  than  sides  of  body,  becoming  deep  cinnamon  or  even  cinnamon 
rufous  in  richly  colored  specimens  and  shading  into  whitish  on  tops  of 
fore  feet ;  tops  of  hind  feet  whitish  like  fore  feet,  and  contrasting 
strongly  with  color  of  legs;  underside  of  head  dull  whitish;  under- 
side of  neck  dark  dull  buff  darker  than  rest  of  underparts  and  vary- 
ing to  deep  cinnamon  or  ochraceous  cinnamon ;  sides  of  nose  dull 
grayish;  orbital  area  ochraceous  buff;  nape  dark  cinnamon,  varying 
to  dark  isabella  color ;  front  half  of  ears  dark  brown  finely  grizzled 
with  cinnamon  or  dark  buff;  posterior  half  of  ears  white  with  a 
strong  black  tip  varying  from  1  to  2  inches  in  length;  inside  of  ears 
with  a  heavy  band  of  dark  brown  along  posterior  side  next  the  nar- 
row, velvety  white  or  buffy  border ;  top  of  tail  black,  the  black  area 
extending  up  slightly  on  middle  of  rump;  underside  dull  dark  buff; 
no  rump  patch. 

Color  in  summer. — Fading  and  bleaching  to  a  much  paler  color 
than  in  winter,  with  the  nape  becoming  buffy  grayish  and  the  under- 
parts pale  dull  buffy.  sometimes  almost  whitish. 

Postjuvenal  pelage. — Paler  than  adults;  upperparts  less  heavily 
washed  with  black,  giving  a  more  finely  grizzled,  salt  and  pepper 
effect. 

Skull.— Large;  proportionately  heavier  and  more  massive  across 
base  of  rostrum  and  frontal  area  than  in  any  other  Pacific  coast 
form ;  frontal  area  full  and  but  slightly  lower  than  plane  of  supra- 
orbital processes;  upper  outline  of  rostrum  and  frontal  region  dis- 
tinctly curved;  supraorbitals  proportionately  light  and  attached  to 
skull  by  narrow  bases  with  a  deep  open  notch  anteriorly ;  postorbital 
process  touching  skull  at  posterior  tip,  inclosing  a  large  oval  fora- 
men; jugal  fairly  heavy  but  distinctly  narrower  and  lighter  than  in 
the  other  large  skulled  forms  {eremicas,  texianus,  mela?iotis,  merri- 
ami,  and  asellus)  ;  bullae  actually  as  well  as  proportionately  smaller 


1900.]  LEPUS   CALIFORNICUS   GROUP CALIFORNICUS.  131 

than  in  any  other  member  of  the  group,  irregularly  rounded,  and 
often  drawn  down  posteriorly  to  a  blunt  point. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  604;  tail  verte- 
bras, 95 ;  hind  foot,  131 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  125. 

Remarks. — W.  H.  Osgood  recently  examined  the  type  of  California 
cus  in  the  British  Museum,  and  found  that  it  represents  the  extreme 
of  the  dark  richly  colored  form  belonging  to  the  coastal  slope  of  the 
mountains  in  middle  and  northern  California. 

•  San  Antonio  Mission  and  Jolon  (near  which  the  mission  is  located) 
are  in  a  hot,  arid  interior  valley,  and  specimens  from  there  are  all 
referable  to  the  pale  richardsoni.  It  is  only  a  few  miles  west  across 
the  mountains  from  San  Antonio  to  the  coastal  slope  where  the  jack 
rabbits  are  t}^pical  dark  colored  calif  ornicus,  and  it  is  no  doubt  from 
there  that  Douglas  secured  the  type  of  this  species.  In  the  coast 
mountains  between  the  interior  valleys  and  the  coastal  slope  is  the 
area  of  integradation  between  calif  omicus  and  richardsoni.  South 
of  San  Luis  Obispo  along  the  coast  is  an  area  of  intergradation  be- 
tween calif  ornicus  and  bennetti.  Specimens  from  Santa  Maria,  how- 
ever, are  nearly  typical  californicus.  Specimens  from  localities  in 
the  mountains  on  the  east  side  of  Salinas  Valley  are  referable  to 
californicus,  though  paler  than  those  from  the  coast.  In  the  northern 
part  of  the  San  Joaquin  Valley  the  area  of  intergradation  between 
californicus  and  richardsoni  is  broad  and  extends  to  the  basal  slopes 
of  the  Sierra  Nevada. 

There  is  more  than  the  usual  amount  of  contrast  between  the  sum- 
mer and  winter  color  of  this  form,  due,  as  in  other  cases,  to  fading. 
The  deep  rich  color  of  fall  and  early  winter  becomes  gradually  paler, 
and  from  spring  until  the  new  pelage  is  assumed  in  late  summer  or 
early  fall,  they  are  often  scarcely  distinguishable  from  winter  speci- 
mens of  the  buffy  gray  richardsoni,  and  often  do  not  differ  from 
winter  specimens  of  intermediates  between  the  two.  This  fading 
extends  even  to  the  underparts,  which  become  dull  buffy  or  even  buffy 
whitish.  Summer  specimens  from  the  more  humid  parts  of  northern 
California  are  less  faded  than  those  from  farther  south.  The  con- 
trast between  the  colors  of  winter  and  summer  specimens  is  strik- 
ingly shown  by  series  taken  in  both  seasons  at  Marysville.  Speci- 
mens from  the  Sacramento  Valley,  Point  Reyes,  and  north  to  Hum- 
boldt County  average  larger,  with  heavier  skulls  and  darker  colors 
than  from  elsewhere  in  the  range  of  true  californicus,  and  represent 
the  extreme  development  of  this  fine  form.  The  most  richly  colored 
specimen  examined  was  taken  November  15  at  Kings  Peak,  Humboldt 
County.  A  specimen  from  Comstock,  Oregon,  is  nearly  typical; 
others  from  Drain  and  Rogue  River  Valley,  Oregon,  are  paler,  and 
appear  to  be  grading  toward  wallawalla. 


132  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  124,  from : 

Oregon:  Comstock,  1;  Drain,  1;  Grant  Pass,  1;  Rogue  River  Valley,  1. 

California:  Auburn,  1;   Badger,  2;   Baird,  1;   Bear  Valley,   San  Benito 
County,  3 ;  Belmont,  1 ;  Biggs,  1 ;  Brentwood,  1 ;  Briceland,  1 ;  Car- 
bondale,  3;   Cassel,  2;   Chico,  2;   Chinese  Camp,  3;   Cloverdale,  2 
Colusa,  6 ;  Coulterville,  1 ;  Elinira,  2 ;  Fairfield,  1 ;  Fort  Reading,  1 
Freestone,  1;   Gait,  2;   Garberville,  2;    Glen  Ellen,  2;   Grafton,   1 
Guenoc,  4 ;  Hornbrook,  1 ;  Jackson,  1 ;  Kings  Peak,  1 ;  Laguna  Ranch 
(Gabilan  Mountains),  1;  Laytonville,  3;  Los  Banos,  2;  Marysville 
Buttes,  4 ;  Merced,  1 ;  Milton,  3 ;  Modesto,  1 ;  Morro,  2 ;  Nelson,  ]  ; 
Nicasio,  3;  Oakdale,  3;  Orland,  3;  Paradise,  2;  Paraiso  Springs,  2; 
Payne  Post  Office,  1 ;  Peuuington,  1 ;  Petaluma,  2 ;  Petrolia,  1 ;  Point 
Reyes,  4;  Topo  Valley   (San  Benito  County),  2;  Raymond,  2;  Red 
Bluff,  7;  Ripon,  2;  Rockliu,  2;  Round  Valley,  1;  St.  Johns,  1;  San 
Francisco,  1 ;  San  Luis  Obispo,  3 ;  Santa  Monica,  2 ;  Shasta  Valley, 
1;  Tehema,  2;  Valley  Springs,  1;  Wheatland,  3;  Woodland,  1. 

LEPUS  CALIFORNICUS  WALLA  WALLA  Meeeiam. 

Washington  Jack  Rabbit. 

Lepus  texianus  wallawalla  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XVII,  p. 
137,  July  14,  1904.  Type  from  Touchet,  Plains  of  the  Columbia,  Washing- 
ton; No.  fffff,  2  ad.,  U.  S.  National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collec- 
tion) ;  collected  by  C.  P.  Streator,  September  18,  1890. 

Geographic  distribution. — Northeastern  California,  northwestern 
Nevada,  and  north  through  eastern  Oregon  and  eastern  Washington. 
Vertical  range  from  about  1,000  feet  in  eastern  Washington  to  6,000 
feet  in  northeastern  California ;  zonal  range  mainly  Upper  Sonoran 
extending  into  lower  part  of  Transition  Zone. 

General  characters. — Most  like  L.  c.  deserticola  but  upperparts 
darker,  more  pinkish  iron  gray;  legs  darker,  more  pinkish  buffy; 
sides  of  abdomen  and  underside  of  neck  darker,  richer  buffy. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  nearly  iron 
gray  with  a  pinkish  buffy  suffusion;  paler  and  less  yellowish  than 
richardsoni  and  darker  gray  than  deserticola ;  sides  of  body  paler  or 
less  washed  with  black  than  back  and  clearer  buffy ;  sides  of  abdomen 
vary  from  dull  buffy  to  dark  buffy  with  a  distinct  suffusion  of  fawn 
color;  rest  of  abdomen  usually  white  but  sometimes  washed  with 
buffy  or  dull  ochraceous  buffy,  in  latter  cases  buffy  usually  same 
shade  as  underside  of  neck;  underside  of  head  white;  orbital  area 
deeper  and  clearer  buffy  than  back;  rest  of  side  of  head  paler  or  more 
grayish;  nape  varying  from  near  isabella  color  to  drab,  darker  than 
in  deserticola;  outside  of  ears  on  front  half  grayish  brown,  darker 
than  deserticola,  and  more  as  in  richardsoni ;  posterior  half  of  ears 
white  with  a  broad  black  tip ;  lower  part  of  shoulders  and  outside  of 
thighs  similar  to  sides  of  abdomen  but  deeper  colored ;  front  of  fore 
legs  and  tops  of  fore  feet  vary  from  dark  buffy  gray  to  deep  cinna- 
mon buff;  outside  of  hind  legs  drab  with  a  distinct  tinge  of  fawn 


1909.]  LEPUS   CALIFORNICUS   GROUP RICHARDSONI.  133 

color;  tops  and  sides  of  hind  feet  dingy  whitish,  distinctly  underlaid 
and  tinged  with  buffy  brownish;  outside  of  front  and  hind  legs 
darker  than  in  either  richardsoni  or  deserticola;  top  of  tail  black; 
underside  dingy  buff  or  grayish  buff;  no  rump  patch. 

Summer  pelage. — Much  paler  or  more  bleached  than  in  winter  and 
thus  approaching  summer  specimens  of  deserticola  but  darker. 

Post juvenal  pelage. — Similar  to  adults  but  with  overlying  black 
wash  on  upperparts  much  less,  thus  giving  a  generally  paler  and  more 
finely  grizzled  appearance. 

Juvenal  pelage. — Darker  and  browner  than  in  deserticola. 

Skull. — Scarcely  distinguishable  in  size  and  general  appearance 
from  that  of  deserticola  but  bullae  smaller,  less  rounded;  jugals 
broader;  frontal  region  a  little  fuller  and  nearer  plane  of  supra- 
orbitals, thus  giving  a  slightly  more  arched  upper  outline  to  rostrum ; 
rostrum  slender  and  supraorbitals  small  and  light  as  in  deserticola. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  581;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 101 ;  hind  foot,  135 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  114. 

Remarks. — This  is  a  pale  form  most  like  deserticola,  into  which 
it  intergrades  in  northern  Nevada.  In  southwestern  Oregon  and 
northeastern  California  it  grades  into  calif ornicus.  A  young  speci- 
men from  Cedarville,  California,  is  as  pale  on  the  back  as  ordinary 
deserticola,  but  the  legs  are  darker.  Specimens  from  Dana  and  Bes- 
wick,  California,  and  Umatilla,  Oregon,  are  typical  in  color,  but  are 
rather  larger  than  the  specimens  from  the  type  region.  The  type 
from  Touchet,  Washington,  is  paler  than  average  specimens,  and  thus 
more  nearly  approaches  deserticola. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  35,  from : 

Washington:  Touchet,  2. 

Oregon:  Antelope,  1;  Hay  Creek,  6;  Ontario,  2;  Plush,  1;  Prineville,  3; 
Tule  Lake,  1;  Umatilla,  1;  Willow  Junction,  1. 

Idaho:  Boise  Rivei*,  1. 

California:  Bear  Creek  Valley  (east  of  Dana),  1;  Beswick,  2;  Bieber,  1; 
Brownell,  1;  Cedarville,  1;  Cornell,  1;  Dana,  2;  Milford,  2;  Mont- 
gomery Creek,  1;  Pit  River,  2;  Sierra  Valley  (Beckwith),  1;  Susan- 
ville,  1. 

LEPUS  CALIFORNICUS  RICHARDSONI  Bachman. 

San  Joaquin  Valley  Jack  Rabbit. 

(PI.  VII,  fig.  2;  PI.  VIII,  fig.  2.) 

Lepus  richardsoni  Bachman,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  VIII,  pt.  I,  pp. 
88-89,  1839.  Type  from  California  (exact  locality  unknown,  but  probably 
from  near  Jolon,  Monterey  County,  near  type  locality  of  calif  ornicus)  ; 
No.  A5S0,  Zoological  Society  collection,  London  (type  no  longer  extant)  ; 
collected  by  David  Douglas  in  1831. 


134  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

Lepus  tularensis  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XVII,  p.  136,  July  14, 
1904.  Type  from  Alila,  Tulare  County,  California ;  No.  126334,  $  ad.,  U.  S. 
National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection)  ;  collected  by  Luther  J. 
Goldman,  October  25,  1900. 

Geographic  distribution. — San  Joaquin  Valley,  California,  and 
adjacent  arid  valleys  to  the  west  and  surrounding  foothills.  Vertical 
range  from  below  500  feet  in  Salinas  Valley  up  to  4,000  feet  in  moun- 
tains about  San  Joaquin  Valley ;  zonal  range  mainly  Lower  Sonoran, 
extending  up  through  Upper  Sonoran. 

General  characters. — Smaller  than  californicus;  head  and  upper- 
parts  of  body  light  yellowish  or  grayish  buff,  varying  to  a  grayer 
color  among  intergrades  with  californicus  and  deserticola. 

Color  in  fresh  fall  or  winter  pelage. — Head,  back,  and  sides  of  body 
varying  from  grayish  buff  to  sandy  buff  (dull  cream  buff  of  Bidg- 
way)  darkened  on  top  of  head  and  back  by  a  light  blackish  wash, 
and  shading  down  to  a  deeper  buff  along  sides  of  abdomen,  lower 
part  of  shoulders,  and  on  inside  of  thighs;  underside  of  neck  still 
deeper,  darker  buff;  underside  of  body  buffy  whitish  shading  into 
the  buffy  area  along  sides;  underside  of  head  white;  nape  pale, 
slightly  buffy  gray  behind  ears  and  becoming  pale  grayish  drab  or 
grayish  isabella  color  along  middle ;  front  of  fore  legs  similar  to  sides 
of  body  but  darkened  by  a  thin  overlying  blackish  wash;  tops  of 
fore  feet  a  little  paler  than  fore  legs ;  outside  of  hind  legs  similar  to 
sides  of  body  but  tinged  with  fawn  color;  tops  of  hind  feet  pale 
buffy  whitish;  top  of  tail  black,  underside  dull  creamy  buff;  front 
half  of  ears  on  outside  finely  grizzled  buffy  gray,  varjdng  to  sandy 
buff;  posterior  half  white  with  well-marked  black  tips  about  an  inch 
long;  inside  of  ear  in  front  fringed  with  dull  gray  or  buffy  grayish 
and  posteriorly  with  a  narrow  edge  of  whitish  near  base  and  changing 
to  rich  buffy  near  tip ;  no  rump  patch. 

Summer  pelage. — Much  paler  than  in  winter,  but  nearly  always 
with  a  distinctly  yellowish  tinge  to  upperparts. 

Skull. — Smaller  than  that  of  californicus,  and  about  intermediate 
between  that  form  and  deserticola.  Compared  with  californicus  the 
braincase  is  narrower,  frontal  area  much  more  depressed  below  plane 
of  supraorbitals;  rostrum  narrower  at  base,  slenderer,  and  more 
flattened  along  upper  outline;  supraorbitals  and  jugals  broader 
and  heavier;  bullae  actually  and  proportionately  larger  and  more 
rounded. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  570;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 97;  hind  foot,  125;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  112. 

Remarks. — Lepus  richardsoni  was  based  on  a  specimen  sent  from 
California  to  the  Zoological  Society  of  London  by  David  Douglas. 
Kecent  search  in  the  British  Museum  proves  that  this  specimen  is 
no  longer  extant.     For  many  years  Lepus  richardsoni  was  treated 


1909.]  LEPUS    CALIFORNICUS    GROUP RICHARDSON!.  135 

as  a  synonym  of  L.  calif ornicus  or  as  unidentifiable.  Doctor  Mer- 
riam  was  the  first  author  to  fix  definitely  a  type  locality  for  this 
animal  and  to  characterize  it  adequately.3  Recent  collections  from 
the  vicinity  of  San  Antonio  Mission,  near  where  Douglas  obtained 
the  type  of  calif  ornicus,  show  that  while  the  latter  occupies  the 
western  or  coastal  slope  of  the  adjacent  mountains,  a  distinct  and 
much  paler  animal  lives  in  the  hot,  arid  valley  about  the  old  mission. 
This  last  answers  closely  to  the  original  description  of  richardsoni 
and  thus  justifies  the  assumption  that  the  type  of  this  form  was 
obtained  there.  With  a  much  larger  series  of  specimens  than  was 
available  when  Lepus  tularensis  was  described,  it  is  now  apparent 
that  all  of  the  pale  jack  rabbits  of  the  upper  Salinas  and  the  San 
Joaquin  valleys,  and  the  similarly  hot,  arid  valleys  adjacent  to 
them,  must  be  referred  to  a  single  form,  and  tularensis  thus  becomes 
a  synonym  of  richardsoni.  Specimens  from  the  bottom  of  the  San 
Joaquin  Valley,  whence  came  the  type  of  tularensis,  represent  the 
extreme  of  development  of  the  pale  form.  They  average  smaller  and 
have  lighter,  slenderer  skulls  than  those  from  near  the  type  locality 
of  richardsoni.  There  is  not  much  variation  in  color  but  a  constant 
gradation  in  size  between  the  smallest  representatives  of  richardsoni 
in  the  south  end  of  the  San  Joaquin  Valley  and  the  larger  repre- 
sentatives from  the  borderline,  where  it  approaches  the  range  of 
calif  ornicus.  A  number  of  specimens  from  the  type  region  of 
richardsoni  are  scarcely  distinguishable  in  color  from  others  col- 
lected in  the  bottom  of  the  San  Joaquin  Valley,  but  they  average 
distinctly  nearer  calif  ornicus  in  size. 

There  is  much  individual  variation  in  this  as  in  other  forms  of 
calif  ornicus.  This  is  shown  most  in  the  winter  pelage,  in  which  some 
specimens  from  the  bottom  of  the  San  Joaquin  Valley  are  much 
deeper  buffy  than  others.  These,  however,  agree  in  size  with  the 
paler  and  more  typical  specimens  from  the  same  area.  As  would  be 
expected  there  is  intergradation  in  the  jack  rabbits  on  all  sides  of  the 
San  Joaquin  Valley — into  calif  ornicus  on  the  north,  east,  and  west, 
and  into  deserticola  through  Walker  Basin,  Tejon,  and  Tehachipi 
passes  on  the  southeast  and  south.  On  the  west  the  pale  richardsoni 
style  of  color  prevails  among  the  majority  of  the  jack  rabbits  over  the 
low  eastern  foothills  of  the  Coast  Range  and  into  the  dry  hot  upper 
parts  of  the  Cuyama,  Salinas,  and  similarly  situated  valleys  heading- 
near  the  western  side  of  the  San  Joaquin  Valley.  Owing  to  the 
breaking  down  of  the  Coast  Range,  richardsoni  ranges  west  to  within 
a  few  miles  of  the  town  of  San  Luis  Obispo,  where  it  passes  into  true 
californicus.  The  pale  intermediate  specimens  from  the  border  be- 
tween the  ranges  of  the  last-named  form  and  richardsoni  are  large 

aProc.   Biol.    Soc.   Washington,   XVII,   p.   136,   July   14,    1904. 


136  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

and  sometimes  equal  calif  ornicus  in  size.  Intergradation  in  size  and 
color  into  the  larger  and  darker  calif  ornicus  takes  place  in  the  north- 
ern end  of  the  San  Joaquin  Valley  and  along  the  lower  slopes  of  the 
Sierra.  Occasional  specimens  from  the  northern  San  Joaquin  Valley 
are  nearly  dark  enough  to  be  called  calif  ornicus,  but  are  smaller,  with 
shorter  ears  and  smaller,  lighter  skulls,  thus  showing  their  identity 
with  the  paler  individuals  of  the  resident  form. 

Toward  spring  the  fresh  pelage  gradually  fades  and  loses  most  of 
the  blackish  wash  on  the  upperparts  until  summer  or  late  spring 
specimens  become  pale  sandy  yellowish  or  pale  sandy  buff  slightly 
darkened  by  blackish  on  the  back,  and  the  ears  become  light  sandy 
buff. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  74,  from : 

California:  Alcalde,  1;  Alila,  19;  Bakersfield,  3;  Bitterwater,  1;  Caliente, 
2 ;  Coalinga,  1 ;  Cuyama  Valley,  1 ;  Delano,  1 ;  Farnosa,  3 ;  Five  Wil- 
low Springs,  1;  Fort  Tejoii,  1;  Fresno,  1;  Huron,  6;  Jolon,  3; 
Lemoore,  1 ;  Milo,  1 ;  Orosi,  1 ;  Orris,  1 ;  Paso  Robles,  1 ;  Pixley,  1 ; 
Porterville,  2 ;  Poso,  1 ;  Priest  Valley,  1 ;  San  Eniigdio,  1 ;  San  Luis 
Obispo  (east  of),  6;  Santiago  Springs,  1;  Soledad,  1;  Stanley,  2; 
Tehaehapi,  2 ;  Tejon  Pass,  1 ;  Tipton,  3 ;  Tulare  Lake,  2 ;  Visalia,  1. 

LEPFS  CALIFORNICUS  BENNETTI  Gray. 

San  Diego  Jack  Rabbit. 

Lepus  bennetti  Gray,  Zoology  Voy.  Sulphur,  p.  35,  pi.  14,  1844.  Type  from  San 
Diego,  California  ;  No.  233a,  Register  1842,  British  Museum ;  collected  by 
Capt.  Sir  Edward  Belcher. 

Geographic  distribution. — Southern  California  west  of  summit  of 
Coast  Range  from  near  Gaviota  Pass  to  Mexican  border  and  south 
along  the  coast  to  San  Quentin,  Lower  California.  Vertical  range 
from  sea  level  at  San  Diego  up  to  about  6,000  feet  altitude  in  moun- 
tains to  the  eastward ;  zonal  range  mainly  Upper  Sonoran. 

General  characters. — Smaller  than  true  calif  ornicus,  with  lighter 
skull.  Color  of  upperparts  paler,  more  grayish  buffy  brown;  ears 
paler ;  upperside  of  feet  brownish  buffy. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  pinkish  buffy, 
darkened  by  overlying  black  wash,  producing  a  grayish  buffy  brown 
effect  with  a  slightly  pinkish  tinge ;  sides  of  body  with  much  less  black 
wash  than  back  and  shading  downward  into  dark  buff,  salmon  buff,  or 
dull  ochraceous  buff  on  lower  flanks,  lower  part  of  shoulders,  inside  of 
thighs,  and  into  a  lighter  shade  of  same  over  most  of  abdomen ;  under- 
side of  head  whitish;  underside  of  neck  deep  dark  buffy  or  buffy 
fawn  color ;  nape  varies  from  grayish  drab  to  cinnamon ;  front  half  of 
ears  light  buffy  brown ;  posterior  half  white  with  a  well-marked  black 
tip  smaller  than  in  true  calif  ornicus;  tops  of  fore  feet  buffy  fawn 
color  darkened  by  blackish  tips  to  hairs,  like  front  of  fore  legs,  and 


1909.]  LEPUS   CALIFORNICUS  GROUP DESERTICOLA.  137 

not  distinctly  more  whitish  as  in  calif  omicus  ;  tops  of  hind  feet  also 
more  like  adjoining  part  of  legs;  top  of  tail  black;  underside  brown- 
ish buffy  like  sides  of  body ;  no  rump  patch. 

/Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  calif  omicus  but  smaller  and  slenderer; 
jugals  narrower;  bullae  larger  and  more  rounded;  base  of  rostrum  pro- 
portionately broad  and  heavy  as  in  calif  omicus,  giving  entire  rostrum 
a  massive  form ;  frontal  region  more  depressed  below  plane  of  supra- 
orbital processes  than  in  calif ornic us,  giving  upper  outline  of  rostrum 
a  more  flattened  form;  supraorbitals  comparatively  light  and  narrow 
as  in  calif omicus. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  556;  tail  verte- 
brae, 8G;  hind  foot,  121 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  114. 

Remarks. — This  form  is  nearly  as  dark  as  calif  omicus  but  much  less 
ochraceous.  Summer  specimens  are  grayer  and  the  ears  grayer  or 
paler  grayish  buffy  than  in  calif  omicus  at  the  same  season.  The  sides 
of  the  hind  legs  vary  from  dull  drab  to  drab  brown  or  buffy  brown. 
L.  c.  bennetti  has  a  more  restricted  range  than  most  other  forms  of 
calif  omicus.  On  the  north  it  intergrades  with  calif  omicus,  on  the 
east  with  deserticola,  and  on  the  south  with  martiremis.  It  is  most 
like  true  calif  omicus,  with  which  it  has  long  been  confused. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  29,  from : 

California:  Alhainbra,  1;  Coast  Range  (summit  on  Mexican  border),  1; 
Dulzura,  1 ;  Elsinore,  1 ;  Hueneme,  1 ;  Jacumba,  1 ;  Jarnul  Creek.  1 ; 
Laguna  Mountains  (San  Diego  County),  1;  Mountain  Springs  (San 
Diego  County),  1;  National  City,  4;  Pacific  coast  near  last  mountains 
on  Mexican  border,  1;  San  Diego,  2;  San  Diego  County  (Monument 
258  on  Mexican  boundary),  1;  San  Fernando,  2;  Twin  Oaks,  2;  Win- 
chester, 1. 

Lower  California  (Mexico) :  Nachoguero  Valley,  1 ;  San  Quentin,  6. 

LEPUS  CALIFORNICUS  DESERTICOLA  Mearns. 

Colorado  Desert  Jack  Rabbit. 

Lepus  texianus  deserticola  Mearns,  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  XVIII,  No.  1081, 
pp.  564-505,  June  24,  1890.  Type  from  western  edge  of  Colorado  Desert, 
at  east  base  of  Coast  Range  Mountains  near  Mexican  boundary,  San 
Diego  County,  California ;  No.  f  f  f  |,  9  ad.,  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History ;  collected  by  F.  X.  Holzner,  May  7,  1894. 

Geographic  distribution. — Arid  desert  areas  of  northeastern  Lower 
California,  east  of  San  Pedro  Martir  and  Laguna  Hansen  mountains, 
south  to  Calamahue  Bay,  and  extreme  northwestern  Sonora  in  Mex- 
ico; and  thence  north  through  southeastern  California  (east  of  Coast 
Range  and  Sierra  Nevada)  at  least  to  Mono  Lake,  through  most  of 
Nevada,  except  the  northwestern  part  north  of  Pyramid  Lake,  most 
of  Utah  and  southern  Idaho,  to  Pahsimeroi  Valley,  and  east  to 
Phoenix  and  San  Francisco  mountains  in  Arizona.     Vertical  range 


138  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

from  below  sea  level  in  the  Colorado  Desert  to  7.500  feet  in  the  bor- 
der of  the  pine  forest  on  the  Mogollon  plateau  of  northern  Arizona, 
and  to  9,000  feet  in  the  San  Bernardino  Mountains,  California ;  zonal 
range  mainly  Upper  and  Lower  Sonoran. 

General  characters. — Slightly  smaller  than  californicus  with  pro- 
portionately larger  ears;  colors  very  pale,  upperparts  ashy  gray  only 
a  little  darkened  by  black  tips  to  hairs  and  sometimes  tinged  with 
pale  buff;  middle  of  abdomen  white;  sides  of  abdomen  strongly 
buffy. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  pale  ash  gray, 
often  almost  whitish,  only  a  little  darkened  by  black  tips  to  hairs, 
and  often  tinged  with  pale  buff;  sides  of  head  and  body  paler  than 
back;  area  about  eyes  pale  buff  or  buffy  white;  front  half  of  ears 
varies  from  grayish  cream  buff  to  pale  buffy  gray;  posterior  half 
of  ears  clear  grayish  white,  usually  with  a  rather  poorly  defined 
blackish  patch  about  an  inch  long  at  tips  (sometimes  this  patch 
nearly  obsolete)  ;  the  black  area  not  strongly  marked  about  border  of 
ears  at  extreme  tip,  as  in  most  other  forms  of  this  species;  inside  of 
ears  bordered  on  front  edges  with  a  fringe  of  long  whitish  hairs,  at 
tips  by  a  narrow  velvety  border  of  buff,  and  along  posterior  edges 
with  white;  inside  of  ears  brownish  gray  near  posterior  border  and 
plain  gray  elsewhere ;  nape  pale  dull  cinnamon  varying  to  fawn  color 
and  pale  grayish  drab;  top  of  tail  and  line  down  base  of  rump 
black;  underside  of  tail  dull,  slightly  yellowish,  gray;  lower  part  of 
shoulders  and  fore  legs  varying  from  pale  buffy  fawn  color  to  pale 
dull  pinkish  buff;  tops  of  fore  feet  vary  from  pale  dull  gray  to  yel- 
lowish white;  an  indistinct  band  along  sides  of  abdomen  and  lower 
border  of  flanks  dull  vinaceous  buff,  sometimes  varying  to  pale  cream 
buff  with  a  slight  vinaceous  tinge;  back  and  sides  of  hind  legs  dull 
ecru  drab,  shading  into  dull  white,  often  tinged  with  dull  buff  on 
front  of  legs  and  tops  of  hind  feet;  underside  of  neck  a  little  darker 
than  fore  legs  and  varying  from  pale  buffy  fawn  color  to  vinaceous 
drab;  rest  of  underside  of  body  white,  more  or  less  strongly  vina- 
ceous buffy  along  border  of  flanks,  as  already  noted;  rump  patch 
absent. 

In  worn  and  faded  pelage  the  upperparts  become  more  whitish 
and  the  buffy  on  sides  paler. 

Skull. — Small  and  slender,  strikingly  smaller  than  californicus 
and  somewhat  smaller  than  in  bennetti;  rostrum  narrow  at  base  and 
slender  in  form ;  frontal  region  flattened  and  upper  outline  of  rostrum 
nearly  straight;  supraorbitals  light  and  comparatively  slender,  as  in 
californicus ;  jugals  about  the  same  in  size  but  proportionately 
heavier;  braincase  proportionately  broader;  bulke  actually  and  pro- 
portionately much  larger  and  more  rounded. 


1909.]  LEPUS   CALIFORNICUS   GROUP DESERTICOLA.  139 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  542;  tail  ver- 
tebrae, 88.4 ;  hind  foot,  122 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  121. 

Remarks. — This  is  a  pale  desert  form  distinctly  whitish  or  pale 
grayish  on  the  upperparts  and  pinkish  bully  along  the  sides  of  the 
abdomen.  To  the  west,  in  southern  California,  deserticola  inter- 
grades  with  hennetti  along  the  eastern  part  of  the  Coast  Range  and 
with  richardsoni  through  Tejon  and  Tehachipi  passes.  Some  winter 
specimens  from  the  Mohave  Desert  closely  resemble  richardsoni  in 
color,  and  a  specimen  taken  in  May  at  Salt  Wells  Valley  on  this 
desert  is  scarcely  distinguishable  in  color  of  the  upperparts  from  a 
specimen  of  richardsoni  taken  at  Pixley  in  the  San  Joaquin  Valley 
in  January,  but  is  more  pinkish  buffy  along  the  sides  of  the  abdomen. 
Specimens  from  Daggett,  Hesperia,  and  other  localities  on  the 
Mohave  Desert  have  a  heavier  wash  of  black  than  most  specimens  in 
other  parts  of  the  range  of  deserticola.  From  the  Colorado  Desert, 
Death  Valley,  and  Nevada  they  are  distinctly  whitish  on  the  upper- 
parts,  and  the  black  tips  to  the  long  hairs  are  so  short  that  they  form 
only  a  slight  dark  wash  over  the  underlying  pale  grayish.  The  most 
whitish  of  all  the  winter  specimens  examined  is  an  adult  female  taken 
in  October  at  Ogden,  Utah,  and  now  in  the  Merriam  collection. 
Summer  specimens  are  paler  and  more  bleached  than  those  in  winter 
fur.  A  series  from  the  summit  of  the  Coast  Range  in  San  Diego 
County,  California,  are  intermediate  between  deserticola  and  hennetti. 
Others  from  the  mouths  of  canyons  at  the  east  base  of  the  San  Pedro 
Martir  Mountains  and  from  Calamahue  Arroyo  in  Lower  California 
are  darker  than  typical  deserticola  and  are  intergrades  with  mar- 
tirensis.  One  Calamahue  specimen  taken  in  September  has  the  black 
on  the  back  of  the  ear  reduced  to  a  narrow  rim  about  the  tip.  This 
specimen  is  an  intergrade  with  martirensis,  and  has  the  upperparts 
buffy  gray  and  the  underparts  dull  ochraceous  buffy.  One  skin  from 
the  Cocopah  Mountains,  Lower  California,  in  faded  spring  pelage, 
has  the  black  ear  patch  nearly  obsolete.  At  Tinajas  Altas,  in  south- 
western Arizona,  there  is  intergradation  with  eremicus,  and  specimens 
from  there  might  be  referred  to  both  this  form  and  deserticola.  In 
northwestern  Nevada  deserticola  grades  into  the  closely  related  walla- 
walla.  Typical  examples  of  deserticola,  hennetti,  richardsoni,  walla- 
walla,  and  eremicus  are  readily  distinguishable,  but  the  interminable 
series  of  intergrades  between  these  forms,  where  their  ranges  touch, 
afford  many  specimens  extremely  difficult  to  place. 

Several  specimens  from  Loa,  Wayne  County,  Utah,  show  two 
color  phases;  part  of  them  are  the  typical  pale  gray  on  the  upper- 
parts,  and  the  others  are  suffused  with  a  pinkish  buffy  shade.  These 
are  good  examples  of  the  dichromatic  phases  which  commonly  occur 
among  jack  rabbits. 


140  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  134,  from : 

California:  Antelope  Valley,  3;  Banner,  1;  Banning,  1;  Brawley,  1; 
Coast  Range  Mountains  (on  Mexican  boundary),  1;  Colorado  Desert, 
2;  Daggett,  1;  Death  Valley,  3;  Furnace  Creek,  1;  Garlick  Spring, 
1;  Goffs,  4;  Hesperia,  1;  Ivanpah,  2;  Lancaster,  1;  Lone  Pine,  5; 
Long  Valley,  1 ;  Mohave,  1 ;  Mohave  Desert,  east  of  Morongo  Valley, 
1 ;  Mono  Lake,  1 ;  Mexican  Boundary  Monument  230,  1 ;  Morongo 
Valley,  1 ;  Onyx,  1 ;  Oro  Grande,  2 ;  Owens  Lake,  1 ;  Owens  Valley 
(Benton),  1;  Palm  Spring,  1;  Panamint  Mountains,  1;  Providence 
Mountains,  1;  Salt  Well  Valley,  1;  San  Felipe  Valley,  5;  Saratoga 
Springs,  1;  Strawberry  Valley  (San  Jacinto  Mountains),  1;  Teha- 
chipi,  1;  Vallecito,  6;  Victorville,  3;  Walker  Basin,  1;  Whitewater,  3. 

Arizona:  Beal  Spring,  13 ;  Beaver  Dam,  1 ;  Fort  Whipple,  1 ;  Kingman,  1 ; 
Phoenix,  2;  San  Francisco  Mountain,  2;  Texas  Hill,  1;  Tinajas 
Altas,  2. 

Nevada:  Battle  Mountain,  1;  Carson,  2;  Fallon,  2;  Gardnerville,  1; 
Grapevine  Mountains,  1 ;  Indian  Creek,  1 ;  Lovelocks,  2 ;  Newark 
Valley,  1 ;  Pahranagat  Valley,  2 ;  Pahrump  Valley,  2 ;  Paradise,  1 ; 
Vegas  Valley,  1. 

"Utah:  Beaver,  1;  Beaver  Hills,  1;  Buckskin  Valley,  1;  Cave  Fort,  1; 
Kelton,  1 :  Loa,  4 ;  Nephi,  1 ;  Ogden,  7 ;  Provo,  1. 

Idaho:  Arco,  1;  Blackfoot,  1;  Sawtooth  National  Forest,  3. 

Lower  California  (Mexico):  Calamahue,  1;  Cocopah  Mountains,  1;  Esper- 
anza  Canyon,  2 ;  San  Felipe  Bay,  3. 

LEPUS  CALIFORNICUS  EREMICUS  Allen. 

Arizona  Jack  Rabbit. 

Lepus  texianus  eremicus  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  VI,  pp.  347- 
348.  (Author's  separates  published  December  7,  1894.)  Type  from  Fair- 
banks, Cochise  County.  Arizona;  No.  ffff,  9  ad.,  American  Museum 
of  Natural  History;  collected  by  W.  W.  Price  and  B.  C.  Condit,  March  5, 
1894. 

Geographic  distribution. — Northern  Sonora  (Hermosillo),  Mex- 
ico, north  throughout  southern  Arizona  east  of  Phoenix  and  south 
of  the  high  mountains;  also  along  the  border  in  southwestern  New- 
Mexico  and  extreme  northwestern  Chihuahua  nearly  to  the  Hachita 
Mountains.  Vertical  distribution  from  about  2,000  feet  west  of 
Tucson  to  5,000  feet  near  Wilcox;  zonal  distribution  mainly  Lower 
Sonoran,  extending  up  into  lower  part  of  Upper  Sonoran  Zone. 

General  characters. — Similar  in  size  to  texianus;  color  much  paler 
and  lighter  than  calif  ornicus,  but  darker  and  more  buffy  on  upper- 
parts  and  on  sides  of  abdomen  than  texianus;  ears  browner  and 
much  darker,  contrasting  with  color  of  back. 

Color  of  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  varying  from  dark 
cream  buff  to  light  pinkish  buff  strongly  washed  with  black;  the 
underlying  dusky  zone  of  color  on  tips  of  underfur,  below  the  buffy 
ground  color  of  the  back,  much  darker  in  eremicus  than  in  deserti- 
cola  or  texianus,  darkens  general  color  of  back,  especially  in  worn 
pelage;  sides  of  head  and  body  paler  and  less  washed  with  black 


1909.]  LEPUS   CALIFOBNICUS   GEOUP EEEMICUS.  141 

than  upperparts,  but  darker  than  in  texianus;  nape  dull,  slightly 
vinaceous  buff  strongly  washed  with  gray ;  front  half  of  ears  slightly 
grayish  buffy,  darker  and  browner  than  in  texianus,  and  much  darker 
than  back;  posterior  half  of  ears  clear  white  with  a  well-marked 
black  tip  an  inch  broad  and  forming  a  terminal  black  border ;  inside 
of  ears  bordered  in  front  by  a  fringe  of  pale  buff  hairs  and  on 
posterior  edge  by  a  narrow  border  of  velvety  white ;  inside  this  white 
edge,  color  buffy  brown  like  outside  of  ears ;  fore  legs  vary  from  dull 
pinkish  buff  to  nearly  ochraceous  buff,  shading  into  grayish  white, 
grizzled  with  dusky  on  tops  of  fore  feet;  outside  of  hind  legs  vary- 
ing from  dull  gray  with  a  vinaceous  tinge  to  dull  grayish  buff; 
underside  of  neck  dark  buff,  sometimes  with  a  slight  vinaceous  shade ; 
along  each  side  of  abdomen  and  inside  of  thighs,  and  shading  into 
color  of  flanks,  a  more  or  less  well-marked  band  of  buff  usually 
present,  but  sometimes  scarcely  noticeable,  nearly  as  in  texianus; 
rest  of  underparts  (underside  of  head  and  most  of  abdomen)  white; 
no  rump  patch. 

Skull. — Large  and  massive,  nearly  equaling  calif  ornieus  in  size, 
but  rostrum  narrower  at  base,  giving  it  a  slenderer  form  through- 
out; frontal  region  only  slightly  more  depressed,  and  upper  outline 
of  rostrum  nearly  as  much  curved ;  supraorbitals  and  jugals  broader 
and  heavier;  molar  series  heavier;  bullae  much  larger  and  more 
rounded,  proportionately  larger  than  in  deserticola;  skull  bearing 
a  close  general  resemblance  to  those  of  texianus,  melanotis,  and 
merriami. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  595;  tail  verte- 
bras, 99.8 ;  hind  foot,  134 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  123. 

Remarks. — This  form  has  a  comparatively  restricted  range,  mainly 
in  southern  Arizona.  It  lacks  a  pale  rump  patch,  and  this,  combined 
with  its  darker,  more  buffy  colors,  distinguishes  it  from  texianus. 
The  darker  colors  separate  it  from  deserticola.  The  entire  upper- 
parts  of  typical  specimens  are  nearly  uniform  dull  brownish  buffy, 
somewhat  like  bennetti  in  the  pinkish  brown  tinge  of  the  buffy,  but 
are  paler  than  that  form.  There  is  considerable  individual  varia- 
tion. One  specimen  from  Tucson,  Arizona,  is  pale  buffy  gray  on 
upperparts,  much  as  in  texianus,  but  is  more  heavily  washed  with 
black. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  32,  from : 

Arizona:  Agua  Dulce,  1;  Camp  Grant,  1;  Casa  Grande,  1;  Fairbanks,  1; 

Fort  Bowie,  1 ;  Fort  Huachuca,  5 ;  Fort  Lowell,  3 ;   Fort  Verde,  3 ; 

Huachuca   Mountains,   1 ;    Lochiel,   1 ;    Oracle,   2 ;    Pinal   County,    1 ; 

Rillito  Creek,   1 ;   east  side   Santa   Rita   Mountains,   1 ;   Tucson,   2 ; 

Wilcox,  1. 
New  Mexico:  35  miles  west  of  El  Paso,  1. 

Chihuahua  (Mexico):  Colonia  Garcia,  1;  San  Bernardino  ranch,  1. 
Sonora  (Mexico) :  Hermosillo,  1 ;  Poso  de  Luis,  1 ;  Santa  Cruz,  1. 


142  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

LEPUS  CALIFORNICUS  TEXIANUS  Waterhouse. 

Texas  Jack  Rabbit. 

Lepus  texianus  Waterhouse,  Nat.  Hist.  Mamm.,  II,  p.  136,  1848.     Type  probably 

from  western  Texas;  was  in  collection  of  Zoological  Society  of  London  (no 

longer  extant). 
Lepus  texianus  griseus  Mearns,  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  XVIII,  No.  1081,  pp.  554 

and  502,  June  24,  1890.     Type  from  Fort  Hancock,  El  Paso  County,  Texas ; 

No>   firsts   ?   ati->  U.  S.  National  Museum:  collected  by  Dr.  E.  A.  Mearns, 

June  22,  1893. 
Lepus    (Macrotdlagus)    texianus  micropus  Allen,   Bull.   Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist., 

N.   T.,    XIX,    p.    605    (author's    separates    published   November   12,    1903). 

Type    from    Rio    del    Bocas,    northwest    Durango,    Mexico    (altitude    6,800 

feet)  ;  No.  21251,   $   ad.,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History;  collected 

by  J.  H.  Batty,  February  12,  1903. 

Geographic  distribution. — Northern  Durango,  Mexico,  north 
through  Chihuahua,  arid  western  Texas  (except  northern  Pan- 
handle), New  Mexico  (except  northeastern  part),  northeastern  Ari- 
zona (valley  of  Little  Colorado  River),  and  southwestern  part  of 
Colorado.  Vertical  range  from  about  1,500  feet  above  Del  Rio, 
Texas,  to  7,500  feet  altitude  on  mountains  of  New  Mexico;  zonal 
range  mainly  Upper  Sonoran,  but  extending  down  into  Lower 
Sonoran  and  up  in  summer  into  lower  border  of  Transition  Zone. 

General  characters. — A  large,  long-eared,  light-colored  form  about 
the  size  of  eremicus  but  much  paler;  the  upperparts  pale  buffy  gray 
darkened  by  a  light  overlying  wash  of  black  and  with  a  fairly  well- 
marked  whitish  gray  rump  patch,  underside  of  body  white,  with 
only  slight  traces,  if  any,  of  buffy  along  sides  of  abdomen. 

Color  in  fresh  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  pale  slightly  buffy 
gray,  usually  darkened  a  little  by  a  thin  overlying  wash  of  black,  the 
buffy  tinge  varying  from  pale  creamy  to  pale  pinkish  buffy;  sides  of 
head  and  body  grayer,  being  paler  and  without  the  black  wash  of  the 
back;  rump  paler  and  more  grayish  white  than  back,  forming  a 
fairly  well-marked  rump  patch;  middle  of  rump  and  top  of  tail 
marked  by  a  strong  black  line;  underside  of  tail  whitish  or  whitish 
gray;  front  half  of  ears  rather  dark  buffy  gray  varying  to  grayish 
buffy,  nearly  always  darker  than  back;  posterior  half  of  ears  pure 
white  with  a  well-marked  black  tip  about  an  inch  long  and  a  narrow 
black  border  extending  around  rest  of  tip ;  the  lower  border  of  black 
tip  usually  ends  abruptly  against  white  area  of  ear,  though  some- 
times with  indications  of  a  narrow  buffy  area  intervening,  especially 
in  some  specimens  from  southwestern  Colorado ;  border  of  ear  along 
front  of  inside  dull  buffy,  and  posteriorly  satiny  white,  changing  to 
buff  or  ochraceous  buff  next  to  black  border  about  tip ;  nape  varying 
from  drab  to  ecru  drab  and  light  fawn  color,  overlaid  with  gray  tips 
of  hairs;  fore  legs  vary  from  dull  buffy  or  buffy  gray  to  pale  dull 


1909.]  LEPUS    CALIFOENICUS   GROUP TEXTANUS.  143 

grayish  fawn  color,  sometimes  with  a  vinaceous  tinge;  tops  of  fore 
feet  lightly  grizzled  with  dusky  and  varying  in  general  shade  from 
pale  dull  bufi'y  gray  to  rather  dark  dull  gray  and  to  dark  dull  buffy; 
back  and  outside  of  lower  hind  legs  vary  from  dull  vinaceous  gray  to 
drab  gray ;  tops  of  hind  feet  whitish ;  underside  of  neck  usually  dark 
colored,  varying  from  rich  fawn  color  to  cinnamon  fawn  color  and 
dull  slightly  pinkish  drab. 

Worn  pelage. — The  pelage  of  upperparts  first  bleaches  to  a  paler 
more  whitish  gray  and  then  wears  down  to  the  dusky  brownish  of  the 
underfill*,  when  the  color  becomes  much  darker  and  strikingly  dif- 
ferent in  appearance  from  the  pale  freshly  pelaged  specimens. 

/Skull. — Slightly  smaller  than  in  calif ornicus  and  agreeing  closely 
with  that  of  eremicus,  from  which  it  differs  in  its  slenderer  rostrum, 
more  flattened  and  depressed  frontal  region,  and  less  curved  upper 
outline  to  rostrum;  supraorbitals  similar;  jugals  broader  and  heavier; 
bullae  a  little  smaller.  The  bullae  and  supraorbitals  in  specimens  from 
the  region  near  El  Paso,  Texas,  average  larger  than  from  elsewhere 
in  the  range  of  texianus. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  606;  tail  verte- 
brae, 85 ;  hind  foot,  133 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  123. 

Remarks. — The  original  locality  of  the  type  of  Lepus  texianus  was 
not  known,  but  on  the  strength  of  a  statement  by  J.  W.  Audubon  that 
it  was  the  same  as  a  species  from  Texas  soon  to  be  described  under 
that  name  by  Audubon  and  Bachman  in  the  Quadrupeds  of  North 
America,  Waterhouse  accepted  the  name  and  habitat  for  his  species. 
A  careful  reading  of  the  description  of  L.  texianus  Audubon  and 
Bachman,a  especially  the  statement  that  one  of  their  specimens  had 
a  black  patch  on  the  posterior  base  of  each  ear  and  the  other  one  a 
brown  patch  in  the  same  places,  shows  conclusively  that  they  had  in 
hand  not  the  L.  texianus  of  Waterhouse  but  the  animal  since  called 
Lepus  merriami.  The  Audubon  and  Bachman  specimens  were  prob- 
ably collected  by  J.  TV.  Audubon,  whose  travels  in  Texas  during  his 
two  visits  in  1845  and  1849  were  almost  wholly  within  the  known 
range  of  L.  merriami. 

Unfortunately  the  type  of  L.  texianus  Waterhouse  appears  to  have 
been  lost,  since  there  is  no  record  of  its  receipt  by  the  British  Museum 
with  the  rest  of  the  Zoological  Society  collection  and  no  trace  of  it 
can  be  found.  The  original  description  of  texianus,  however,  fits  the 
animals  of  arid  west  Texas  so  closely  that  there  is  little  doubt  the 
name  belongs  there.  West  Texas  may  thus  be  considered  the  type 
region  of  Lepus  texianus  Waterhouse. 

Texianus  is  the  palest  and  least  buffy  of  any  of  the  forms  of  cali- 
fornicus  except  deserticola;  it  is  even  paler  than  the  latter  on  the 
underparts,  owing  to  the  smaller  amount  of  bumness  along  the  sides 

a  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  III,  pp.  156-159,  1854. 


144  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

of  the  abdomen.  The  pale  gray  rump  patch  divided  by  the  black 
line  from  the  tail  is  one  of  its  strongest  characters.  Summer  speci- 
mens of  typical  texianus  are  often  distinctly  pale  gray,  almost  as  in 
deserticola,  but  may  be  distinguished  by  the  darker  ears  and  legs,  the 
whiter  underparts,  and  the  pale  rump  patch. 

It  is  a  wide-ranging  form,  and  in  addition  to  the  usual  amount  of 
individual  variation  there  is  the  geographic  variation  shown  by 
gradation  toward  the  neighboring  subspecies.  A  specimen  from  35 
miles  west  of  El  Paso,  Texas,  is  nearly  typical  eremicus,  though  most 
specimens  from  that  district  evidently  are  texianus.  Specimens  from 
Silver  City,  New  Mexico,  and  from  Springerville,  Holbrook,  and  the 
Painted  Desert,  Arizona,  are  slightly  yellower  than  true  texianus,  but 
their  pale  colors  and  whitish  rump  patch  show  that  they  belong  to 
this  form  though  grading  toward  eremicus.  One  individual  taken 
November  5  at  Tularosa,  New  Mexico,  is  much  darker  pinkish  buffy 
than  typical  texianus,  with  darker  gray  on  outside  of  hind  legs  and 
ruirip  patch,  and  the  fore  feet  more  dusky.  But  for  the  rump  patch 
this  might  pass  for  a  specimen  of  eremicus.  Others  from  Mesa 
Jumanes,  Ancho,  and  Roswell,  New  Mexico,  have  a  still  brighter 
buffy  shade,  and  are  evidently  grading  toward  melanotis.  This 
gradation  toward  melanotis  is  distinctly  shown  by  specimens  from 
north  central  and  eastern  Texas.  Specimens  from  all  west  Texas  to 
El  Paso  and  south  into  the  adjacent  parts  of  Chihuahua,  Mexico,  are 
usually  typical.  In  southern  Chihuahua  there  is  an  average  heavier 
wash  of  black  on  the  back,  but  many  specimens,  especially  from 
northern  Durango,  are  typical  in  color.  The  Durango  specimens 
have  larger  ears  than  those  from  Texas,  thus  grading  toward  asellus. 
The  darkest  colored  series  is  from  Santa  Rosalia,  southern  Chihuahua, 
among  which  the  Upper-parts  have  more  of  the  buffy  tinge  than  usual 
in  addition  to  the  heavier  black  wash.  This  is  an  example  of  the 
kind  of  local  variation  that  occurs  sporadically  within  the  range  of  all 
the  widely  spread  subspecies  of  American  rabbits.  Winter  specimens 
from  southwestern  Colorado  usually  average  lighter  colored  than 
from  most  of  the  range  of  texianus,  but  when  they  are  placed  with  a 
series  from  western  Texas  and  from  northern  Durango,  it  becomes 
evident  that  they  are  not  distinguishable  in  any  way  from  a  large 
proportion  of  typical  specimens  from  those  areas. 

In  south  Texas,  from  near  the  mouth  of  the  Pecos  Eiver  southeast 
to  Falls  County,  lies  the  belt  of  intergradation  between  texianus  and 
memami.  From  middle  Falls  County,  Texas,  northwesterly  extends 
the  belt  of  intergradation  between  texianus  and  melanotis.  A  single 
specimen  in  the  Biological  Survey  collection  from  Antioch,  Houston 
County,  in  faded  summer  pelage,  is  very  pale,  but  I  have  referred 
it  to  merriami.  It  was  taken  on  an  isolated  prairie  in  the  wooded 
area,  and  this  individual  was  reported  to  be  the  last  of  the  colony 
which  once  lived  there. 


1909.]  LEPUS    CALIFORNICUS   GROUP TEXIANUS.  145 

In  northeastern  New  Mexico  and  north  along  both  sides  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains  in  Colorado  is  a  belt  in  which  most  of  the  jack 
rabbits  are  evidently  intergrades  between  texianus  and  melanotic, 
being  more  buffy  than  the  former  but  paler  than  the  latter.  A  scalp 
in  the  Warren  collection,  from  Norwood,  San  Miguel  County,  south- 
western Colorado,  taken  the  1st  of  May,  has  much  buffy  yellow  on 
the  ears  as  in  melanotis;  more  than  half  of  a  series  of  ten  specimens 
collected  in  winter  at  Coventry,  in  the  same  section  of  the  State, 
have  a  distinctly  yellowish  buffy  tinge  to  the  upperparts  and  broad 
buffy  areas  on  the  backs  of  the  ears,  thus  being  an  almost  exact  inter- 
mediate between  the  pale  specimens  of  melanotis  from  eastern  Colo- 
rado and  typical  texianus.  The  great  majority  of  the  series  examined 
from  southwestern  Colorado  are  of  the  gray  texianus  style.  Occa- 
sional individuals  occur  in  various  parts  of  its  range  which  are 
much  darker  and  more  buffy  than  ordinary,  and  closely  resemble 
typical  eremicus.  One  such  example  is  in  the  Survey  collection  from 
Winslow,  Arizona.  The  body  is  dark  buffy  with  a  heavy  wash  of 
black  on  the  back  and  a  well-marked  buffiness  along  the  sides  of  the 
abdomen.  Similar  individuals  have  been  examined  from  near  El 
Paso,  Texas,  and  various  places  in  southern  New  Mexico,  where  the 
paler  texianus  is  the  ordinary  resident  form.  Such  specimens  merely 
represent  extreme  cases  of  individual  variation,  but  are  very  puzzling 
when  attempts  are  made  to  identify  them  without  proper  knowledge 
of  their  true  relationships. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  186,  from : 

Colorado:  Bayfield,  1;  Coventry,  10;  Fort  Lewis,  1;  Albaugh's  ranch 
( Montezuma  County ) ,  1 ;  Norwood,  1. 

Texas:  Alpine,  1;  Belein,  1;  Chisos  Mountains,  1;  Coloi'ado,  3;  Comstock, 
1 ;  El  Paso,  5 ;  Fort  Davis,  2 ;  Fort  Hancock,  1 ;  Fort  Lancaster,  1 ; 
Fort  Stockton,  1 ;  Franklin  Mountains,  2 ;  Haymond,  2 ;  Langtry,  1 ; 
Llano  Estacado  (near  32°  north  latitude),  1;  Marathon,  2;  Mona- 
hans,  1 ;  Sierra  Blanca,  1 ;  Samuels,  1 ;  Stanton,  2 ;  Strickland  Spring, 
1 ;  Terlingo  Creek,  1 :  Toyah,  1 ;  Valentine,  1 ;  Van  Horn,  1. 

New  Mexico:  Aconia,  1;  Ancho,  1;  Animas  Valley,  1;  Aztec,  1;  Burro 
Mountains,  1 ;  Canyon  Blanco,  2 ;  Capitan  Mountains,  4 ;  Carlsbad,  1 ; 
Carrizalillo  Springs,  1 ;  Carrizozo,  1 ;  Chainberino,  2 ;  Deming,  5 ; 
Dog  Spring  (Grant  County),  3;  Elk  Mountains,  1;  Fort  Wingate.  1: 
Fruitland,  2;  Grants,  1;  Guadalupe  Mountains,  1;  Guadalupe  ranch, 
9;  Jarilla,  1;  Jicarilla  Mountains,  3;  La  Mesa,  4:  Lordsburg,  2; 
Mesa  Jumanes,  2;  Mexican  boundary  line  (long.  30°  15'  W.),  3: 
Mexican  boundary  (Monument  40,  west  of  El  Paso),  1;  15  miles 
west  of  El  Paso,  1;  Hatchita,  3;  head  of  Mimbres  River,  2;  Organ 
City,  1;  Otero  County  (between  Alamagordo  and  Dry  Canyon),  1; 
Bedrock,  2;  Roswell,  2;  Salt  Valley  (west  of  Guadalupe  Mountains), 
1 ;  Near  Bear  Canyon,  east  side  San  Andres  Mountains,  2 ;  Silver 
City,  1 ;  Tularosa,  1. 

85595— No.  29—09 10 


146  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

Arizona:  Holbrook,  1;  Painted  Desert,  1;  Springerville,  6;  Winslow,  13. 

Chihuahua  (Mexico):  Casas  Grandes,  2;  Chihuahua  City,  1;  Guzman,  2; 
Mesquite  Spring  (near  Mexican  boundary  line),  1;  Pacheco,  1;  San 
Bernardino  ranch,  4;  San  Luis  Mountains,  1;  Santa  Rosalia,  8;  Still- 
water, 4. 

Durango  (Mexico):  Kancho  Railon,  10;  Raucho  Santuario,  2;  Rio  Campo, 
1 ;  Rio  del  Bocas,  6 ;  Rio  Sestin,  1. 

LEPUS  CALIFORNICUS  MELANOTIS  Mearns. 

Great  Plains  Jack  Rabbit. 

Lepus  melanotis  Mearns,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  No.  4,  pp.  297-303, 
February,  1890.  Type  from  border  of  Indian  Territory  [now  Oklahoma], 
near  Independence,  Montgomery  County,  Kansas ;  No.  2422,  $  ad.,  American 
Museum  of  Natural  History ;  purchased  in  market,  New  York  City,  by  Dr. 
E.  A.  Mearns,  January  27,  1890. 

Geographic  distribution. — Great  Plains  from  east  central  and 
northern  Texas,  northeastern  New  Mexico  and  north  through  west- 
ern half  of  Indian  Territory,  all  of  Oklahoma,  extreme  southwestern 
part  of  Missouri,  all  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  except  perhaps  extreme 
eastern  parts,  southwestern  Dakota,  southeastern  Wyoming,  and  all 
of  Colorado  east  of  Rocky  Mountains.  Vertical  range  from  less 
than  1,000  feet  near  Independence,  Kansas,  to  over  6,000  feet  on 
east  base  of  mountains  in  Colorado;  zonal  range  mainly  Upper 
Sonoran. 

General  characters. — Upperparts  deep  bright  ochraceous  buffy, 
varying  to  light  bright  ochraceous  buffy;  inside  of  ears  near  tip 
usually  rich  buffy;  gray  rump  patch  large  and  conspicuous;  under- 
side of  neck  richly  colored,  varying  from  deep  vinaceous  buff  to 
deep  ochraceous  buff. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  most  of  upper- 
parts  of  body  bright  ochraceous  buffy,  varying  in  shade  and  darkened 
by  a  blackish  wTash ;  sides  of  body  with  much  less  overlying  blackish 
than  back,  and  paler,  clearer  buff;  underside  of  head  and  body  bright 
clear  white;  underside  of  neck  a  brighter,  richer  color  than  in  any 
other  form  of  this  group,  varying  from  rich  bright  ochraceous  buff 
to  rich  cinnamon  buff,  or  buffy  fawn  color,  in  strong  contrast  to 
rest  of  underparts;  rump  covered  writh  a  large  conspicuous  patch  of 
whitish  or  pale  gray,  more  strongly  marked  and  contrasted  with  color 
of  upperparts  than  in  any  other  form  of  calif ornicus ;  middle  of 
rump  divided  by  a  broad  black  band  extending  out  over  upperside 
of  tail;  underside  of  tail  white  or  grayish  wdiite;  nape  deep  buff 
with  a  w^ash  of  whitish  on  tips  of  hairs  in  fresh  pelage  but  soon 
wearing  off ;  outside  of  ears  on  front  half  more  or  less  strongly  buffy, 
sometimes  with  a  grayish  tinge;  posterior  half  of  ears  white  with 
a  short  black  patch  at  tip,  the  black  area  generally  followed  by  a 
more  or  less  well-marked  buffy  border  at  lower  end  next  the  white; 


1909.]  LEPUS   CALIFORNICUS   GROUP MELANOTIS.  147 

inside  of  ears  mainly  deep  buffy,  most  intense  near  tip,  with  a  narrow 
velvety  white  border  along  posterior  edge,  well-marked  black  border 
about  tip,  and  dusky  or  brownish  buffy  border  posteriorly ;  front  of 
fore  legs  and  tops  of  fore  feet  buffy,  similar  to  sides  of  body  but  a 
little  darker  and  duller ;  outside  of  hind  legs  duller  and  more  grayish 
buffy  than  sides  of  body  and  darker  than  rump  patch ;  front  of  hind 
legs  and  tops  of  hind  feet  pure  white. 

Skull. — Scarcely  distinguishable  in  size  and  proportions  from  that 
of  eremicus  except  by  the  much  smaller  and  less  rounded  bullae  and 
rather  narrow  jugals;  uppersides  of  skulls  of  melanotis  and 
eremicus  practically  the  same;  the  skull  also  closely  resembles  those 
of  merriami  and  texianus,  but  the  bulla?  decidedly  smaller. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  582;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 80;  hind  foot,  131;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  101. 

Remarks — The  preceding  description  applies  to  the  richly  colored 
typical  melanotis  from  the  semihumid  border  of  the  plains  in  eastern 
Kansas.  In  the  more  arid  regions  of  western  Kansas,  Nebraska,  and 
Colorado,  to  the  east  base  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  all  of  the  speci- 
mens examined  are  rather  paler  and  more  grayish  ochraceous  buffy, 
the  rich  ochraceous  or  ochraceous  pinkish  tinge  seen  in  typical  speci- 
mens being  almost  or  entirety  lacking.  The  ears  of  these  western 
specimens  are  paler  than  in  true  melanotis,  but  more  strongly  buffy 
than  in  either  texianus  or  eremicus.  Specimens  from  Pendennis, 
Kansas,  are  pale  like  those  of  Colorado,  and  among  a  fine  series  of 
typical  melanotis  from  Onaga,  Kansas,  is  one  pale  individual  like 
those  from  Pendennis. 

To  the  south,  in  northeastern  New  Mexico  and  through  northern 
and  eastern  Texas,  there  is  a  steady  gradation  into  the  paler  and 
grayer  texianus  and  grayer  merriami. 

One  example  in  the  Burnett  collection  taken  the  middle  of  January 
at  Spring  Canyon,  Larimer  County,  Colorado,  is  very  gray  (though 
but  little  paler  than  some  individuals  from  Pendennis,  Kansas)  and 
in  general  appearance  closely  approaches  texianus.  The  upperparts, 
including  head  and  ears,  are  pale  grayish,  with  a  yellowish  buffy 
suffusion,  and  the  underside  of  the  neck  is  pale  ochraceous  buffy. 
There  is  enough  yellowish  buffy,  however,  to  place  this  specimen, 
with  others  from  the  east  base  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  in  Colorado, 
with  melanotis.  A  specimen  from  the  northwestern  part  of  Okla- 
homa is  even  paler  and  almost  pale  enough  to  be  referred  to  texianus. 

L.  c.  melanotis  extends  south  to  middle  eastern  Texas,  where  it 
grades  into  merriami.  Traces  of  the  bright  ochraceous  buffy  so  char- 
acteristic of  melanotis  are  very  evident  in  a  number  of  the  specimens 
from  along  the  extreme  eastern  border  of  the  range  of  merriami  in  the 
coast  region  of  southeastern  Texas.  There  is  also  considerable  of  the 
same  bumness,  especially  on  the  ears  of  specimens  representing  tex- 


148  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

'/dims  from  Coventry  in  southwestern  Colorado.  In  both  these  cases 
this  buffiness  is  evidently  due  to  intergradation.  Traces  of  the  same 
thing  are  evident  in  specimens  from  the  intermediate  territory  of 
northeastern  New  Mexico. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  89,  from : 

Colorado:  Arlington,  1;  Burlington,  1;   The  Cedars   (Baca   County),  1; 

Colorado  Springs,  4;  Colorado  Springs  Canyon,  1;  Denver.  1;  Lamar, 

1 ;  Monon.  1 ;  Peyton,  1 ;  Semper,  1 :  Springfield,  1 :  Wray,  3. 
New  Mexico:  Clayton,  1  ;  Santa  Rosa,  1. 
Texas:  Canadian,  1;  Golinda,  1;  Henrietta,  2;  Lipscomb,  2;  Saginaw,  1; 

Texline,  1 ;  Vernon,  2 ;  Washburn,  2. 
Oklahoma:  Alva,  8;  Bear  River,  2;  Mount  Scott  (Wichita  Mountains),  1; 

Neutral  Strip,  2;  Red  Fork  (8  miles  west  of),  4. 
Kansas:  Cairo,  4  ;  Independence,  3  ;  Long  Island,  7  :  <  >naga,  12  ;  Pendennis, 

2 ;  Lawrence,  2  :  Trego  County,  3 ;  Wakeeney,  4  ;  Wichita,  3. 
Missouri:   Stotesbury,  1. 

LEPUS  CALIFORNICUS  MERRIAMI  Mearns. 

Merriam  Jack  Rabbit. 

Lcpus  inrrrifnui  Mearns.  Preliminary  Diagnoses  of  New  Mammals  from  the 
Mexican  Border  of  the  United  States,  p.  2,  March  25,  1896  (advance  sheets 
of  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  XVIII,  No.  1075,  p.  444,  May  23,  1896).  Type  from 
Fort  Clark,  Kinney  County,  Texas;  No.  83797,  9  ad.,  U.  S.  National  Museum 
(No.  2317,  collection  International  Boundary  Commission)  ;  collected  by 
Dr.  E.  A.  Mearns,  April  0,  1893. 

Geographic  distribution. — All  of  southern  Texas  from  coast  prairies 
near  Trinity  River  west  to  a  little  above  Del  Rio  on  the  Rio  Grande, 
north  to  Mason  and  Antioch,  and  south  across  the  Rio  Grande  through 
northern  parts  of  Tamaulipas,  Nuevo  Leon,  and  Coahuila,  Mexico. 
Vertical  range  from  sea  level  southern  Texas  up  to  about  5,000  feet 
in  mountains  of  Coahuila,  Mexico;  zonal  range  mainly  Lower  Sono- 
ran  and  into  lower  border  of  Upper  Sonoran  in  Coahuila,  Mexico. 

General  characters. — Size  large;  upperparts  dark  brownish  buffy; 
color  of  head  and  back  much  like  unusually  dark  specimens  of  eremi- 
cus;  nape  in  typical  examples  entirely  black  or  with  a  black  band  ex- 
tending back  from  base  of  each  ear  (in  specimens  from  northern  and 
eastern  border  of  range  black  on  nape  commonly  much  reduced  or 
absent)  ;  rump  and  hind  legs  iron  gray,  contrasting  with  back;  under- 
pays pure  white. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  varying  from 
dark  cream  buff  to  rich  pinkish  buff,  heavily  overlaid  with  black  on 
tips  of  hairs,  thus  producing  a  generally  brownish  buffy  shade ;  nape 
entirely  black  or  with  a  line  of  buffy  brown  down  middle,  dividing 
the  black  into  two  long  patches  extending  from  posterior  bases  of 
ears  back  over  neck;  sometimes  the  black  confined  to  a  limited  patch 
on  base  of  each  ear,  in  latter  case  rest  of  nape  brownish  buffy  or,  in 


1909.]  LEPUS    CALIFORNICUS    GROUP MERRIAMI.  149 

specimens  from  northern  and  eastern  border  of  range,  black  of  nape 
replaced  by  brownish  or  buffy;  front  half  of  ears  varies  from  deep 
buffy  to  grayish  buffy;  posterior  half  white  with  a  well-marked  black 
patch  at  tip,  varying  from  one-third  of  an  inch  to  an  inch  broad,  and 
extending  around  margin  as  a  narrow,  poorly  marked  border;  inside 
of  ears  edged  along  front  with  a  fringe  of  dark  ochraceous  baff  hairs 
and  posteriorly  by  a  narrow  border  of  satiny  white,  shading  into  rich 
buff  about  tip;  inside  of  ears  near  posterior  border  like  front  half  of 
outside ;  rump  and  outside  of  hind  legs  iron  gray,  forming  a  distinct 
rump  patch;  tops  of  hind  feet  white;  upper  side  of  tail  black,  the 
black  extending  up  rump  as  a  strong  median  line;  underside  of  tail 
dull  dark  gray;  front  of  fore  legs  and  tops  of  feet  dull  buffy  gray, 
more  or  less  strongly  grizzled  with  dusky  and  sometimes  strongly 
washed  with  dusky  brown ;  underside  of  neck  rich  pinkish  buff ;  rest 
of  underparts  pure  white. 

Skull. — Practically  indistinguishable  from  that  of  texianus  and 
much  like  those  of  eremicus,  melanotis,  and  aselhis;  differs  from  cali- 
fornicus  in  its  more  massive  form  with  higher  arched  upper  outline, 
especially  over  the  middle ;  rostrum  heavier  at  base ;  shorter  and 
stouter  in  general  form;  occipital  outline  more  strongly  arched;  jugal 
broader  and  heavier;  molar  series  heavier. 

Skulls  from  the  Gulf  coast  region,  Brownsville,  Padre  Island,  East 
Bernard,  and  Houston  are  smaller,  with  smaller  bullae  than  those 
from  the  type  region,  but  are  otherwise  similar. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  592;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 96.8 ;  hind  foot,  128 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  114. 

Remarks. — The  considerable  series  of  specimens  examined  from  all 
parts  of  the  wide  range  of  merriami  show  that  it  is  subjected  to  much 
geographic  variation.  From  Fort  Clark,  Texas,  the  type  locality, 
southward  there  is  little  change  of  color,  but  the  ears  increase  in 
length  until  in  southern  Coahuila  on  the  Mexican  Tableland  it  grades 
into  the  larger  and  longer  eared  asellus.  From  Fort  Clark  eastward 
there  is  a  decrease  in  the  length  of  the  ears,  until  along  the  Gulf  coast 
of  Texas  (including  Padre  Island)  and  northeastern  Mexico  they 
become  distinctly  shorter.  This  decrease  in  length  of  ears  eastward 
is  accompanied  by  a  decrease  in  size  of  bulla?,  a  general  increase  in 
amount  of  buffiness,  and,  toward  the  eastern  border  of  the  range,  a 
distinct  decrease  in  amount  of  black  on  the  neck.  The  shorter  ears, 
increasing  buffiness,  and  decrease  of  black  on  the  nape  in  specimens 
from  the  district  about  Houston  and  East  Bernard,  Texas,  is  direct 
gradation  between  typical  merriami  and  melanotis.  The  black  nape 
is  the  strongest  character  of  typical  merriami,  but  it  is  lost  along  the 
extreme  northern  and  eastern  border  of  its  range  in  Texas.  On  the 
north  from  Mason  to  Antioch  the  black  on  the  nape  becomes  prac- 
tically lost,  and  is  replaced  by  brownish  buff.     Three  specimens  from 


150  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

Mason  and  six  out  of  seven  from  Houston  are  without  black  on  the 
nape,  though  in  general  color  and  other  characters  they  are  referable 
to  merriami.  One  specimen  from  Houston  has  a  small  black  patch  on 
the  posterior  base  of  each  ear  with  a  dusky  streak  extending  back 
from  it  along  the  nape.  A  series  from  East  Bernard,  Wharton 
County,  a  little  west  of  Houston,  have  the  black  on  the  nape  some- 
times represented  by  a  well-marked  patch,  but  often  reduced  to  a 
small  blackish  or  even  a  small  brownish  patch  at  the  base  of  the  ears. 

A  considerable  series  from  San  Antonio,  Texas,  has  been  examined, 
and,  while  evidently  referable  to  merriami,  many  specimens  show  dis- 
tinct gradation  toward  texianus.  The  black  on  the  nape  is  nearly  al- 
ways divided  by  a  median  buffy  or  buffy  gray  band,  although  this  band 
is  sometimes  very  narrow.  One  specimen  has  nearly  all  the  nape 
dull  buffy  with  a  limited  dusky  or  blackish  patch  on  the  posterior 
base  of  the  ears  and  extending  back  as  a  decreasing  narrow  stripe 
along  the  front  part  of  the  nape.  Other  specimens  have  strongly 
marked  broad  parallel  black  bands  beginning  on  the  bases  of  the 
ears  and  extending  back  the  entire  length  of  the  nape.  The  upper- 
parts  of  the  head  and  body  of  the  San  Antonio  specimens  is  not  as 
dark  as  typical  merriami  but  distinctly  darker  than  texianus.  A 
February  specimen  from  Turtle  Creek,  Kerr  County,  is  the  same  in 
the  color  of  the  upperparts  as  those  from  San  Antonio,  but  the  nape 
is  plain  buffy  gray  on  the  surface,  underlaid  with  dusky  brownish 
underfur.  This  specimen  is  almost  an  exact  intermediate  between 
merriami  and  texianus.  It  is  much  larger  than  ordinary  specimens  of 
either,  with  a  large,  massive  skull.    In  the  flesh  it  weighed  8  pounds. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  124,  from : 

Texas:  Alice,  1;  Antioch,  1;  Brazos  River,  1;  Brownsville,  7;  Corpus 
Christi,  3 ;  Cotulla,  2 ;  Cuero,  5 ;  Del  Rio,  3 ;  Dos  Hernianos,  1 ;  Eagle 
Lake,  1 ;  Eagle  Pass,  2 ;  East  Bernard,  11 ;  El  Sauz,  1 ;  Fort  Clark, 
14 ;  Guadalupe,  1 ;  Houston,  9 ;  Llano,  1 ;  Lott,  4 ;  Mason,  3 ;  Mata- 
gorda, 2 ;  northwest  Kerr  County,  1 ;  Padre  Island,  3 ;  Port  Lavaca, 
1 ;  Rockport  6 ;  Roma,  1 ;  San  Antonio,  18 ;  San  Diego,  1 ;  Seguin, 
1 ;  Turtle  Creek,  Kerr  County,  1 ;  Victoria,  5. 

Tamaulipas  (Mexico):  Camargo,  2;  Matamoros,  3;  Mier,  1;  Nuevo  La- 
redo, 1. 

Nuevo  Leon  (Mexico):   Lampazos,  2;  Santa  Catarina,  2. 

Coahuila  (Mexico):  Monclova,  1;  Sabinas,  1. 

LEPUS  CALIFORNICUS  ASELLUS  Miller. 

San  Luis  Potosi  Jack  Rabbit. 

Lepus  asellus  Miller,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Philadelphia,  pp.  3S0-381,  October, 
1S99.  Type  from  San  Luis  Potosi,  Mexico ;  No.  f §#$|,  9  ad.,  U.  S.  National 
Museum ;  collected  by  P.  L.  Jouy,  October  22,  1S91. 

Geographic  distribution. — Central  eastern  part  of  Mexican  Table- 
land  from   southern   Coahuila,  Nuevo   Leon,   and  extreme  western 


1909.]  LEPUS   CALIFORNICUS   GROUP FESTINUS.  151 

Tamaulipas  southwest  through  San  Luis  Potosi,  Zacatecas,  and 
Aguas  Calientes  to  northeastern  Jalisco.  Vertical  range  from  about 
3,500  to  7,500  feet  altitude  in  San  Luis  Potosi;  zonal  range,  Upper 
and  Lower  Sonoran  zones. 

General  characters. — Like  merriami  but  with  much  larger  and 
grayer  ears. 

Color  in  all  pelages. — General  coloration  the  same  as  in  typical 
merriami,  but  ears  less  buffy  and  grayer;  hind  legs  a  little  browner 
and  tops  of  hind  feet  grayer. 

Skull. — Scarcely  distinguishable  from  merriami  and  texianus,  but 
averaging  a  little  larger  with  larger  bullae  and  broader  jugals; 
basioccipital  long  and  narrow. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  589;  tail  verte- 
brae, 75 ;  hind  foot,  126 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  124. 

Remarks. — The  type  of  asellus  was  described  erroneously  as  having 
a  gray  nape.  This  was  due  to  the  make-up  of  the  skin,  in  which  the 
nape  is  drawn  into  a  fold  in  such  a  way  that  the  black  area  is  com- 
pletely hidden,  but  it  can  be  found  by  manipulating  the  skin.  That 
the  black  nape  is  fully  as  conspicuous  in  this  form  as  in  true  mer- 
riami is  shown  by  the  considerable  series  from  the  district  about  the 
type  locality  in  the  Biological  Survey  collection. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  25,  from : 

Coahuila  (Mexico):  Carneros,  1;  Encarnacion,  1;  Jaral,  1;  La  Ventura, 

2 ;  Saltillo,  2. 
Nuevo  Leon  (Mexico):  Miquihuana,  3. 
San   Luis   Potosi    (Mexico):  Arena],    1;   Hacienda   La    Parada,   1;    Rio 

Verde,  1 ;  San  Luis  Potosi,  4. 
Aguas  Calientes  (Mexico):   Chicalote,  3. 
Zacatecas  (Mexico):  Berriozabal,  2 ;   Calera,  1 ;   Canitas,  1;   Valparaiso,  1. 

LEPUS  CALIFORNICUS  FESTINUS  Nelson. 

Hidalgo  Jack  Rabbit. 

Lepus  festinus  Nelson,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XVII,  p.  10S,  May  18,  1904. 
Type  from  Irolo,  Hidalgo,  Mexico ;  No.  53490,  $  ad.,  U.  S.  National  Museum 
(Biological  Survey  collection)  ;  collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A.  Gold- 
man, March  31,  1S93. 

Geographic  distribution. — Southeastern  part  of  Mexican  Tableland 
in  States  of  Tlaxcala;  northern  Puebla;  Hidalgo;  northern  part  of 
State  of  Mexico;  Queretaro;  Guanajuato;  and  probably  northeastern 
Jalisco.  Vertical  range  from  about  0,000  to  8,500  feet  in  Hidalgo; 
zonal  range  mainly  Upper  Sonoran,  extending  into  upper  border  of 
Lower  Sonoran  Zone. 

General  characters. — Color  of  upperparts  dull  brownish  buffy, 
much  like  eremicus  but  back  a  little  darker;  gray  rump  patch  more 
strongly  marked  than  in  texianus;  ears  longer  and  darker,  or  more 


152  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

buffy  brown,  than  in  either  textanus  or  eremicus/  fore  legs  dull  buff 
and  hind  legs  gray  like  rump;  underparts  white;  ears  longer  than  in 
any  other  form  of  calif ornicus  except  martirentiis. 

Color  in  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  pinkish  buff  vary- 
ing to  creamy  buff,  heavily  overlaid  or  washed  with  black  as  in  dark- 
est specimens  of  eremicus;  sides  of  head  and  body  graj^er  and  less 
washed  with  black  than  back;  rump  with  sides  and  back  of  hind  legs 
distinctly  gray,  sometimes  clear  iron  gray;  line  down  middle  of  rump 
and  all  top  of  tail  black;  underside  of  tail  dull  gray;  nape  varies 
from  dusky  to  dull  buffy  fawn  color  always  washed  with  gray ;  front 
half  of  ears  dark  grayish  buff  or  buffy  brown,  much  darker  than 
back;  posterior  half  of  ears  grayish  white  with  a  broad  black  tip 
about  an  inch  wide,  the  black  extending  as  a  narrow  border  about 
tip  of  ears;  inside  of  ears  gray,  fringed  along  front  edge  with  long 
dull  buffy  hairs,  and  broadly  bordered  posteriorly  with  a  band  similar 
in  color  to  front  half  of  outside;  posterior  border  narrowly  edged 
with  velvety  white ;  front  of  fore  legs  and  tops  of  fore  feet  dull  buffy 
or  buffy  drab;  hind  legs  and  sides  of  feet  gray  like  rump;  tops  of 
hind  feet  paler,,  often  whitish ;  underside  of  neck  varying  from  buffy 
drab  to  rich  deep  buff;  rest  of  underparts  white. 

Skull. — Resembles  in  general  shape  and  proportions  the  skulls  of 
texianus,  merriami,  and  asellus,  but  much  smaller  and  lighter,  with 
rostrum  lighter  and  more  tapering;  supraorbitals  and  jugals  lighter; 
braincase  more  inflated ;  basioccipital  small  and  bullae  smaller. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  552;  tail  verte- 
bras, 77.4;  hind  foot,  124;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  129. 

Remarks. — The  present  subspecies  is  the  extreme  southern  repre- 
sentative of  calif  ornicus  and  extends  the  range  of  the  species  south 
to  the  Valley  of  Mexico.  It  has  a  gray  nape  and  thus  is  more  nearly 
like  texianus  or  eremicus  in  color  than  like  merriami  and  asellus. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  9,  from : 

Hidalgo  (Mexico):  Irolo,  1;  Pachuca,  1;  Tulancingo,  3;  Ziniapan,  2. 
Queretaro  (Mexico):  Tequisquiapani,  2. 

LEPUS  CALIFORNICUS  MARTIRENSIS  Stowell. 

San  Pedro  Martik  Jack  Rabbit. 

Lepus  martirensis  Stowell,  Proc.  Calif.  Acad.  Sci.,  ser.  2,  V,  pp.  51-52.  PI.  Ill 
(author's  separates  issued  May  28,  1S95).  Type  from  La  Grnlla  Meadows, 
San  Pedro  Martir  Mountains,  Lower  California.  Mexico  (7,000  feet)  ;  No. 
748,  $  ad.,  Stanford  University  Museum ;  collected  by  J.  M.  Stowell  and 
S.  C.  Lunt,  June  30,  1S93. 

Geographic  distribution. — Middle  Lower  California,  Mexico,  from 
San  Rafael  Valley,  and  southern  part  of  the  Laguna  Hansen  Moun- 
tains, south  through  San  Pedro  Martir  Mountains  to  La  Purisima  in 
the  interior,  and  along  both  coasts  of  the  peninsula  from  San  Simon 


1909.]  LEPUS   CALIFORNICUS   GROUP MARTIRENSIS.  153 

lliver  to  Scammon  Lagoon  on  the  Pacific  side,  and  from  Calamahue 
Bay  to  Muleje  on  the  Gulf  coast.  Vertical  range  from  sea  level  at 
San  Quentin  to  7,000  feet  altitude  in  the  San  Pedro  Martir  Moun- 
tains; zonal  range  from  Lower  Sonoran  up  through  Upper  Sonoran 
and  into  the  Transition  Zone. 

General  characters. — Size  of  calif  ornicus,  but  with  much  larger 
ears;  color  of  upperparts  nearly  iron  gray  with  a  slight  buffy  suf- 
fusion ;  ears  and  head  much  grayer  than  in  calif 'ornicus;  underparts 
deep  pinkish  buff,  almost  a  dark  salmon  color. 

Color  in  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  body  rather  dark  gray, 
tinged  with  buff  and  heavily  overlaid  with  black  on  tips  of  hairs, 
giving  almost  an  iron-gray  color;  sides  of  nose  and  cheeks  clearer 
gray;  eyes  surrounded  by  a  ring  of  white  or  bright  buff;  nape  dingy 
drab ;  front  half  of  ears  dark  gray  with  a  slight  shade  of  buffy,  and 
fringed  on  anterior  border  by  long  hairs  varying  from  gray  to  cin- 
namon buff;  posterior  half  of  ears  grayish  white  with  a  broad  well- 
marked  black  patch  at  tip  an  inch  long;  posterior  border  of  ear  on 
inside  narrowly  edged  with  velvety  white,  with  an  area  of  buffy 
brown  just  inside  this,  and  rest  of  inside  of  ear  dull  gray;  top  of 
tail  and  line  up  middle  of  rump  black;  tail  on  underside  dull  buffy 
fawn  color;  sides  of  body  grayer  and  washed  with  less  black  than 
back,  and  shading  into  color  of  underparts;  latter  varying  from 
deep  pinkish  buff  (often  salmon  color)  to  fawn  color,  with  a  band  of 
paler  along  middle  of  abdomen ;  underside  of  neck  darker  and  deeper 
buff  than  rest  of  underparts,  nearly  dull  fawn  color;  tops  of  fore  legs 
between  wood  brown  and  fawn  color,  darkened  by  short  black  tips 
to  hairs;  feet  similar  to  legs  but  fade  to  dull  grayish  buffy  in  worn 
pelage;  hind  legs  drab,  with  a  vinaceous  tinge;  front  of  hind  legs 
and  tops  of  hind  feet  dull  buffy  gray,  blackish  between  toes. 

Wbrn  pelage. — Upperparts  of  body  dingier  gray  and  legs  and  un- 
derparts paler,  the  latter  fading  to  dull  yellowish  buff;  underside  of 
neck  dull  buffy  fawn  color. 

Post juvenal  pelage. — The  nearly  grown  young  with  top  of  head 
and  back  dark  ashy  gray;  sides  of  head  and  body  clearer  gray  and 
underparts  of  body  whitish,  becoming  more  or  less  buffy  about  legs; 
underside  of  neck  buffy  fawn  color  varying  to  vinaceous  drab;  tops 
of  feet  buffy  gray  to  whitish. 

Skull. — Slightly  shorter  and  much  more  slender  than  calif  ornicus,' 
braincase  and  base  of  rostrum  much  narrower,  rostrum  long  and 
slender,  with  upper  outline  flattened ;  nasals  long  and  narrow ;  frontal 
region  strongly  depressed  below  plane  of  broad,  heavy  supraorbitals ; 
jugals  averaging  a  little  heavier  than  in  calif  ornicus  and  bulla) 
strikingly  larger  and  more  rounded. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  5C8;  tail  ver- 
tebra?, 95.8;  hind  foot,  125;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  131. 


154  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

Remarks. — This  subspecies  occurs  mainly  in  the  desert  middle  parts 
of  the  peninsula.  Specimens  from  Ranch o  San  Antonio,  inland  from 
San  Quentin,  at  the  west  base  of  the  San  Pedro  Martir  Mountains, 
and  from  Playa  Maria  Bay  are  intermediate  between  martirensis  and 
calif ornicu8.  At  Calamahue  Arroyo  they  intergrade  with  deserticola, 
and  at  San  Ignacio  and  San  Bruno  approach  xanti.  At  La  Grulla 
Meadow,  in  the  San  Pedro  Martir  Mountains,  they  live  in  the  open 
pine  forest. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  45,  from: 

Lower  California  (Mexico):  Calarnahue,  3;  Calinalli,  2;  Jaraguay,  1; 
La  Grulla,  3;  La  Huerta,  1;  Playa  Maria  Bay,  1;  Rancho  La  Pro- 
gresa,  4 ;  Rancho  San  Antonio,  1 ;  Rancho  San  Jose,  2 ;  Rancho  Santo 
Tomas,  3 ;  Rancho  Viejo,  7 ;  Rosarito,  3 ;  San  Bruno,  2 ;  San  Fer- 
nando, 2 ;  San  Ignacio,  1 ;  San  Luis  Gonzales  Bay,  1 ;  San  Matias 
Pass,  1 ;  San  Simon,  6 ;  Yubay,  1. 

LEPUS  CALIFORNICUS  MAGDALENJB  Nelson. 

Magdalena  Island  Jack  Rabbit. 

Lepus  caUfornicus  magdalena?  Nelson,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XX,  p.  81, 
July  22,  1907.  Type  from  Magdalena  Island,  Lower  California,  Mexico; 
No.  146168,  $  ad.,  U.  S.  National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection)  ; 
collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A.  Goldman  November  26,  1905. 

Geographic  distribution. — Magdalena  and  Margarita  islands,  near 
southern  end  of  Lower  California,  Mexico.  Vertical  range  from  sea 
level  to  about  1,000  feet  altitude;  zonal  range  Lower  Sonoran. 

General  characters. — Upperparts  buffy  brown,  most  like  L.  c.  xanti, 
but  more  lightly  washed  with  black,  and  general  colors  both  above 
and  below  paler;  front  of  ears  grayer  and  back  of  ears,  especially 
on  basal  half,  much  whiter;  ears  decidedly  shorter. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head,  back,  and  sides  of  body, 
pale  pinkish  buff,  washed  with  black  on  head  and  back,  but  with  only 
slight  traces  of  black  wash  on  sides  of  body ;  sides  of  head  dull  buffy 
grayish,  becoming  nearly  clear  dull  gray  on  sides  of  nose  and  around 
eyes;  nape  varies  from  light  broccoli  brown  to  dusky  drab;  front 
half  of  ears  varies  from  nearly  plain  dull  gray  to  buffy  gray;  basal 
half  or  two-thirds  on  back  of  ears  pure  white,  changing  on  termi- 
nal half  or  three-fourths  of  an  inch  to  a  well-marked  black  patch, 
smaller  and  more  sharply  defined  than  in  xanti;  front  of  ears  bor- 
dered with  a  fringe  of  gray ;  tip  narrowly  edged  with  black,  and  pos- 
terior border  narrowly  edged  with  pure  white;  top  of  tail  black; 
underside  pale  grayish  buffy ;  front  of  fore  legs  and  tops  of  fore  feet 
rich  pinkish  buff,  deeper  than  sides  of  body,  and  slightly  overlaid 
with  blackish;  sides  and  back  of  hind  legs  similar  to  sides  of  body 
but  clearer  buffy;  front  of  hind  legs  and  tops  of  hind  feet  paler 
than  sides  of  legs;  underside  of  head  white;  underside  of  neck  and 


1909.]  LEPUS   CALIFORNICUS   GROUP XANTI.  155 

body  nearly  uniform  dull  salmon  buff;  neck  sometimes  a  little  darker 
or  browner. 

Skull. — Smallest  of  all  the  subspecies  of  ealifornicus;  in  general 
form  most  like  ma  Hi  reus  is  but  much  smaller :  rostrum  narrow  at  base 
and  slender;  frontal  area  depressed  below  plane  of  supraorbitals,  but 
less  strongly  so  than  in  martirensis;  jugals  proportionately  about  the 
same :  upper  outline  of  rostrum  similarly  flattened ;  bulla?  propor- 
tionately larger,  rounded ;  interorbital  area  narrower  than  in  xanti, 
rostrum  slenderer,  and  bulla?  larger. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  535;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 92.2 ;  hind  foot,  115 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  99. 

Remarks. — This  is  a  pale,  small-eared  insular  form  limited  to  two 
islands  lying  close  to  the  southern  shore  of  Lower  California.  The 
few  specimens  examined  from  the  adjacent  part  of  the  mainland  show 
an  approach  to  the  island  animal  either  in  color  or  size  of  ears,  but  in 
total  characters  they  must  be  classed  with  xanti. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  7,  from : 

Lower  California  (Mexico):  Magdalena  Island,  5;  Margarita  Island,  2. 
LEPUS  CALIFORNICUS  XANTI  Thomas. 
Cape  St.  Lucas  Jack  Rabbit. 

Lcptis  ealifornicus  xanti  Thomas,  Arm.  and  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  ser.  7,  I,  pp.  45—46, 
January  1,  1S98.  Type  from  Santa  Anita,  Lower  California,  Mexico,  in 
British  Museum ;  collected  by  D.  Coolidge,  June  3,  1S96. 

Geographic  distribution. — Southern  part  of  Peninsula  of  Lower 
California  from  Loreto  on  the  Gulf  coast,  Scammon  Lagoon  on  the 
Pacific,  and  Comondu  in  the  interior,  south  to  Cape  St.  Lucas.  Ver- 
tical range  from  sea  level  up  to  about  4,000  feet  in  the  Cape  Region ; 
zonal  range  mainly  Lower  Sonoran  and  upper  part  of  Arid  Tropical. 

General  characters. — Back  and  sides  dark,  pinkish  buffy  brown, 
approaching  the  color  of  bennetti,  but  head  and  ears  grayer  than  in 
martirensis;  underparts  cream  buff  with  a  vinaceous  tinge,  varying  to 
an  even  more  strongly  salmon  buff  color  than  in  martirensis. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  dull  pinkish  buff,  some- 
times becoming  grayish  about  base  of  ears;  sides  of  head  gray,  a 
little  darkened  by  very  short  black  tips  of  hairs,  and  becoming  almost 
white  on  rings  about  eyes;  top  of  back  dark  pinkish  buff  heavily 
washed  with  black;  front  half  of  ears  gray,  shaded  with  buff  and 
darkening  to  brownish  gray  toward  tips;  posterior  half  of  ears  gray- 
ish white,  shading  on  terminal  part  into  a  not  strongly  marked 
blackish  patch  about  an  inch  wide  and  darkest  about  tip  where  it 
forms  a  narrow  black  border ;  front  border  of  ear  on  inside  fringed 
with  long  grayish  or  grayish  buffy  hairs;  posterior  border  of  ear 
narrowly  edged  with  clear  white,  with  an  adjacent  grayish  brown 
band  succeeded  on  remainder  of  inner  side  by  light  gray ;  nape  dusky 


156  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [  no.  29. 

sometimes  smoky  brown  overlaid  or  grizzled  with  buff;  line  down 
base  of  rump  and  over  top  of  tail  black;  the  black  line  on  rump  less 
extended  than  in  californicu&}  underside  of  tail  dingy  buffy  gray, 
varying  to  dingy  buff;  underparts  of  body  dull  salmon  buff  varying 
to  cream  buff  with  a  vinaceous  tinge;  underside  of  neck  varying  from 
buffy  fawn  color  to  a  salmon  buff  tinged  with  brown;  front  of  fore 
legs  and  tops  of  feet  buffy  cinnamon  darkened  by  overlying  short 
black  tips  to  hairs;  back  and  sides  of  hind  legs  and  feet  dull  drab 
with  a  vinaceous  tinge,  shading  into  paler  on  tops  of  feet. 

In  worn  pelage  most  of  the  black  wash  on  upper  parts  is  lost,  and 
the  buff  both  above  and  below  becomes  much  paler,  fading  to  a  light 
creamy  buff. 

Skull. — Much  shorter  than  in  calif  ornicus,  with  supraorbitals 
broader,  jugal  smaller  and  deeply  grooved;  bullae  much  larger  (actu- 
ally as  well  as  proportionately)  and  more  rounded  (but  averaging 
smaller  than  in  magdalence)  ;  rostrum  broad  at  base  and  heavily  pro- 
portioned, with  upper  outline  strongly  curved;  frontal  region  full, 
nearly  plane,  with  broad,  wing-like  supraorbital  processes. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  523;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 80;  hind  foot,  113;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  110. 

Remarks. — Specimens  from  San  Jose  del  Cabo,  Santa  Anita,  and 
La  Paz  are  typical.  Those  from  Cape  St.  Lucas  are  paler,  approach- 
ing the  pale  form  on  Magdalena  Island  in  the  general  color  of  the 
body,  but  the  size  and  color  of  the  ears  agree  more  nearly  with  xanti. 
Three  specimens  from  Matancita,  on  the  mainland  near  the  northern 
end  of  Magdalena  Island,  have  the  color  a  little  paler  than  typical 
xanti,  and  the  ears  are  small  as  in  magdalena1.  A  single  specimen 
from  the  desert  plain  20  miles  west  of  San  Ignacio  has  the  head  and 
body  pale  colored  like  magdalence  with  ears  colored  like  xanti.  except 
that  the  black  area  on  the  back  of  the  ears  is  restricted  to  a  narrow 
border  at  the  tip,  in  place  of  the  usual  well-marked  patch.  The 
specimens  from  Matancita  and  west  of  San  Ignacio  represent  various 
degrees  of  intergradation  between  xanti  and  magdalena:. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  27,  from : 

Lower  California  (Mexico):  Cape  St.  Lucas,  7;  La  Paz,  5;  Matancita. 
4:  San  Ignacio  (20  miles  west  of),  1;  San  Jorge,  1;  San  Jose  del 
Cabo,  1;   Santa  Anita,  7;   Santa  Clara  Mountains,  1. 

LEPLS  INStJLARIS  Bryant. 

Espirittt  Santo  Jack  Rabbit. 

Lcpii?  insularis  Bryant.  Proc.  Calif.  Acad.  Sci.,  ser.  2,  III,  p.  92,  April  23,  1891. 
Cotypes  from  Espiritu  Santo  Island,  near  La  Paz,  Gulf  of  California. 
Mexico ;  Nos.  fff.  $  ad.,  and  |-  tr  0 »  2  ad.,  California  Academy  of  Sciences 
collection;  collected  by  W.  E.  Bryant,  November  2,  1S90  (botb  destroyed 
by  fire  April,  1906). 


1909.]  LEPUS    CALIFORNICUS    GROUP INSULARIS.  157 

Lepus  cdwardsi  Rerny  Saint-Loup,  Bull.  JIns.  d'Hist.  Nat.,  Paris,  No.  1,  pp. 
4-6,  February,  1S95.  Type  from  Espiritu  Santo  Island,  Gulf  of  Cali- 
fornia, Mexico ;  in  Paris  Museum ;  collected  by  Leon  Diguet. 

Geographic  distribution. — Espiritu  Santo  Island,  Gulf  of  Cali- 
fornia. Vertical  range  from  sea  level  up  to  about  1,000  feet.  Lower 
Sonoran  and  upper  border  of  Arid  Tropical  Zone. 

General  characters. — The  most  remarkably  colored  member  of  the 
group;  upperparts  mainly  glossy  black,  grizzled  and  suffused  on 
sides  of  back  and  body,  and  sometimes  on  head,  with  dark  buffy  or 
reddish  brown;  underparts  dark  cinnamon  buffy  or  dusky  brown; 
ears  and  sides  of  head  grayish  dusky;  size  smaller  than  calif  ornicus 
with  shorter  ears. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  glossy  black,  usually 
with  a  few  white  hairs  on  middle  of  crown,  and  often  more  or  less 
grizzled  with  dark  buffy  or  grayish  brown,  especially  about  base  of 
ears;  sides  of  head  blackish  grizzled  with  gray,  and  eyes  surrounded 
by  a  ring  of  nearly  clear  gray;  front  half  of  ears  blackish,  finely 
grizzled,  especially  on  basal  half,  with  gray;  posterior  half  of  ears 
gray  with  black  at  tip  reduced  to  a  narrow  black  border;  inside  of 
ears  gray,  fringed  along  front  edge  with  long  gray  hairs  and  along 
posterior  border  by  velvety  white;  nape  and  rest  of  upperparts,  in- 
cluding top  of  tail,  glossy  black  with  fine  grizzling  of  dark  cinnamon, 
or  brownish;  shoulders  and  sides  of  hody  mainly  dark  buffy  or 
cinnamon  buffy,  the  cinnamon  or  buffy  becoming  clearer  downward; 
top  of  fore  legs  and  feet  similar  to  sides  of  body,  but  a  little  more 
rusty  or  reddish;  hind  legs  like  sides  of  body;  tops  of  hind  feet 
paler,  sometimes  dingy  whitish,  but.  tops  of  toes  always  dark  buffy 
and  between  the  toes  blackish;  underside  of  tail  dull  buffy-brown; 
underside  of  head  dark  iron  gray;  rest  of  underparts  varying  from 
dark  cinnamon  buffy  to  dusky  brown,  nearly  uniform  in  some  cases, 
in  others  the  underside  of  neck  darker  (like  sides  of  body),  and 
underside  of  body  clearer  or  lighter  buffy,  with  little  or  none  of  the 
dusky  grizzling  present  in  darker-colored  specimens. 

Skull. — In  size  equals  that  of  L.  c.  martivensis  but  braincase 
broader;  supraorbital  processes  narrower;  jugals  heavier,  with  deeper 
pit  anteriorly;  bulla?  larger.  In  general  appearance  the  skull  of 
insularis  most  closely  resembles  that  of  L.  c.  xanti,  but  larger  with 
bulla?  larger  and  supraorbitals  even  more  slender  than  in  mag  dale  n  a ,* 
jugals  very  heavy,  about  equaling  L.  c.  richardsoni  and  heavier  than 
in  any  form  of  calif  ornicus  found  in  Lower  California. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  571;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 95.8 ;  hind  foot,  121 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  105. 

Remarks. — This  remarkable  species  is  evidently  derived  from  the 
form  of  calif  ornicus  inhabiting  the  adjacent  mainland.     It  is  con- 


158  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

fined  to  the  small  island  of  Espiritu  Santo  at  the  mouth  of  the  La  Paz 
Bay.  This  island  is  only  about  G  by  14  miles  in  extent,  and  is  mainly 
mountainous,  rising  to  nearly  2,000  feet  at  the  highest  point,  with 
narrow  valleys  here  and  there.  The  rabbits  are  found  mainly  in  the 
valleys  and  on  adjoining  lower  slopes  of  the  hills.  The  vegetation 
and  geological  formation,  including  the  color  of  the  rocks,  are  the 
same  as  those  on  the  adjacent  mainland,  from  which  it  is  separated 
by  a  channel  less  than  4  miles  broad  and  only  8  fathoms  deep  at  the 
deepest  point.  The  only  predatory  mammal  on  the  island  is  Bas- 
sariscus,  which  probably  never  molests  even  young  rabbits.  A  few 
sparrow  hawks,  buzzards,  and  caracaras  were  the  only  birds  of  prey 
seen  by  us.  From  this  it  is  evident  that  the  natural  enemies  of  these 
rabbits  are  few.  The  species  was  rather  numerous  in  the  valleys,  but 
much  less  abundant  than  I  have  often  seen  jack  rabbits  at  places  on 
the  mainland  of  the  peninsula. 

At  a  short  distance  insularis  looks  coal  black,  and  is  extraordinarily 
conspicuous  the  moment  it  appears  on  open  or  rocky  ground,  even 
when  motionless.  These  jack  rabbits  look  like  short  charred  stumps 
among  the  green  or  gray-green  vegetation,  or  on  bare  brown  hill- 
slopes. 

Espiritu  Santo  Island,  from  its  situation,  geological  character,  the 
contour  of  the  shore  on  both  sides,  and  the  formation  of  the  bottom 
of  the  shallow  dividing  channel,  evidently  formed  a  part  of  the 
mainland  at  no  very  distant  date.  Under  precisely  the  same  condi- 
tions of  climate,  vegetation,  and  other  physical  surroundings  on  the 
mainland  there  is  no  sign  of  a  tendency  toward  melanism  among 
the  abundant  jack  rabbits  (L.  c.  xanti). 

Isolation  of  the  jack  rabbits  on  Espiritu  Santo  Island,  combined 
with  the  absence  of  natural  enemies  in  the  form  of  predatory  birds 
and  mammals,  has  removed  the  ordinary  necessity  for  protective 
coloration.  As  a  result  the  tendency  toward  variation  away  from 
the  type  has  had  free  play  and  resulted  in  the  remarkable  color 
development  of  Lepus  insularis.  I  am  unable  to  suggest  any  reason 
except  that  of  isolation,  why  this  species  should  have  developed 
coloration  so  different  from  that  of  any  of  its  relatives. 

The  range  of  individual  variation  in  this  species  is  not  great,  and 
consists  mainly  of  the  varying  amount  of  cinnamon  grizzling  on  the 
black  upper  parts  and  of  dusky  grizzling  in  the  buffy  of  the  lower 
parts. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  19.  from  : 

Lower  California  (Mexico):  Espiritu  Santo  Island,  19. 


1909-]  SYLVILAGUS  FLORIDANUS   GROUP.  159 

Genus  SYLVILAGUS  Gray. 

SYLVILAGUS  FLORIDANUS   Group    (Subgenus   SYLVILAGUS). 

EASTERN  COTTONTAILS. 

The  best  known  and  most  widely  distributed  rabbits  of  North 
America  are  the  cottontails  which  live  mainly  east  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  in  the  United  States  and  east  of  the  Sierra  Madre  in 
Mexico.  The  first  of  these  to  become  known  to  naturalists  was  the 
common  cottontail  of  the  eastern  United  States,  named  Lepus  syl- 
vaticus  by  Bachman  in  1837.  Unfortunately,  after  long  use,  this 
name  proved  to  be  preoccupied,  and  was  replaced  in  1898  by  mediums 
of  Thomas.  By  this  change  floridanus,  published  in  1890,  became 
the  oldest  name  available  for  the  species  and  to  typify  a  series  of 
species  so  closely  related  that  they  may  be  called  the  floridanus  group. 
Large  collections  of  specimens  from  the  United  States  and  southward 
show  conclusively  that  a  single  species,  Sylvilagus  floridanus,  covers 
an  enormous  range  extending  over  most  of  the  eastern  United  States 
from  the  Atlantic  coast  to  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  from  southern 
Ontario  to  the  Rio  Grande.  Beyond  this  to  the  south  it  ranges  from 
the  Gulf  coast  to  the  Sierra  Madre  of  Mexico  and  from  the  northern 
border  of  Mexico  south,  through  Yucatan  and  the  highlands  of 
Guatemala,  to  Nicaragua  and  Costa  Rica  (see  fig.  11).  The  range 
of  the  floridanus  group  extends  entirely  across  the  continent  only  at 
the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec  and  thence  southeasterly  nearly  to  the 
border  of  Guatemala.  Under  the  varied  conditions  of  the  vast  area 
occupied  by  it,  S.  -floridanus  has  developed  numerous  geographic 
subspecies,  as  follows:  mallurus,  mearnsi,  similis,  alacer,  chapmani, 
holzneri,  subcinctus,  restrictus,  orizabcv,  connectens,  russatus,  aztecus, 
chiapensis,  and  yucatanicus.  In  addition  to  these,  the  closely  related 
S.  transitionalis,  S.  robustus,  and  S.  cognatus  make  up  the  floridanus 
group. 

On  the  east  coast  the  range  of  the  species  of  this  group  is  continuous 
from  southern  Maine  and  New  Hampshire,  to  Yucatan ;  on  the  Pacific 
side,  only  from  Tehuantepec  to  Guatemala.  They  occupy  the  high- 
lands on  both  sides  of  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec  and  most  of  the 
elevated  interior  of  Chiapas  and,  so  far  as  we  know,  reach  their 
southern  limit  in  northern  Costa  Rica.  Northwest  of  Tehuantepec 
their  range  is  not  known  to  touch  any  point  on  the  shore  of  the 
Pacific,  either  in  Mexico  or  the  United  States,  though  on  the  moun- 
tains about  the  southwestern  border  of  the  Mexican  Tableland, 
near  the  city  of  Tepic,  Territory  of  Tepic,  and  on  the  Sierra  Nevada 
de  Colima,  Jalisco,  they  approach  within  30  or  40  miles  of  this  coast. 
The  comparatively  narrow  belt  of  coast  lowlands  and  adjacent  moun- 
tain slopes  which  separate  the  range  of  local  representatives  of  flonda- 


160 


NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[  no.  29. 


nus  from  the  Pacific  coast  between  Tehuantepec  and  central  Sinaloa  is 
occupied  by  forms  of  a  very  distinct  species,  S.  cunicularius ;  from 
central  Sinaloa  north  to  San  Francisco  Bay  they  are  replaced  by 
subspecies  of  S.  audxboni. 

The  ranges  of  members  of  the  flpridanus  group  are  usually  limited 


Fig.   11. — Distribution  of  the  eastern  cottontails,  Syhilagus  florklanus  group. 

to  areas  in  which  climatic  conditions  favor  abundant  growths  of  trees 
or  dense  thickets  which  afford  congenial  shelter.  Partly  wooded 
districts  traversed  by  small  streams,  such  as  are  common  in  the  Mis- 
sissippi Valley,  are  favorite  situations.  Similar  areas  in  eastern 
Mexico  and  the  pine-forested   slopes  of  the  mountains  about  the 


1009.]  SYLVILAGUS  FLORIDANUS   GEOUP.  161 

Mexican  Tableland  also  are  favored  areas.  The  subspecies  of  the 
Mississippi  Valley  follow  the  long  tongue-like  extensions  of  timber 
and  brush  which  reach  westward  from  the  generally  forested  sections 
along  the  river  courses  into  the  otherwise  treeless  plains  east  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains.  One  form,  similis,  follows  the  Platte  River  and 
its  tributaries  through  western  Kansas  and  Nebraska  to  southeastern 
Wyoming,  and  across  Colorado  to  the  base  of  the  Rocky  Mountains 
near  Denver.  S.  f.  holzneri,  robustus,  and  cognatus  live  on  the 
timbered  upper  slopes  of  isolated  mountain  groups,  such  as  the 
Iluachucas  of  Arizona,  the  Davis  Mountains  of  Avest  Texas,  and  the 
Manzano  Mountains  of  New  Mexico,  while  the  surrounding  treeless 
plains  are  occupied  by  forms  of  auduboni. 

From  the  fondness  of  its  members  for  forested  areas  the  foridanus 
group  may  be  termed  wood  rabbits  as  distinguished  from  the  auduboni 
group  of  the  West,  which  is  characteristic  of  open  arid  plains.  S. 
trans-it ionalis  is  the  most  strictly  forest-frequenting  species  of  the 
foridanus  group.  The  ranges  of  subspecies  of  foridanus  and  audu- 
boni overlap  over  considerable  areas,  especially  in  Texas  and  on  parts 
of  the  Mexican  Tableland.  On  some  of  the  western  prairies  a  sub- 
species of  foridanus  lives  along  the  narrow  belt  of  timber  or  brush 
bordering  streams,  while  a  subspecies  of  auduboni  occupies  the  adja- 
cent open  prairie.  Owing  to  their  arid  treeless  character,  no  repre- 
sentative of  the  foridanus  group  inhabits  the  plains,  which  extend 
in  a  broad  belt  along  the  east  base  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  the 
Sierra  Madre  from  southern  Colorado  and  southwestern  Kansas 
south  to  Zacatecas  on  the  tableland  of  Mexico. 

The  forms  of  foridanus  occupy  several  life  zones  from  the  Tropical 
to  the  Boreal.  Two  subspecies  in  Mexico,  S.  f.  connectens  and  S.  f. 
orizabce,  have  a  combined  range  of  over  14,000  feet  in  altitude. 
Connectens  ranges  from  sea  level  in  Vera  Cruz  up  on  the  basal  slope 
of  Mount  Orizaba,  and  orizabce  ranges  thence  to  above  timberline  at 
the  altitude  named. 

The  members  of  this  group  may  be  separated  roughly  into  two 
subordinate  groups  characterized  by  color — a  gray  series  and  a  rusty 
or  brownish  one.  The  members  of  the  gray  series  occupy  the  more 
arid  parts  of  the  territory  of  the  group,  where  there  is  least  vegeta- 
tion. They  are  characterized  by  paler  color  and  by  a  rather  straighter 
and  more  tapering  rostrum.  This  series  includes  the  species  S. 
robustus  and  S.  cognatus,  with  the  following  subspecies  of  foridanus: 
similis,  chapmani,  holzneri,  orizaba?,  and  subcinctus. 

The  members  of  the  brownish  series  live  in  more  humid  areas 
where  vegetation  is  more  abundant  and,  in  addition  to  browner  col- 
ors, have  the  rostrum  proportionately  heavier  and  more  clecurved 
near  the  tip.  This  series  includes  S.  transitioncdis  and  typical 
85595— No.  29—09 11 


162  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

S.  floridanus  with  its  subspecies  mallurus,  mearnsi,  alacer,  restrictus, 
connectens,  russatus,  aztecus,  chiapensis,  and  yucatanicus. 

The  gray  series  occupies  the  plains  and  desert  mountains  of  the 
United  States  from  Colorado  to  the  southern  end  of  the  Mexican 
Tableland,  including  the  arid  coast  strip  of  southern  Texas  and 
adjacent  part  of  Tamaulipas.  The  brown  series  is  from  the  wooded 
parts  of  the  eastern  United  States,  the  coast  region  of  eastern  Mexico, 
and  the  heavily  wooded  mountains  of  southern  Mexico.  The  con- 
trast between  the  small  gray  chapmani  and  the  large  rusty  yucatani- 
cus is  remarkable,  but  complete  intergradation  exists  through  con- 
nectens,  russatus,  aztecus,  and  chiapensis. 

There  is  considerable  variation  in  the  shade  of  buff  or  ochraceous 
buff  on  the  upperparts  in  the  fresh  pelage  of  all  the  forms,  and  in 
addition  a  progressive  fading  due  in  each  case  to  the  wearing  of  the 
overlying  long  glossy  black  hairs  and  the  bleaching  of  the  buffy 
body  color.  Worn  spring  and  summer  specimens  often  have  a 
much  more  rusty  color  than  those  in  fresh  pelage.  Considerable 
individual  variations  in  size  and  proportions  of  both  body  and  skull 
occur,  thus  rendering  the  satisfactory  description  of  closely  related 
forms  extremely  difficult.  The  differences  of  color  depend  mainly 
upon  variations  in  intensity  of  the  buffy  ground  color,  and,  to  a 
certain  extent,  upon  the  abundance  of  the  overlying  long  black  hairs. 

Much  yet  remains  to  be  done  in  working  out  details  of  the  exact 
distribution  of  the  various  subspecies  of  S.  floridanus.  The  Mexi- 
can material  shows  that  chapmani  ranges  south  through  eastern 
Mexico  and  merges  into  connectens  in  the  lowlands  of  Tamaulipas 
and  into  orizabw  on  the  eastern  part  of  the  tableland  of  Nuevo  Leon 
and  San  Luis  Potosi.  Orizabaz  merges  into  subcinctus  in  the  south- 
central  part  of  the  tableland,  and  subcinctus  into  holzneri  in  Jalisco 
and  southwestern  Zacatecas.  Holzneri  extends  thence  north  along 
the  Sierra  Madre  into  the  mountains  of  southern  Arizona. 

S.  robustus  and  S.  cognatus  are  large  pale  species,  often  indis- 
tinguishable in  color,  but  readily  separable  by  size,  proportions,  and 
skull  characters.  Both  also  resemble  holzneri  in  color.  The  skulls  of 
holzneri  and  cognatus  show  considerable  similarity  in  general  ap- 
pearance. The  skulls  of  holzneri  are  so  much  like  those  of  S.  nut- 
talli  pinetis  that  a  serious  question  arises  of  their  specific  distinction, 
to  determine  which  much  additional  material  from  the  mountains  of 
Arizona  and  central  New  Mexico  is  needed.  The  subspecies  of 
■floridanus  living  in  the  tropical  coast  country  of  Mexico  have  shorter, 
thinner,  and  coarser  hair  than  those  of  higher  or  cooler  areas  of  the 
United  States  and  Mexico.  The  two  southernmost  subspecies,  yuca- 
tanicus and  chiapensis,  are  the  largest  members  of  the  group  and 
have  extremely  massive  skulls  with  the  postorbital  processes,  espe- 


1909.] 


SYLVILAGUS   FLOEIDANUS   GROUP. 


163 


cially  in  yucatanicus,  welded  to  the  skull  almost  exactly  as  in  the 
swamp  rabbits  of  the  United  States.  The  resemblance  between  the 
skulls  of  these  two  forms  and  those  of  the  swamp  rabbits  (S.  aquati- 
cus)  in  general  shape  and  massiveness  of  proportions  is  remarkable. 
This  gives  a  good  example  of  parallel  development  in  two  very  dis- 
tinct species  from  widely  separated  regions.  The  skull  resemblance 
coupled  with  the  rather  coarse  pelage  caused  the  first  specimens  of 
yucatanicus  to  be  identified  as  aquaticus,  and  thus  made  an  erroneous 
record  for  the  latter  species  far  beyond  its  actual  range. 

Average  measurements  of  species  and  subspecies  of  the  Sylvilagus  floridanus 

group. 


Sylvilagus  floridanus. . 

Sylvilagus    floridanus 

mallurus. 
Sylvilagus   floridanus 

mearnsi. 
Sylvilagus   floridanus 

similis. 
Sylvilagus   floridanus 

alacer. 
Sylvilagus    floridanus 

chapmani. 
Sylvilagus   floridanus 

holzneri. 
Sylvilagus   floridanus 

subcinctus. 
Sylvilagus   floridanus 

restrictus. 
Sylvilagus   floridanus 

orizabse. 
Sylvilagus   floridanus 

connectens. 
Sylvilagus   floridanus 

russatus. 
Sylvilagus   floridanus 

aztecus. 
Sylvilagus   floridanus 

chiapensis. 
Sylvilagus   floridanus 

yucatanicus. 
Sylvilagus  cognatus  a 


Sylvilagus  robustus. . . 

Sylvilagus  transition- 

alis. 


Skin. 


5  436 
5446 
5  446 


5  408 
5  418 
5  403 
5  425 
5  400 
5  422 
5  375 
5434 
5  416 


5456 
5388 


45.0 
65.0 
60.0 
52.0 
56.0 
50.4 
71.0 
51.0 
54.0 
39.0 
58.0 
45.0 
54.0 
52.0 
60.0 
65.0 

61.8 
39.0 


y 


0  55.6 
58.6 
54.3 

0  50. 0 
0  52. 0 
0  49. 0 
0  62. 0 
0  57. 0 
o[59.5 
0  59.0 
0 


Skull. 


pq 


54.8 
57.6 
55.9 
53.1 
53.9 
50.1 


30.6 
32.4 
32.9 
31.1 
31.5 
30.1 


a 

°  £ 


103.0 
95.0 


53. 5  31.  5 

53. 6  31. 5 
54.3J31.5 
52. 0  29. 7 

34.4 


60. 0  56. 5 
51.0  53.9 


58.0 
60.0 
61.0 


56.7 
58.9 


32.7 
33.4 
35.2 


59. 2  35. 2 


67.0  54.7  32.4 

68. 3  57. 6:33. 7 
51. 6  54. 8^8. 1 


18.4 
20.7 
20.5 
19.6 
19.5 
18.  4 


Br. 


16.5 
15.7 
14.9 
14.4 
14.6 
16.3 


18.1 
19.1 


26.1 
27.9 


18. 9 14. 1 
17. 3 14. 7 
18. 8  15. 1 
16. 7  13. 3 


19.6 
19.4 
18.3 
21.1 

20.2 

18.8 


15.3 
15.2 
15.4 
15.5 
16.3 
14.4 


19. 9  15. 1 
19. 9 14. 4 


18. 4  28. 2 

16. 0  26. 6 

17.7  26.3 

17.126.0 

17. 4  26. 3 

18. 2|26. 8 

17.7  26.4 

17. 4  26. 4 

18. 2  26. 4 

I 
16. 7  25. 1 

18.9  25.5 

17. 6  25. 9 

I 
19. 1 27. 0 


11.3 
11.0 
10.8 
10.0 
10.1 
10.2 
11.3 
10.8 
10.6 
10.5 
10.9 
11.2 
9.9 
9.9 
11.3 


18. 7  26. 9  10. 7 

19. 4!27. 112.1 
17.126.6   9.6 


Origin  of  specimens 
averaged. 


Micco     and     Kissimmee, 

Florida. 
Raleigb,  North  Carolina. 

Central    Minnesota,    and 

Delavan,  Wisconsin. 
Northwestern  Nebraska. 

Stillwell,  Oklahoma,  and 
Stone  County,  Missouri. 

Corpus  Christi  and  Corn- 
stock,  Texas. 

Huachuca  and  Chiricahua 
Mountains,  Arizona. 

Near  Lake  Chapala,  Jal- 
isco, Mexico. 

Near  Zapotlan,  Jalisco, 
Mexico. 

About  Mount  Orizaba, 
Mexico. 

Central  Vera  Cruz,  Mex- 
ico. 

Southern  Vera  Cruz,  Mex- 
ico. 

Near  Tehuantepec  City, 
Mexico. 

Central  Chiapas,  Mexico. 

Yucatan  and  Campeche, 
Mexico. 

Manzano  and  Capitan 
Mountains,  New  Mex- 
ico. 

Chisos  and  Davis  Moun- 
tains, Texas. 

Wilmington,  Massachu- 
setts. 


"  The  measurements  of  the  body  in  this  species  are  the  averages  of  only  two  specimens. 
The  measurements  of  the  ear  and  skull  are  the  averages  of  five,  as  in  all  the  others. 


164  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

SYLVILAGUS  FLORIDANUS    (Allen). 

Florida  Cottontail. 

(PI.  IX,  figs.  2.  5.) 

Lepiis  syh-aticm  floridanus  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  Ill,  p.  1G0 
(author's  separates  issued  October,  1890).  Type  from  near  Micco,  San 
Sebastian  River,  Brevard  County,  Florida;  No.  xfff,  $  ad.,  American 
Museum  of  Natural  History;  collected  by  F.  M.  Chapman,  March  18,  1889. 

Geographic  distribution — All  of  peninsular  Florida  (including 
coastal  islands)  south  of  Sebastian  River  and  thence  northward  along 
the  coast  to  St.  Augustine  on  the  east  side,  and  to  an  unknown  dis- 
tance on  the  west  side.  Vertical  range  from  sea  level  up  to  about  100 
feet  altitude ;  zonal  range  mainly  Lower  Austral. 

General  characters. — Small  and  dark;  varying  from  dark-grayish 
buffy  to  rusty,  buffy  brown ;  nape  and  legs  rich  cinnamon  rufous;  ears 
short,  rounded,  and  darker  than  back ;  bullae  proportionately  large. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  dark  buffy 
brown,  usually  tinged  with  reddish,  and  sometimes  dull  dark  rusty 
buffy;  sometimes  dull  dark  buffy  brown  with  a  slightly  grayish 
shade;  rump  and  sides  of  body  dark  buffy  gray  and  like  back  much 
darkened  by  a  strong  wash  of  black;  nape  rich  dark  rusty  rufous; 
top  of  tail  dull  rusty  brown;  front  of  fore  legs  deep  dark  cinnamon 
rufous  or  dark  rusty  rufous,  a  little  paler  than  nape  and  shading 
into  a  paler,  more  buffy  color  on  tops  of  fore  feet ;  back  and  outside 
of  lower  part  of  hind  legs  varying  from  dull  rusty  cinnamon  brown 
to  intense  dark  cinnamon  or  rusty  rufous ;  sides  of  hind  feet  similar  to 
adjoining  part  of  hind  legs,  but  paler;  tops  of  hind  feet  var}7  from 
dull  buffy  whitish  to  dull  rusty  buffy ;  underside  of  neck  dull  dark 
ochraceous  buffy  varying  in  intensity  but  always  deeply  colored; 
lower  border  of  flanks  usually  bordered  by  a  narrow  band  of  clearer 
buff  than  rest  of  sides;  outside  of  ears  dark  grayish  buff}7  heavily 
bordered  and  washed  with  black,  especially  on  terminal  half. 

Worn  pelage. — In  faded  condition  this  form  loses  most  of  the 
reddish  on  upperparts  and  becomes  paler  and  grayer. 

J  it  renal  pelage. — Very  dark,  slightly  yellowish  buffy  brown;  front 
and  hind  feet  dingy  buffy;  sides  of  head  and  body  slightly  grayer 
than  back;  rump  patch  not  appreciable ;  nape  dark,  dingy  rusty;  top 
of  tail  rusty  brown. 

Skull. — Short ;  heavily  proportioned ;  upper  outline  strongly  curved 
over  top  and  back  of  braincase ;  flattened  over  frontal  area,  including 
base  of  rostrum,  and  with  a  well-marked  curve  over  anterior  two- 
thirds  of  rostrum,  most  marked  near  tip ;  base  of  rostrum  broad  and 
heavy;  supraorbital  processes  broad,  heavy,  nearly  on  a  plane  with 
frontal  area ;  the  anterior  notch  small  or  obsolescent,  ffivino-  a  broad 
frontal  area  and  adding  to  the  heavy  appearance  of  skull ;  postorbital 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   FLORIDANUS   GROUP FLORIDANUS.  165 

process  of  supraorbital  broad,  nearly  the  same  width  throughout  its 
length,  often  inclosing  a  well-marked  flattened  oval  foramen,  but 
frequently  extended  on  inner  border  to  coalesce  with  skull  and  much 
reduce  this  foramen  or  sometimes  to  completely  close  it;  sides  of 
rostrum  usually  swollen  or  expanded;  zygomatic  arch  heavy;  jugal 
massive,  deeply  grooved  anteriorly;  molar  series  proportionate!}7 
broad  and  heavy ;  palatal  bridge  broad ;  bullae  proportionately  large, 
slightly  expanded  on  inner  side  and  with  the  smooth  almost  polished 
surface  characteristic  of  the  group;  basioccipital  usually  not  much 
constricted  posteriori}'. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  436;  tail  verte- 
brae, 45 ;  hind  foot,  90 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  55.6. 

Remarks. — The  Florida  cottontail  is  one  of  the  smallest  and  darkest 
of  the  group,  and  in  the  dark  rusty  color  of  nape  and  legs  and  ordi- 
narily dark  slightly  buffy  brown  shade  of  upperparts,  resembles  some 
of  the  deeply  colored  tropical  subspecies  found  in  Mexico.  There  is 
a  wide  individual  range  in  color  from  rich  dark  rufous  of  legs  and 
nape  and  rusty  reddish  back  to  dark  slightly  grayish  buffy  back  and 
dull  rusty  cinnamon  on  the  hind  legs. 

The  pelage  of  foridanus  is  often  freshly  molted  in  July,  as  shown 
by  specimens  from  the  type  locality  (Micco)  the  10th  of  that  month. 
Another  specimen  from  the  same  locality,  taken  January  22,  is  in 
the  pale  bleached  or  grayish  condition  common  to  worn  specimens, 
ordinarily  taken  later  in  the  season.  Many  midwinter  specimens  are 
still  in  the  dark  slightly  worn  fur,  but  January,  February,  and  March 
skins  are  commonly  distinctly  paler  or  grayer  and  less  reddish  than 
the  fresher  ones  taken  between  July  and  December.  By  April  they 
are  much  bleached  and  have  commonly  lost  most  or  all  of  the  rusty 
suffusion  of  the  freshly  molted  pelage  and  are  pale  dull  grayish 
buffy  brown. 

Typical  foridanus,  characterized  by  its  small  size,  short  ears,  and 
proportionately  large  bulla?,  is  peculiar  to  the  coast  lowlands.  In 
the  interior  region  of  the  State,  above  the  100-foot  contour  line,  as 
far  south  as  northern  Polk  County  (Lake  Julian),  it  is  replaced  by 
mallurus.  In  southern  Polk  County  the  rabbits  are  intermediates, 
while  in  De  Soto  County  they  appear  to  be  true  foridanus.  The  dis- 
tribution of  true  foridanus  thus  appears  to  lie  wholly  below  the  100- 
foot  contour  line  in  the  peninsular  part  of  the  State.  Its  northern 
and  western  limit  on  the  west  coast  is  unknown. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  58,  from: 

Florida:  Blitches  Ferry  (near  Citronelle),  1;  Citronelle,  7;  Enterprise,  3; 
Fort  Kissimmee,  13 ;  35  miles  south  of  Fort  Kissimniee,  1 ;  Kissimmee 
Pviver  (De  Soto  County),  4;  Lake  Harney,  6;  Lake  Worth,  1; 
Miami,  1;  Micco,  6;  opposite  Micco  (on  eastern  peninsula),  1; 
Mullet  Lake,  2;  San  Mateo,  3;  Saw  Grass  Island,  2;  Sebastian,  2; 
Shell  Hummock,  4 ;  Southport  Canal,  1. 


166  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

SYLVILAGUS  FLORIDANUS  MALLURUS   (Thomas). 

Eastern  Cottontail. 

Lepus  sylvaticus  Bachman,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  VII,  p.  403,  1837.  No 
type  nor  type  locality.  Name  given  to  the  "  common  gray  rabbit "  of  the 
eastern  United  States,  but  probably  with  particular  reference  to  this  form 
in  South  Carolina.  [Name  preoccupied  by  Lepus  borealis  sylvaticus  Nils- 
son,  1832,  from  Sweden.  See  Thomas,  Ann.  and  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  ser.  7,  II, 
p.  320.] 

Lepus  nuttaUi  mallurus,  Thomas,  Ann.  and  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  ser.  7,  II,  p.  320, 
October  1,  1898.  Type  from  Raleigh,  North  Carolina ;  No.  97.2.1.30,  $  ad., 
British  Museum;  collected  by  H.  H.  and  C.  S.  Brimley.  [Name  proposed 
to  replace  L.  sylvaticus  Bach,  preoccupied.] 

Geographic  distribution. — Mainly  east  of  Allegheny  Mountains 
from  Long  Island  and  the  lower  Hudson  Valley  in  extreme  south- 
eastern New  York  south  through  New  Jersey,  Delaware,  eastern 
Pennsylvania,  eastern  West  Virginia,  Maryland,  Virginia,  North  and 
South  Carolina,  Georgia,  except  northwestern  part,  and  west  along 
Gulf  coast  to  near  Mobile  Bay,  and  Alabama;  also  northwestern 
central  parts  of  Florida  south  to  about  Lake  Julian,  Polk  County. 
Vertical  range  from  near  sea  level  in  North  Carolina  up  to  about 
6,000  feet  on  Roan  Mountain;  zonal  range  from  Lower  Austral  up 
through  Transition  Zone,  mainly  Upper  Austral. 

General  characters. — Larger,  with  longer  ears  than  foridanus  ;  less 
heavily  washed  with  black  on  upperparts  and  generally  of  a  paler 
rusty  buffy  color;  gray  rump  patch  more  distinct  and  legs  paler, 
less  deeply  ferruginous;  distinctly  more  reddish  on  upperparts  and 
deeper  rufous  on  legs  than  in  mearnsi;  skull  much  larger  than  in 
foridanus,  proportionately  narrower,  with  bullae  smaller  and  jugal 
slenderer. 

Color  in  fresh  autumnal  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  dull  rather 
dark  rusty  yellowish  or  slightly  rusty  ochraceous  buffy,  paler  and 
less  heavily  washed  with  black  than  in  floridanus;  sides  of  head 
and  body  dark  slightly  buffy  gray,  usually  distinctly  paler  and 
grayer  than  top  of  back  with  a  thinner  wash  of  black;  rump  less 
tinged  with  dull  buff  than  sides  of  body  and  nearly  plain  dull  iron 
gray,  forming  a  fairly  distinct  rump  patch;  nape  rich  rusty  rufous, 
lighter  than  in  foridanus;  top  of  tail  dull  rusty  brown;  outside  of 
ears  dull  grayish  buffy,  bordered  anteriorly  and  about  tip  with 
blackish;  front  and  outside  of  fore  legs  dark  rusty  rufous,  paler 
than  in  foridanus  and  shading  into  rusty  buff  on  tops  of  fore  feet; 
outside  and  back  of  lower  hind  legs  varying  from  nearly  cinnamon 
buffy  to  rather  light  rusty  cinnamon,  same  color  extending  along 
sides  of  hind  feet;  tops  of  latter  whitish  or  pale  rusty  buffy;  under- 
side of  neck  usually  rich  dark  ochraceous  buffv  varying  to  dark  dull 
buffy. 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   FLORIDANUS   GROUP MALLURUS.  167 

Skull. — Longer  and  proportionately  narrower  top  of  braincase 
higher  arched,  and  rostrum  proportionately  slenderer  and  more 
strongly  decurved  near  tip  than  in  foridanus;  supraorbitals  similarly 
broad  and  heavy  with  a  more  strongly  marked  notch  anteriorly,  and 
inner  side  of  broad  postorbital  process  nearly  or  quite  touching  skull 
along  most  of  its  length,  as  in  foridanus;  zygomatic  arch  lighter; 
bulla?  averaging  smaller;  molar  series  heavy,  about  the  same  as  in 
foridanus.  Skull  almost  indistinguishable  from  that  of  mearnsi  both 
in  size  and  proportions,  but  averaging  a  little  heavier. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  446;  tail  ver- 
tebra?, 65 ;  hind  foot,  93.8 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  58.6. 

Remarks. — This  form  is  larger  and  paler  than  foridanus,  and  ap- 
pears to  reach  its  extreme  development  about  the  Dismal  Swamp  of 
Virginia.  A  specimen  from  Lake  Julian,  central  Florida,  is  typical 
in  size  with  even  larger  skull  and  longer  ears  than  usual,  and  thus  is 
in  strong  contrast  to  the  small,  short-eared  foridanus  found  near  by 
in  the  coast  lowlands.  Specimens  from  several  localities  in  Polk 
County,  Florida,  not  far  south  of  Lake  Julian,  are  intermediate  be- 
tween foridanus  and  mallurus,  but  a  specimen  from  a  little  farther 
south  (De  Soto  County)  is  typical  foridanus.  From  northern  Flor- 
ida and  Georgia  the  specimens  examined  are  typical.  A  specimen 
from  Bon  Secour,  Alabama,  just  east  of  Mobile  Bay,  is  an  inter- 
mediate between  the  present  form  and  alacer. 

There  is  considerable  individual  variation  in  color,  and  two  of  the 
darkest  and  most  richly  colored  specimens  examined  were  taken  at 
Alexandria,  Virginia,  and  Tuckerton,  New  Jersey.  They  are  a 
deep  rusty  buffy  brown,  much  darkened  by  a  heavy  overlying  wash  of 
black.  Others  vary  to  a  paler,  more  pinkish,  buffy  with  a  lighter  wash 
of  black  and  with  more  grayish  on  sides  of  rump.  Two  pale  indi- 
viduals of  this  kind  are  in  the  Survey  collection  from  the  type  locality 
(Raleigh),  and  are  not  distinguishable  from  typical  specimens  of 
mearnsi  except  by  the  deeper  rufous  on  the  legs  and  their  longer  ears. 
The  general  tint  of  the  upperparts  of  mallurus  is  a  varying  shade  of 
dull  rusty,  ochraceous  buffy,  rather  lightly  overlaid  or  washed  with 
black,  thus  giving  a  warm,  slightly  reddish  buffy  brown  general 
effect.  The  rusty  cinnamon  on  hind  legs  is  usually  dull,  but  sometimes 
becomes  more  or  less  strongly  rusty  or  almost  chestnut  rufous. 

Six  specimens  from  Roan  Mountain  are  typical  in  color,  but  have 
distinctly  shorter  ears  than  specimens  from  elsewhere  in  the  range  of 
mallurus,  and  the  skull  is  proportionately  a  little  shorter,  the  base  of 
the  rostrum  broader,  the  jugals  slenderer,  and  bulla^  smaller.  The 
short  ears  of  this  series  is  a  good  character,  and  shows  that  a  slightly 
marked  local  form  exists  on  this  mountain,  though  scarcely  well 
enough  characterized  to  be  worthy  of  subspecific  recognition. 


168  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [xo.  29. 

The  typical  juvenal  pelage  is  dark,  dull  buffy  grayish  brown,  but 
specimens  from  about  the  District  of  Columbia  and  southern  New 
Jersey  agree  with  the  adults  from  those  localities  in  having  darker 
and  richer  colors  than  specimens  from  most  other  parts  of  its  range. 

Although  specimens  from  the  Dismal  Swamp,  Virginia,  show  the 
extreme  development  of  the  characters  of  mallurus  in  size  of  skull 
and  bulla?,  yet  there  is  a  distinct  grading  off  into  smaller  skulls  and 
bulla1  about  Washington  and  thence  north. 

A  specimen  from  Grantsville,  in  extreme  western  Maryland,  is  a 
distinct  intergrade  nearly  pale  enough  to  be  classed  with  inearnsi. 
Several  examples  in  the  Philadelphia  Academy  of  Sciences,  from 
Haddonfield,  New  Jersey,  are  distinctly  smaller  than  typical  speci- 
mens with  much  smaller  and  lighter  skulls.  The  small  light  skulls 
with  the  small  rounded  bulla?  closely  resemble  those  of  transitionalis, 
but  the  form  of  the  supraorbital  with  its  squared  anterior  process 
and  distinct  notch  and,  in  most  instances,  the  color  of  the  pelage 
place  these  specimens  with  mallurus.  The  undoubted  similarity  in 
size,  and  often  in  color,  between  specimens  of  mallurus  and  transi- 
tionalis  from  New  Jersey  and  southeastern  New  York  (including 
Long  Island)  at  first  glance  appears  to  indicate  intergradation. 
Closer  examination,  however,  shows  that  these  small  specimens  of 
mallurus  are  always  distinguishable  by  the  presence  of  a  broad  ante- 
orbital  process  of  the  supraorbital  with  a  well-defined  notch. 

That  we  have  here  another  case  of  parallel  development,  or  possibly 
hybridization,  and  not  intergradation,  is  shown  by  the  fact  that 
trim  sit ionalis  remains  perfectly  typical  as  far  south  in  the  range  of 
mallurus  as  Washington,  District  of  Columbia,  and  to  West  Virginia, 
Roan  Mountain,  North  Carolina,  and  northern  Georgia.  The  people 
of  southwestern  Georgia  call  this  species  the  sage  rabbit. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  152,  from: 

Alabama:  Bon  Secour,  1. 

Florida:   Chattahoochee,  1;  Gainesville,  2;  Lake  Julian,  1;  Whitfield,  1. 

Georgia:  Abbeville,  4;  Arnericus,  1 ;  Augusta,  3;  De  Soto,  1 ;  Lumpkin.  2; 
Nashville,  1;  Rieeboro,  3;  Thomasville,  2. 

North  Carolina:  Hatteras,  1;  Raleigh,  15;  Roan  Mountain,  6;  Waynes- 
ville,  1. 

South  Carolina:   Aiken,  1;  Frogmore,  4;  Georgetown,  1;  Society  Hill,  1. 

Virginia:  Alexandria,  1;  Arlington,  6;  Belle  Haven,  2;  Campbell  County, 
3;  Cape  Charles,  2;  Dismal  Swamp,  5;  Dunn  Loring,  1;  Fisher- 
mans  Island,  1;  Fort  Myer,  1;  Great  Falls,  1;  Ffampstead,  2;  Kin- 
sale,  1 ;  Mount  Vernon,  1 ;  Peaks  of  Otter,  2 ;  Smiths  Island,  3. 

West    Virginia:    Earnshaw,    S;    Franklin,    2;    Ronceverte,    3;    Wetzel 

County,  1. 
Maryland:  Grantsville,  1;  Kensington,  1;  Lanham,  1;  Marshall  Hall,  1; 
Plummer  Island,  1 :  Rock  Point,  1. 

District  of  Columbia:   Washington,  7. 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   FLORIDANUS   GROUP MEARNSI.  169 

Pennsylvania:  Carlisle,  2;  Chester  County,  1;  Cooks  Mills  (Bedford 
County),  2;  Holmesburg,  2;  Laughlintown,  2;  Marple,  1:  Potts 
Grove,  1;  Stroudsburg,  2;  Summit  Mills,  2;  Tyrone,  1;  Waynes- 
burg,  1. 

New  Jersey:   Haddonfield,  5;  Tuckerton,  3. 

New  York:  Hastings.  6:  Lake  Grove,  1;  Millers  Place  (Long  Island),  3; 
Nyaek.  3;  Palenville,  1;  Sing  Sing,  1. 

SYLVILAGUS  FLORIDANUS  MEARNSI    (Allen). 

Mearns  Cottontail. 

Lepus  syluaticus  mearnsi  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  VI,  p.  171 
(footnote),  1894  (author's  separates  published  May  31,  1894).  Type  from 
Fort  Snelling,  Minnesota ;  No.  f ||f,  $  ad.,  American  Museum  of  Natural 
History ;  collected  by  Dr.  E.  A.  Mearns,  March  29,  1891. 

Geographic  distribution. — West  of  Allegheny  Mountains  from 
Lake  Simcoe,  Toronto,  Canada,  central  New  York,  central  Pennsyl- 
vania, western  West  Virginia,  and  eastern  Kentucky,  and  eastern 
Tennessee,  west  through  southern  Michigan  and  Wisconsin  to  south- 
eastern Minnesota,  and  south  through  Iowa  to  Trego  County,  Kan- 
sas, northern  Missouri  and  Illinois,  with  all  of  Indiana  and  Ohio. 
Vertical  range  from  about  500  feet  in  western  New  York  to  about 
2.000  feet  altitude  in  mountains  of  western  Pennsylvania;  zonal 
range  mainly  Upper  Austral,  extending  into  lower  part  of  Transi- 
tion zone. 

General  characters. — Large,  equaling  mallurus  in  size,  but  with 
shorter  ears,  longer  hind  feet  and  a  paler  more  grayish  shade  to  the 
light  pinkish  buffy  of  the  upperparts,  and  paler  rufous  on  legs; 
skull  very  similar  but  with  rather  smaller  bullae. 

Color  of  fresh  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  pale  pinkish  buffy, 
sometimes  with  a  slight  ochraceous  tinge,  and  always  darkened  bj^  the 
overlying  and  usually  strong  wash  of  black ;  sides  of  head  and  body 
grayer  than  back  and  usually  much  paler,  though  with  a  thin  wash 
of  black  on  tips  of  hairs;  rump  dull  iron  gray,  forming  a  distinct 
though  not  strongly  contrasted  rump  patch,  more  strongly  marked 
than  in  mallurus  but  washed  and  darkened  with  black;  upperside 
of  tail  dull  brownish,  more  or  less  strongly  grizzled  with  buffy  or 
buffy  gray;  nape  rather  dark  rusty  rufous;  front  and  sides  of  fore 
legs  rusty  rufous  rather  paler  than  in  mallurus  and  shading  into  pale 
ochraceous  buff  on  tops  of  fore  feet ;  back  and  outside  of  lower  hind 
legs  underlaid  with  rusty  chestnut  and  washed  with  pale  buffy  cin- 
namon or  rusty  cinnamon;  tops  of  hind  feet  white,  sometimes  pale 
buffy  whitish;  underside  of  neck  varying  from  dull  pinkish  buff  to 
dull  ochraceous  buff  or  to  pale  creamy  buff  becoming  dull  yellowish 
gray  on  pale  individuals;  underside  of  body  white,  this  pale  area 
more  restricted  than  usual;  outside  of  ears  buffy  grayish,  distinctly 


170  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

grayer  than  top  of  head,  and  strongly  bordered  with  black  along 
anterior  margin  and  about  tip;  inside  of  ears  dull  gray,  sometimes 
becoming  more  or  less  buffy  along  posterior  border. 

Skull. — Scarcely  distinguishable  from  that  of  mediums  but  slightly 
smaller,  with  bulla?  usually  smaller. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  446;  tail  ver- 
tebra?, 60 ;  hind  foot,  104 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  54.3. 

Remarks. — The  present  form  is  a  poorly  marked  subspecies  dis- 
tinguishable from  mallurus  only  by  its  shorter  ears  and  paler,  more 
grayish,  color.  There  is  considerable  individual  variation.  One 
example  from  Elk  River,  Minnesota,  not  far  from  the  type  locality, 
is  so  deeply  colored  that  it  can  be  distinguished  from  ordinary  mal- 
lurus only  by  its  grayer  tone,  but  others  from  the  same  locality  are 
typical.  One  from  Burlington,  Iowa,  is  darker  than  usual,  and  a 
series  from  Onaga  in  northeastern  Kansas  is  characterized  by  its 
dark  colors  due  to  the  heavier  wash  of  black,  and  agree  in  this  with 
others  from  Wisconsin  and  the  type  locality  in  Minnesota,  though 
the  Onaga  specimens  are  smaller,  with  smaller  ears  and  bulla?,  thus 
showing  an  approach  to  similis.  One  from  Beaver  Dam,  Wisconsin, 
is  pale  pinkish  buffy,  closely  like  similis  from  Nebraska  and  south- 
western Minnesota.  In  worn  pelage  these  rabbits  become  pale  dingy 
buffy  gray  with  a  slight  pinkish  tinge.  Unusally  large  and  massive 
skulls  occur  here  and  there  throughout  the  range;  these  skulls  are 
more  angular  and  heavier  about  the  base  of  the  rostrum  and  heavier 
in  all  their  proportions,  and  sometimes  differ  strikingly  from  typical 
or  average  specimens.  The  most  notable  of  these  seen  are  one  from 
the  type  locality,  one  from  Sangamon,  Illinois,  and  one  from  Elk 
River,  Minnesota.  In  the  eastern  part  of  the  range  (in  Canada, 
New  York,  and  Pennsylvania)  the  ears  are  longer  than  in  the  West. 
Two  specimens  from  southern  Canada  are  scarcely  distinguishable 
from  mallurus  in  color,  and  so  differ  from  the  paler  specimens  from 
western  New  York,  which  are  practically  like  others  from  Illinois, 
and  average  even  paler  than  those  from  near  the  type  locality.  Along 
the  eastern  border  of  its  range  the  ears  average  longer  than  in  typical 
specimens  and  thus  are  intermediate  with  those  of  mallurus. 

As  in  the  case  of  mallurus  the  posterior  process  of  the  supraorbital 
is  broad  and  heavy,  and  commonly  rests  against  the  skull  at  its  pos- 
terior end,  inclosing  a  narrow  and  often  much  reduced  foramen.  Not 
uncommonly  in  old  individuals  the  inner  border  of  the  posterior 
process  shuts  against  the  skull  along  its  entire  length.  Sometimes, 
as  in  the  case  of  the  skull  from  Sangamon  County,  Illinois,  this 
process  coalesces  along  its  entire  length  with  the  skull,  producing  a 
solid  bony  shield  over  the  eyes  as  in  the  swamp  rabbits.  Another 
large  old  skull  from  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  is  unlike  any  other  seen  in 
having  the  postorbital  process  broad  at  the  base  and  tapering  rapidly 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS    FLORIDANUS    GROUP MEARNSI.  171 

to  a  sharp  point  which  stands  out  free  from  the  skull,  as  in  niittalli 
and  some  of  its  forms. 

New  Hartford,  New  York,  appears  to  be  about  the  extreme  eastern 
limit  of  mearnsi.  Specimens  from  Ithaca  show  considerable  varia- 
tion in  color  from  that  of  typical  mearnsi  to  a  darker,  more  reddish, 
shade  closely  approaching  mallurus.  Two  skulls  from  Ithaca  are  very 
broad  across  the  frontal  area,  including  the  base  of  the  rostrum,  and 
the  bullae  are  unusually  large.  These  variations,  sometimes  toward 
typical  mearnsi  and  then  toward  mallurus,  are  such  as  are  usually 
found  in  specimens  from  the  border  between  the  ranges  of  two  forms. 
Much  the  larger  part  of  a  good  series  of  specimens  from  Toronto  and 
other  parts  of  Ontario  are  distinctly  mearnsi.  A  few  out  of  this  series 
are  as  reddish  as  mallurus,  but  their  skulls  are  referable  to  mearnsi. 
Specimens  from  Geneseo,  New  York,  and  Lopez,  Sullivan  County, 
Pennsylvania,  are  typical  mearnsi;  those  from  New  Hartford  and 
Peterboro,  New  York,  show  an  approach  to  mallurus.  Several  indi- 
viduals from  northern  Indiana  are  unusually  small  and  dark,  and 
appear  to  indicate  the  existence  there  of  a  small  local  variation.  They 
differ  more  from  typical  mearnsi  than  do  specimens  from  western 
New  York. 

Mr.  J.  H.  Fleming,  of  Toronto,  has  furnished  some  interesting 
notes  concerning  the  presence  of  these  cottontails  in  Ontario,  Canada. 
According  to  Fleming,  cottontails  were  not  indigenous  in  any  part 
of  Ontario.  "While  no  definite  date  can  be  given  for  the  first  appear- 
ance of  cottontails  there,  they  have  been  known  in  Essex  for  at  least 
forty  years.  They  were  first  noted  at  Niagara  about  1871.  During 
the  last  twenty  years  [previous  to  1908]  they  have  steadily  increased. 
Their  northern  limit  in  January,  1908,  is  placed  by  Mr.  Fleming  at 
about  a  line  drawn  from  Kincardine,  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Lake 
Huron,  east  through  Lake  Simcoe  to  Trenton  on  the  north  side  of 
Lake  Ontario,  but  their  center  of  abundance  is  given  as  still  remaining 
south  of  Sarnia. 

An  August  specimen  from  Peterboro,  New  York,  has  a  suffusion 
of  dull  rusty  buffy  over  most  of  upperparts,  giving  a  distinctly  red- 
dish cast,  as  strongly  marked  as  in  most  examples  of  alacer.  In  a 
letter  dated  December  30,  1904,  and  published  by  Bangs,0  Gerrit  S. 
Miller,  jr.,  states  that  a  reliable  local  hunter  first  saw  cottontails  at 
Geneva,  New  York,  in  1870  or  1871.  Miller  gives  the  date  of  the  first 
arrival  of  cottontails  at  Peterboro  as  twenty  years  previous  to  1904, 
and  thinks  they  came  to  that  vicinity  from  the  west.  So  far  as  our 
present  information  goes  there  appears  to  be  a  wide  break  between 
the  eastern  border  of  mearnsi  in  central  New  York  and  the  northern 
border  of  the  range  of  mallurus  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  State. 

°  Proc.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist,  for  1S94,  XXVI,  p.  410,  1895. 


172  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

This  cottontail  for  the  first  time  reached  Gordon,  Wisconsin,  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  State  during  the  fall  of  1907.  It  was  reported 
to  have  been  common  for  some  time  just  south  of  Gordon,  but  was 
formerly  unknown  throughout  this  region. 

Judging  from  their  known  habits  and  recent  extension  of  range 
it  is  very  probable  that,  with  the  exception  of  S.  transitionalis,  no 
form  of  cottontail  was  indigenous  to  any  part  of  New  England,  to 
New  York,  New  Jersey,  Delaware,  nearly,  if  not  quite,  all  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  perhaps  a  considerably  greater  area  in  the  eastern  United 
States. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined,  162,  from : 

Ontario  (Canada):  London,  1;  Lorne  Park,  8;  North  Toronto,  4;  Point 

Pelee,  3;  Rodney,  1;  Sarnia,  4;  Streetsville,  3;  Tharuesville,  1. 
New  York:  Geneseo,  3;  Ithaca,  8;  New  Hartford,  1;  Peterboro,  2. 
Pennsylvania:  Allegheny  County,  1;  Beaver,  1;  Erie,  2;  Hartstown,  1; 

Lopez,  3;  Meadville,  2. 
Ohio:   Garrettsville,  4. 

Indiana:  Culver,  1;  Hebron,  1;  Mitchell,  4. 
Michigan:  Ann  Arbor,  10;  Hamlin  Township  (Eaton  County),  1 ;  Portage 

Lake,  3. 
Illinois:   Sangamon,  1;  Waukegan,  1;  Woodstock,  3. 
Wisconsin:  Beaver  Dam,  2;  Camp  Douglas,  3;  Delavan,  G. 
Minnesota:   Elk  River,  3;  Fort  Snelling,  16. 
Kentucky:  Lexington,  1. 

Tennessee:  Highcliff,  1;  Holston  Mountains,  1;  Watauga  Valley,  2. 
Iowa:   Burlington,  2;   Fort  Des  Moines,  1;   Iowa   City,  3;   Ruthven.  8; 

Sioux  City,  1;  Van  Buren  County,  1. 
Nebraska:  Brownlee,  1;  Kennedy,  2. 
Kansas:  Leavenworth.  4;  Lawrence,  7;  Manhattan.  1  ;  Onaga,  10:  Trego 

County,  3;  Wakeeney,  4;  Washington  County,  1. 

SYLVILAGUS  FLORIDANUS  SIMILIS  Nelson. 

Nebraska  Cottontail. 

Sylvilagus  floridanus  similis  Nelson.  Troc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XX.  p.  82, 
July  22,  1907.  Type  from  Valentine,  Nebraska,  No.  G9517,  $  ad.,  U.  S. 
National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection)  ;  collected  by  C.  P.  Streator, 
November  10.  1S94. 

Geographic  distribution. — Dry  plains  (mainly  along  wooded 
streams)  of  extreme  western  Minnesota,  eastern  North  and  South 
Dakota,  all  of  Nebraska  (except  possibly  the  Missouri  bottom  lands), 
northern  Kansas,  northeastern  Colorado,  along  tributaries  of  Platte 
River  to  base  of  mountains  near  Denver,  and  southeastern  Wyoming. 
Vertical  range,  from  about  1,500  feet  in  northeast  Nebraska  to  over 
5,000  feet  west  of  Denver,  Colorado;  zonal  range,  mainly  Upper 
Sonoran. 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS    FLORIDANUS    GROUP SIMILIS.  173 

General  characters. — -A.  pale,  slightly  buffy,  gray  form  nearest 
mearnsi  in  general  appearance  but  smaller;  ears  shorter  and  dis- 
tinctly paler ;  legs  paler  and  more  cinnamon  than  mearnsi;  underside 
of  neck  paler  and  more  grayish  buffy;  skull  smaller,  shorter,  and 
usually  proportionately  heavier. 

Color  in  fresh  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  pale  pinkish  buffy 
with  a  grayish  cast,  especially  over  shoulders,  and  a  strong  grizzling 
wash  of  black  over  rest  of  back;  rump  dull  iron  gray,  forming  a 
fairly  distinct  rump  patch ;  sides  of  head  and  body  distinctly  grayer 
and  less  washed  with  black  than  back ;  top  of  tail  dusky  gray ;  nape 
rather  pale  rusty  rufous;  outside  of  ears  gray  finely  grizzled  with 
dusky  and  strongly  bordered  with  black  around  front  border  and 
tip;  inside  of  ears  grayish  white;  front  and  outside  of  fore  legs 
rather  light  rusty  rufous,  sometimes  paler  and  sometimes  darker  than 
nape;  back  and  outside  of  lower  hind  legs  dull  cinnamon,  varying  to 
buffy  cinnamon,  and  changing  into  paler  shades  of  same  along  out- 
side of  hind  feet ;  tops  of  hind  feet  white ;  underside  of  neck  varies 
from  dull  pale  buffy  gray  to  pale  creamy  or  pinkish  buffy;  rest  of 
underparts  pure  white,  bordered  along  lower  edge  of  flanks  with  an 
indistinct  band  of  pale  creamy  buff. 

Worn  pelage. — In  spring  and  summer  the  pelage  on  upperparts 
of  body  bleaches  to  a  whitish  gray  slightly  shaded  with  buffy  and 
darkened  by  a  thin  grizzling  of  black;  the  ears  become  pale  gray 
narrowly  edged  with  black;  the  gray  rump  patch  less  distinct  and 
underside  of  neck  pale  buffy,  or  yellowish  gray,  almost  white  in 
some  cases. 

Juvenal  pelage. — Pale  grizzled  gray  with  dusky  undercolor  show- 
ing through;  top  of  tail  and  back  of  hind  legs  cinnamon  buffy. 

Skull. — In  general  proportions  similar  to  that  of  mearnsi  but 
much  smaller. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  408;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 52 ;  hind  foot,  99 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  50. 

Remarks. — This  is  a  pale  form  inhabiting  the  wooded  borders 
of  streams  and  prairies  on  the  arid  plains  from  western  Minnesota 
and  the  eastern  part  of  Nebraska  west  along  the  headwaters  of  the 
Platte  River  to  the  base  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  near  Denver  and 
into  southeastern  Wyoming. 

As  in  the  case  of  mearnsi,  these  rabbits  show  considerable  individ- 
ual variation  in  the  skull,  some  individuals  having  the  rostrum  propor- 
tionately considerably  slenderer  than  others.  A  specimen  from  Dry 
Willow  Creek,  Yuma  Countjr,  in  northeastern  Colorado,  has  the  most 
slender  rostrum  of  any  examined.  Another  from  Arvada,  on  Clear 
Creek,  not  far  from  Denver,  has  an  unusually  massive  skull  with  a 
short  rostrum,  broad  and  heavy  at  base.  In  this  last  specimen  the 
bulla?  are  a  little  larger  than  the  average  in  the  present  form. 


174  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  26,  from : 

Minnesota:  Lac  qui  Parle,  1. 

North  Dakota:  Portland,  1. 

South  Dakota:  Fort  Randall,  1. 

■Wyoming1:   Meriden,  1. 

Nebraska:   Kennedy,  1;  Neligh,  2;  Snake  River  (11  miles  northwest  of 

Kennedy),  3;  Valentine,  3. 
Kansas:  Long  Island,  9. 
Colorado:  Arvada,  1;  Dry  Willow  Creek  (Yuma  County),  2;  Masters,  1. 

SYLVILAGUS  FLORIDANUS  ALACER  (Bangs). 

Oklahoma  Cottontail. 

Lepus  syJraticus  alacer  Bangs,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  X,  p.  136,  December 
28,  1896.  Type  from  Stillwell,  Oklahoma ;  No.  5480,  $  yg.  ad.,  Museum  of 
Comparative  Zoology  (Bangs  collection)  ;  collected  by  T.  Surber,  August  14, 
1896. 

Geographic  distribution. — Gulf  coast  from  Mobile  Bay,  Alabama, 
to  Matagorda  Bay,  Texas,  and  thence  north  through  most  of  Alabama 
to  Tate,  northwestern  Georgia;  all  of  Mississippi,  Louisiana,  and 
Arkansas;  western  Tennessee  and  Kentucky,  extreme  southern  Illi- 
nois, southern  Missouri,  southeastern  Kansas;  all  of  Oklahoma  ex- 
cept extreme  western  part,  and  eastern  Texas  to  eastern  border  of 
Panhandle.  Vertical  range  from  near  sea  level  in  Louisiana  up  to 
about  2,000  feet  altitude  in  Oklahoma;  zonal  range  mainly  Lower 
Austral. 

General  characters. — Size  rather  small,  about  as  in  typical  fori- 
danus,  to  which  it  has  considerable  resemblance,  but  paler,  with  more 
of  a  rusty  reddish  shade  over  entire  upperparts,  including  legs,  than 
in  any  other  subspecies  of  foridanus  in  the  United  States.  Skull 
small  and  slender,  in  general  appearance  approaching  that  of  chap- 
mani. 

Color  in  fresh  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  deep  ochraceous  buff, 
more  or  less  strongly  washed  with  black,  giving  a  rusty  or  reddish 
brown  effect ;  sides  of  body  paler  or  grayer  than  back ;  dingy  grayish 
rump  patch  present  but  poorly  marked;  top  of  tail  reddish  brown; 
nape  deep  rusty  rufous;  outside  of  ears  dull,  slightly  grayish  buffy 
brown,  bordered  and  tipped  with  black ;  orbit  with  a  narrow  ring  of 
buffy  surrounded  by  a  broader  area  like  top  of  head;  sides  of  body 
paler  and  more  grayish  buffy  brown  than  back;  front  and  sides  of 
fore  legs  rich  deep  ferruginous,  becoming  only  a  little  paler  on  tops 
of  fore  feet ;  outside  and  back  of  lower  part  of  hind  legs  dull  cinna- 
mon or  rusty  rufous  with  a  slightly  paler  shade  of  same  extending 
along  sides  of  hind  feet,  and  shading  into  pale  rufous  or  pale  rusty 
buff  on  tops  of  feet;  underside  of  neck  deep  dull  buff  varying  to  dull 
dark  ochraceous  buff. 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   FLORIDANUS   GROUP ALACER.  175 

Color  of  faded  pelage. — Much  paler  on  upperparts,  usually  with 
more  or  less  of  a  rusty  suffusion. 

Skull. — Nearly  as  long  as  that  of  -floridanus,  but  slenderer  and 
lighter  throughout;  closely  similar  in  general  appearance  to  that  of 
chapmani,  except  for  its  greater  size  and  proportionately  smaller 
bulla? ;  supraorbital  processes  broad,  with  a  well-marked  incised  ante- 
orbital  notch  and  broad  postorbital  process,  usually  with  tip  for  from 
one-third  to  one-half  its  length  along  inner  side  resting  against  the 
skull  and  inclosing  a  small,  flattened  foramen ;  rostrum  narrower  and 
slenderer  than  in  floridanus;  braincase  narrower;  molar  series  much 
heavier  and  bullae  smaller. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  418;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 56 ;  hind  foot,  92 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  52. 

Remarks. — In  color  the  present  form  most  closely  resembles 
mallurus,  but  averages  much  more  rusty  reddish.  Its  decidedly 
smaller  size,  shorter  ears,  and  smaller,  lighter  skull  are  also  well- 
marked  points  of  distinction  between  it  and  mallurus. 

East  of  the  Mississippi  Eiver,  as  far  as  Mobile  Bay  and  western 
Tennessee,  the  typical  reddish  color  of  the  upperparts  is  present, 
but  the  size  is  decidedly  larger  than  in  typical  specimens,  and  the 
skull  is  often  scarcely,  or  not  at  all,  distinguishable  from  that  of 
mallurus,  the  animals  of  this  region  being  intergrades.  To  the  north 
it  intergrades  with  mearnsi  and  to  the  west,  along  the  border  between 
the  humid  timbered  section  of  east  Texas  and  the  arid,  treeless  plains 
of  that  State,  it  intergrades  with  chapmani.  The  change  from  alacer 
at  Port  Lavaca  to  typical  chapmani  a  little  farther  west  is  very 
abrupt.  Northward,  at  Cuero,  Gurley,  Llano,  Clyde,  and  Brazos, 
intermediates  between  the  two  forms  occur,  but  usually  they  are 
nearer  one  form  or  the  other.  Frequently  specimens  almost  typical 
of  both  forms  occur  in  these  intermediate  localities. 

A  series  of  March  specimens  from  Mount  Scott,  Oklahoma,  and 
two  skins  taken  the  same  month  at  Gurley,  Texas,  are  unusually  pale, 
apparently  owing  to  bleaching.  Two  fine  fall  and  early  winter  skins 
from  Stuttgart,  Arkansas,  and  Avery,  Louisiana,  are  very  dark  rich 
rusty  brown,  and  the  color  of  worn  specimens  from  other  points  of 
the  lower  Mississippi  indicate  that  alacer  reaches  its  most  intensely 
colored  condition  in  this  part  of  its  range,  with  the  deepest  suffusion 
of  rusty  on  the  back  and  darkest  ferruginous  on  the  nape  and  legs. 
The  Mount  Scott,  Oklahoma,  specimens  are  the  palest  and  least  rusty, 
with  the  fore  legs  pale  rufous  and  with  but  little  rusty  on  the  hind 
legs.  One  skull  from  Mobile,  Alabama,  is  nearly  typical  alacer, 
while  one  from  Washington,  Mississippi,  is  much  larger  and  heavier 
and  more  like  that  of  mallurus,  but  the  color  of  the  pelage  is  that  of 
true  alacer,  to  which  it  must  be  referred.  A  specimen  from  Arling- 
ton, Tennessee,  is  also  large  with  a  large,  mallurus-like  skull  but  rusty 


176  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

reddish  pelage.  Summer  specimens  from  several  places  in  western 
Tennessee  are  darker  and  more  rufous  than  typical  alacer,  but  their 
skulls  are  scarcely  distinguishable  from  mearnsi.  In  the  present 
instances  it  appears  to  give  the  most  logical  results  to  consider  the 
color  as  the  determining  factor  in  the  separation  of  alacer  from 
mallums  and  mearnsi.  At  Wichita,  Kansas,  they  are  intergrades 
with  mearnsi,  but  are  nearest  alacer. 

A  series  of  specimens  taken  by  A.  H.  Howell  during  the  summer 
and  fall  of  1908  shows  that  alacer  ranges  east  throughout  nearly  all 
of  Alabama  to  Tate,  northwest  Georgia. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  126,  from: 

Alabama:  Audubon,  4;   Castleberry,   4;   Huntsville,  3;   Mobile   Bay,   1; 

Scottsboro,  1. 
Georgia:  Tate,  1. 
Mississippi:   Bay  St.  Louis,  4;  Fayette,  1;   Holly  Springs,  1;  Micbigan 

City,  1. 
Louisiana:  Alexandria,  1;  Avery,  1;  Belcher,  1;  Cartville,  3;  Foster,  1; 
Haugbton,  1 ;  Lake  Catherine,  1 ;  Lecompte,  1 ;  Madisonville,  1 ;  Mer 
Rouge,  2 ;  Natchitoches,  1 ;  Perry,  3 ;  Pointe  aux  Loups  Springs,  2 ; 
Bayne,  1'. 
Tennessee:  Arlington,  2;  Big  Sandy,  2;   Danville,  1;  Raleigh,  1;   Sani- 

burg,  1. 
Missouri:   Columbia,  3;  Golden  City,  1;  Tieduiont,  1;  St.  Louis,  2;  Stone 

County,  2;  Stotesbury,  2. 
Arkansas:    Stuttgart,  1. 

Kansas:   Belleplain  1;  Chetopa,  1  ;  Garden  Plain,  1;  Wichita,  3. 
Oklahoma:   Fort  Cobb,  1 ;  Fort  Gibson,  1 ;  Mount  Scott,  8 ;  Red  Fork,  1 ; 

Savanna,  1;  Stillwell,  13;  Wichita  Mountains,  1;  Woodward,  1. 
Texas:   Brazos,  2;  Canadian,  2;  Decatur,  1;   Gainesville,  2;   Gurley,  4; 
Henrietta,  1;  Indianola,  1;  Jasper,  1;  Joaquin,  1;  Lipscomb,  1:  Mata- 
gorda, G ;  Mobeetie,  1 ;  Port  Lavaca,  1 ;  Richmond,  1 ;  Sour  Lake,  4 ; 
Texarkana,  1 ;  Vernon,  2 ;  Virginia  Point,  1. 

SYLVILAGUS  FLORIDANUS  CHAPMANI   (Allen). 

Texas   Cottontail. 

(PI.  IX,  fig.  3.) 

Lcinis  floridanus  chapmani  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  XII,  pp. 

12-13,  March  4,  1899.     Type  from  Corpus  Chrjsti,  Texas;  No.  f  fff ,   $   ad., 

American  Museum  of  Natural  History;  collected  by  F.  M.  Chapman,  April 

10,  1S91. 
Lepus  floridanus  caniclunis  Miller,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Philadelphia,  October, 

1899,  pp.  388-389.     Type  from  Fort  Clark,  Texas ;  No.  63137,    $   ad.,  U.  S. 

National  Museum ;  collected  by  Dr.  E.  A.  Mearns,  December  27,  1S92. 
Lepus  simplicicanus  Miller,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XV,  pp.  S1-S2.  April 

25,  1902.    Type  from  Brownsville,  Texas;  No.  21805,    $  ad.,  U.  S.  National 

Museum  ;  collected  by  F.  B.  Armstrong,  October  19,  1S91. 

Geographic  distribution. — Arid  parts  of  middle  and  southern 
Texas  from  east  of  Corpus  Christi  to  mouth  of  Pecos  River  and  from 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   FLORIDANUS    GEOUP CHAPMAXI.  177 

near  Abilene  south  across  the  Rio  Grande  into  northeastern  Mexico 
to  central  Tamaulipas,  most  of  Xuevo  Leon,  and  northeastern 
Coahuila.  Vertical  range  from  sea  level  near  Corpus  Christi  up  to 
about  1,000  feet  altitude  near  Fort  Clark,  Texas.  Zonal  range 
mainly  Lower  Sonoran. 

General  characters. — One  of  the  smallest  of  the  forms  of  flori- 
danus; ears  short;  feet  small;  upperparts  dark  grayish  buffy  brown 
not  tinged  with  rusty ;  skull  light  and  slender  with  narrow  rostrum, 
small  molar  series  and  small  bullae.  Distinguished  from  its  nearest 
geographic  relative  alacer  b}7  grayer  color,  smaller  size,  shorter  ears, 
and  slenderer  feet;  from  floridanus  by  much  grayer  color,  smaller 
size,  and  lighter  skull. 

Color's  in  fresh  fall  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  dull,  slightly 
pinkish,  buff  overlaid  with  a  strong  black  wash,  the  buff  deepest  on 
middle  of  back;  sides  of  body  becoming  grayish  and  less  strongly 
washed  with  black;  rump  covered  with  a  not  strongly  marked  dark 
grayish  patch;  top  of  tail  dusk}7  brown  grizzled  with  gray;  outside 
of  ears  grayer  than  top  of  head  and  distinctly  edged  along  front  bor- 
der and  around  tip  with  black;  nape  dark  cinnamon  rufous;  front 
of  fore  legs  similar  to  nape  but  paler  and  duller,  becoming  still  paler 
on  top  of  fore  feet;  outside  and  back  of  hind  legs  dull  cinnamon 
brown  or  dull  rusty  cinnamon,  the  latter  extending  along  sides  of 
feet;  tops  of  hind  feet  pale  buffy  whitish;  underside  of  neck  dull 
dark  buffy  or  cinnamon  buff;  rest  of  underparts  white. 

Skull. — Smallest  and  lightest  among  the  forms  of  floridanus; 
much  like  that  of  orizabai,  but  rostrum  slightly  heavier;  much 
smaller  and  lighter  than  in  true  floridanus,  with  braincase  more 
rounded,  and  interorbital  and  frontal  region  narrower;  rostrum  slen- 
der and  tapering  rapidly  anteriorly;  bullae  small,  proportionately 
about  as  in  floridanus ;  jugals  slender,  usualty  with  a  well-marked 
groove,  ending  anteriorly  in  a  distinct  pit;  front  part  of  anteorbital 
process  usually  separated  from  skull  by  a  distinct  slit-like  notch; 
postorbital  process  proportionately  light,  with  posterior  end  resting 
broadly  against  skull  and  usually  inclosing  a  narrow  foramen,  but 
sometimes  closing  against  skull  its  entire  length. 

Average  measurements  (5  adidts). — Total  length,  403;  tail  ver- 
tebra1, 50.4;  hind  foot,  92;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  49. 

Remarks. — A  specimen  taken  at  Corpus  Christi  on  August  20  is 
very  richly  colored,  with  a  heavy  wash  of  glossy  black  overlying  the 
deep  pinkish  buff  ground  color.  This  represents  the  extreme  rich- 
ness of  the  full  pelage.  The  wearing  away  of  the  black  hairs  and 
fading  of  the  underlying  buff  soon  begin  to  change  this  into  the  paler 
and  duller  color  usually  seen.  The  pelage  becomes  most  worn  and 
faded  in  spring  and  summer  and  is  sometimes  quite  gray,  but  most 

85595— No.  29—09 -12 


178  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

such  specimens  are  more  of  a  dull  rusty  buffy  than  when  in  fresh 
pelage. 

S.  f.  chapmani  ranges  to  the  region  about  Fort  Clark  in  western 
Texas,  but  between  there  and  the  Davis  Mountains,  where  robust  as 
is  found,  no  member  of  this  group  is  known  to  occur,  and  the  material 
examined  shows  no  sign  of  intergradation  between  the  small,  short- 
eared  chapmani  and  the  large,  long-eared  roLustn*. 

An  abundance  of  additional  material,  showing  the  extent  of  indi- 
vidual and  seasonal  variation,  demonstrates  the  identity  of  Miller's 
rtDi'iihni'is  and  simplicicanus  with  chapmani. 

To  the  north  and  east  chapmani  grades  into  alacer  and  to  the 
south  into  connectt  ns  and  orizabce. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  127,  from : 

Texas:  Alice.   1:    Aransas   County,   1;    Beeville.    3:    Blocker   ranch,   1; 

Boerne,  1;  Brownsville,  6;  Camp  Verde,  2;  Clyde,  1;  Comstock,  4; 

Corpus  Christi.  21 :  Cuero,  1 ;  Del  Rio,  5 ;  Eagle  Pass,  1 ;  Fort  Clark, 

12;   Ingram,  2:   Japonica,  3;  Llano,  1;   Mason,  5;   Nueces  Bay,  3; 

Bio  Grande  City,  1;  Rockport,  7;  Rock  Springs,  2:  San  Antonio,  11; 

Stanton,  2 ;  Sycamore  Creek,  2 ;  Victoria  County.  2 :  Waring,  3. 
Tamaulipas    (Mexico):   Jaumave,   1;    Matamoras,   2;    Mier,   2;    Soto  la 

Marina.  2:  Victoria,  4. 
Nuevo  Leon  (Mexico):  Doctor  Cos.  1:  Lampazos.  1;  Montemorelos,  2; 

Rodriguez,  2. 
Coahuila:  Monclova,  1;   Sabinas,  2. 

SYLVILAGUS  FLORIDANUS  HOLZNERI   (Mearns). 

Holzner  Cottontail. 

(PI.  X,  figs.  1,  4.) 

Lc[)us  syVoaticus  hplzneri  Mearns.  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  XVIII,  No.  1081,  pp. 
554-557.  June  24,  1896.  Type  from  Douglas  Spruce  Zone  near  summit  of 
Huachuca  Mountains,  southern  Arizona :  No.  5S937,  9  ad.,  U.  S.  National 
Museum :  collected  by  F.  X.  Holzner,  August  29,  1S93. 

[Lepiis  sylvaticus]  subspecies  rigidus  Mearns,  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  XVIII, 
No.  1081,  p.  555  (footnote),  June  24,  1S96.  Type  from  Carrizalillo  Mount- 
ains, Grant  County,  New  Mexico  (near  Monument  31,  Mexican  boundary 
line):  No.  |HIt>  i  ad.  tJ.  S.  National  Museum:  collected  by  Dr.  E.  A. 
Mearns  and  F.  X.  Holzner,  April  21,  1S92. 

Lepus  (Sylvilagus)  durangte  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  T.,  XIX, 
p.  609  (author's  separates  published  November  12, 1903) .  Type  from  Rancho 
Bailon,  northwestern  Durango,  Mexico ;  No.  21377,  9  ad.,  American  Museum 
of  Natural  History ;  collected  by  J.  H.  Batty,  May  12,  1903. 

Geographic  distribution. — Higher  mountain  ranges  of  extreme 
southern  Arizona  and  southwestern  New  Mexico  and  thence  south 
through  the  Sierra  Madre  of  western  Mexico,  in  northeastern  Sonora, 
Chihuahua,  Durango,  western  Zacatecas,  northwestern  Jalisco,  and 
northern  Tepic.    Vertical  range  from  about  6,000  to  10,000  feet  in 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   FLORIDANUS   GEOUP HOLZNERI.  179 

southwestern  Chihuahua;  zonal  range  mainly  Transition  and  lower 
border  of  Canadian,  ranging  down  into  Upper  Sonoran  in  winter. 

General  characters. — Larger  than  chapmani  and  much  grayer,  with 
more  heavily  furred  feet ;  ears  much  larger  and  grayer  with  less 
black  on  border  and  tip;  rufous  on  legs  paler.  Most  like  S.  f.  sub- 
cinctus,  into  which  it  grades  on  the  southwestern  part  of  the  Mexican 
Tableland,  but  paler.  Compared  with  robustus  or  cognatus  a  little 
darker  and  more  buffy  on  upperparts. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — General  color  pale  grayish  buffy; 
top  of  head  and  back  pale  buff,  often  buffy  gray,  thinly  washed  and 
darkened  with  black,  but  becoming  much  grayer  on  sides  of  head 
and  bod}';  rump  iron  gray,  forming  a  poorly  marked  rump  patch; 
ears  similar  to  top  of  head  but  grayer  (paler  than  in  chapmani)  with 
only  a  slight  darkening  along  border  and  at  tips;  nape  rusty  rufous 
varying  from  light  ochraceous  rufous  to  tawny  rufous;  fore  legs  a 
little  paler  rufous  than  nape;  hind  legs  darker,  more  rusty  rufous 
behind  than  front  of  fore  legs,  becoming  ochraceous  buff  on  sides  of 
hind  legs  and  feet;  tops  of  feet  white,  usually  with  a  buffy  tinge; 
top  of  tail  dull  brown  grizzled  with  gray ;  underside  of  neck  grayish 
drab,  sometimes  pale  and  sometimes  with  more  of  a  grayish  buffy 
shade. 

Skull. — Much  like  that  of  subcinctus  but  bulla?  larger;  proportion- 
ately broad  across  braincase;  rostrum  lighter  and  more  rapidly 
tapering  than  usual  in  the  forms  of  floridanus,  but  in  this  resembling 
subcinctus,  chapmani ',  and  orizabcc;  supraorbital  processes  usually 
broad  and  heavy  but  compressed  close  to  skull,  especially  along 
postorbital  process,  and  inclosed  foramen  usually  much  reduced  or 
nearly  obsolete;  anteorbital  notch  usually  large  and  deep,  more 
strongly  marked  than  in  subcinctus  or  robustus,  the  skulls  of  which 
those  of  holzneri  most  closely  resemble.  Specimens  from  the  south- 
ern Sierra  Madre  of  Mexico  have  heavier  molars  than  those  from  the 
type  region,  thus  grading  toward  subcinctus. 

Average  measurements  (o  adults). — Total  length,  425;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 71 ;  hind  foot,  98 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  62. 

General  remarks. — This  form  in  winter  averages  paler  and  grayer 
than  chapmani  or  subcinctus,  and  varies  from  buffy  iron  gray  to 
light  pinkish  buff,  darkened  by  the  overlying  wash  of  blackish.  It 
lives  in  mountains  where  there  is  more  or  less  snowfall,  except  in 
the  extreme  southern  part  of  its  range,  and  the  winter  pelage  is  paler 
and  more  abundant  than  in  summer,  being  very  pale  gray  with  white 
feet  and  pale  rusty  nape.  The  freshly  molted  pelage  in  summer  is 
darker  than  at  any  other  time  and  appears  to  become  more  abundant 
with  the  approach  of  winter. 

Lepus  rigidus  and  Lepus  durangce  Allen  are  indistinguishable 
from  holzneri.    In  the  southern  part  of  its  range  in  Jalisco,  Zacate- 


180  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

cas,  and  southern  Durango,  holzneri  becomes  gradually  darker  on 
the  upperparts  until  they  pass  into  the  darker  subcinctus  and  through 
this  last  into  the  much  darker  orizabce. 

S.  holzneri  differs  from  S.  n.  pinetis  externally  in  its  rather  more 
rusty  buffy  color,  more  grayish  or  drab  underside  to  neck,  larger 
size,  and  longer  ears. 

The  skull,  compared  with  that  of  pinetis,  is  proportionately  nar- 
rower across  the  braincase  with  a  heavier  rostrum  (broad  and  flat- 
tened over  base  and  decurved  anteriorly  as  in  most  forms  of 
floridanus)  and  more  closely  set  post  orbital  processes,  which  nearly 
or  quite  touch  the  skull  along  their  inner  borders. 
Total  number  of  specimens  examined  56,  from: 

New  Mexico:  Animas  Mountains.  1;  Carrizalillo,  1:  Burro  Mountains,  3; 

San  Luis  Mountains,  5 ;  Silver  City,  1. 
Arizona:   Chiricahua  Mountains,  4;  Huachuea  Mountains,  13. 
Sonora  (Mexico):  Hall  ranch   (Guadalupe  Canyon),  2;  San  Jose  Moun- 
tains, 2. 
Chihuahua   (Mexico):   Colonia    Garcia.   3;    Guadalupe  y   Calvo    1-    San 

Luis  Mountains,  1. 
Durango   (Mexico) :  Arroyo  de  Buey,  2 ;   Cerro  Prieto,  1 ;   El   Salto.  3 : 

Guanacevi,  3 :  mountains  near  Guanacevi,  2 :  Iude,  1. 
Zacatecas   (Mexico):  Hacienda    San    Juan   Capistrano,   3;    Plateado,   3; 
Valparaiso,  1. 

SYLVILAGUS  FLORIDANUS  SUBCINCTUS  (Milleb). 

Jalisco  Cottontail. 

Lepus  floridanus  suoeinctus  Miller,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Philadelphia,  October, 
1899,  pp.  386-38S.  Type  from  Hacienda  El  Molino.  Negrete,  Michoacan, 
Mexico ;  No.  fflff,  9  ad.,  U.  S.  National  Museum ;  collected  by  P.  L.  Jouy, 
June  15,  1S92. 

Geographic  distribution. — Mainly  arid  plains  of  southwestern  part 
of  Mexican  Tableland  and  from  western  Guanajuato  to  northern 
Michoacan  and  southeastern  Jalisco.  Vertical  range  from  about 
3,500  to  G,000  feet  altitude  in  Jalisco;  zonal  range  mainly  Upper  and 
Lower  Sonoran,  but  extends  down  into  upper  border  of  Arid  Tropi- 
cal Zone. 

General  characters. — Size  small,  color  of  upperparts  buffy  gray: 
similar  in  general  appearance  to  holzneri  but  size  smaller;  ears 
shorter;  back  darker  gray,  and  rufous  on  legs  darker. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  varies  from 
pale  grayish  buff  to  creamy  buff  washed  and  darkened  with  blackish ; 
sides  of  body  and  rump  grayer ;  top  of  tail  dingy  brown  grizzled  with 
grayish;  underside  white:  ears  similar  to  top  of  head  but  grayer 
and  narrowly  bordered  with  blackish  around  front  border  and  at  tip ; 
nape  rusty  rufous  (near  tawny  ochraceous  of  Ridgway)  ;  fore  legs 
similar  but  more  of  a  cinnamon  rufous  and  shading  into  ochraceous 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS  FLORIDANUS   GROUP RESTRICTUS.  181 

buff  on  fore  feet ;  hind  legs  a  darker  shade  of  cinnamon  rufous  vary- 
ing to  nearly  clay  color  and  shading  to  buff  or  ochraceous  buff  on 
hind  feet ;  underside  of  neck  varying  from  dull  cream  buff  to  clay 
color. 

Skull. — Similar  to  orizabce,  but  larger,  rostrum  similarly  short 
and  tapering;  also  much  like  that  of  holzneri,  but  smaller,  with 
smaller  bullae,  slenderer  rostrum,  and  slightly  broader,  heavier 
molars;  rostrum  heavier  than  in  orizabce,  but  lighter  than  in  chap- 
mani; interorbital  breadth  proportionately  great,  broader  even  than 
in  holzneri;  bullae  rather  large  compared  with  chapmani. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  400;  tail  verte- 
brae, 51 ;  hind  foot,  01 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  57. 

Remarks. — S.  f.  subcinctus,  holzneri,  orizabce,  and  chapmani  are 
very  similar  in  general  color,  but  the  legs  of  chapmani  are  much 
paler  or  less  rufous  than  the  others,  and  those  of  subcinctus  are  more 
rufous.  S.  subcinctus  is  an  intergrading  form  between  orizabce  and 
holzneri.  The  type  is  a  large  old  adult  with  a  decidedly  heavier 
skull  than  any  other  specimen  seen  from  the  district  about  the  type 
locality,  and  has  a  close  resemblance  to  the  skull  of  restrictus,  but  the 
color  at  once  distinguishes  it.  The  range  of  subcinctus  lies  just  to 
the  north  and  east  of,  and  immediately  adjoining,  that  of  restrictus, 
and  the  two  intergrade. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  30,  from : 

Jalisco  (Mexico):  Ameca,  1;  Atemajac,  7;  Etzatlan,  11;  La  Barca,  2; 

Lagos,  2 ;  Ocotlan,  2. 
Michoacan  (Mexico):  Acambaro,  1;  Negrete,  2;  Querendaro,  2. 

SYLVILAGUS  FLORIDANUS  RESTRICTUS  Nelson. 

Michoacan  Cottontail. 

SylrUagits  floridanus  restrict  us  Nelson,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington.  XX,  p.  82, 
July  22, 1907.  Type  from  Zapotlan,  Jalisco,  Mexico ;  No.  ft!!!,  $  ad.,  U.  S. 
National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection)  ;  collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson, 
April  25,  1892. 

Geographic  distribution. — Mainly  oak  and  pine  forested  slopes  of 
Sierra  Madre  in  Michoacan,  southern  and  western  Jalisco,  and  south- 
eastern part  of  Territory  of  Tepic,  Mexico.  Vertical  range  from 
about  4,000  to  9,500  feet  in  Michoacan;  zonal  range  mainly  Upper 
Sonoran  and  Transition,  but  ranging  down  on  south  slope  of  Sierra 
Madre  through  Lower  Sonoran  to  border  of  Arid  Tropical  Zone. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  subcinctus  in  size,  but  decidedly 
more  rusty  or  reddish  (almost  as  in  aztecus),  with  the  rufous  on  legs 
much  more  intense  and  brighter  than  in  any  other  form  found  about 
the  Mexican  Tableland. 

Color  in  nearly  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  upperparts 
of  body  varying  from  pinkish  buff  to  deep  ochraceous  buff  with  a 


182  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

strong  wash  of  black;  sides  of  rump  a  little  grayer  than  back;  ears 
ochraceous  brown,  grayer  than  top  of  head,  and  narrowly  edged  about 
anterior  border  and  at  tip  with  black;  nape  deep  rusty  rufous  (dark 
ochraceous  rufous  of  Kidgway)  ;  fore  legs  deep  cinnamon  rufous, 
rather  paler  than  nape,  and  shading  into  deep  ochraceous  buff  on 
fore  feet;  back  of  hind  legs  dark  cinnamon  rufous,  becoming  lighter 
on  sides  of  hind  feet,  and  pinkish  buff  to  ochraceous  buff  on  top  of 
hind  feet;  underside  of  neck  deep  cream  buff;  rest  of  underparts 
white. 

Skull. — Much  like  that  of  subcinctus,  but  in  typical  specimens  the 
rostrum  decidedly  heavier  and  less  tapering  toward  tip ;  interorbital 
breadth  narrower;  also  resembling  that  of  holsneri,  but  rostrum 
rather  heavier  and  less  pointed  and  bullae  smaller.  Specimens  from 
Patzcuaro  have  rostrum  light  and  pointed,  closely  approaching  that 
of  subcinctus ;  near  Zapotlan  and  thence  to  Tepic,  rostrum  heavy  and 
typical  in  form. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  422;  tail  verte- 
brae, 54;  hind  foot,  93;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  59.5. 

Remarks. — This  subspecies  is  based  mainly  on  color.  It  differs 
from  all  the  other  forms  found  about  the  Tableland  in  the  amount 
and  intensity  of  its  reddish  or  rusty  color.  In  fresh  pelage  it  some- 
times even  exceeds  dark  specimens  of  typical  foridanus  in  the  in- 
tensity of  the  rusty  or  rufous  of  the  upperparts,  especially  on  the 
nape  and  legs.  In  general,  the  color  closely  resembles  that  of  aztecus, 
russatus,  and  the  other  large  reddish  southern  subspecies.  A  speci- 
men in  fine  winter  pelage,  taken  March  3  on  Mount  Tancitaro, 
Michoacan,  is  unusually  brightly  colored.  The  back  is  deep  ochra- 
ceous buff  darkened  with  a  wash  of  black,  the  sides  and  rump  a  little 
grayer,  and  the  legs  deep  cinnamon  rufous. 

The  range  of  this  subspecies  is  restricted  to  a  long  belt  of  forested 
country  following  the  slopes  of  the  Sierra  Madre  through  most  of 
Michoacan  and  thence  west  into  southern  Jalisco  to  the  Sierra  Nevada 
de  Colima  and  from  there  southwest  to  the  city  of  Tepic.  It  pos- 
sesses one  of  the  most  limited  ranges  among  the  Mexican  forms.  The 
reddish  color  ordinarily  separates  it  at  once  from  the  gray  subcinctus 
Jiving  on  the  adjacent  arid  plains  to  the  north.  Two  specimens  taken 
at  Zapotlan,  Jalisco,  on  April  27  differ  from  others  of  the  series  taken 
at  that  locality,  and  elsewhere  within  the  range  of  restrictus,  in  being 
as  gray  as  typical  specimens  of  subcinctus,  but  their  skulls  are  like 
the  rest  of  the  series  from  Zapotlan. 

A  skull  from  the  city  of  Tepic,  Territory  of  Tepic,  is  typical 
restrictus,  but  unfortunately  I  have  no  skin  from  there.  An  adult 
female,  taken  March  23  southeast  of  the  city  of  Tepic  at  6,500  feet 
altitude  on  the  pine  forested  highlands  at  Laguna,  Sierra  de  Juana- 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   FLORIDANUS    GROUP ORIZABA.  183 

catlan,  in  central  western  Jalisco,  differs  so  much  in  skull  characters 
and  in  general  appearance  from  both  restrictus  and  suhc/'iicfi/s  that 
I  hesitate  to  place  it  with  either.  Awaiting  further  material  from 
that  district  I  have  placed  it  with  resfnctus— the  form  which  its  skull 
characters  most  resemble.  Its  color,  however,  is  grayish,  more  like 
subcinctus  than  restrictus.  The  skull  of  this  specimen  measures: 
Basilar  length,  58;  length  of  nasals,  33.8;  breadth  of  rostrum  above 
premolars,  21.2;  depth  of  rostrum  in  front  of  premolars,  15.3;  in- 
terobital  breadth.  19.5:  parietal  breadth,  27.8;  diameter  of  bulla?, 
11.2.  The  frontal  area,  including  base  of  rostrum,  is  very  broad  and 
arched ;  the  supraorbital  processes  are  small  and  depressed  below  the 
plane  of  the  frontal  region  instead  of  being  as  usual  raised  winglike 
above  it.  The  jugals  are  heavy,  especially  at  anterior  angle.  The 
skin  measures:  Total  length,  -155;  tail  vertebrse.  10:  hind  foot,  101. 

Since  Avriting  the  foregoing  I  have  received  for  comparison  through 
the  courtesy  of  Doctor  Allen,  of  the  American  Museum  of  National 
History,  a  series  of  cottontails  collected  by  the  late  J.  H.  Batty  from 
several  localities  along  the  borderline  between  western  Jalisco  and 
Tepic.  They  agree  with  the  Biological  Survey  series  from  Zapotlan, 
and  show  the  continuous  distribution  of  restrictvs  from  the  type 
locality  northv^estward  along  border  of  Tepic. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  53,  from : 

Jalisco  (Mexico):  Atenguillo,  1:  Estancia,  2;  Garabatos,  3:  La  Cienega, 
2;  La  Laguna,  2;  Las  Canoas,  6;  Llano  y  Casco,  2:  Rio  Aineea,  3; 
Zapotlan,  9. 

Michoacan  (Mexico) :  Los  Reyes,  1 ;  Mount  Tancitaro,  1 ;  Patzcuaro,  19. 

Territory  of  Tepic  (Mexico):  Ojo  de  Agua  (near  Ainatlan),  1;  city  of 
Tepic,  1. 

SYLVILAGFS  FLORIDANUS  ORIZABA   (Merriam). 
Mount  Orizaba  Cottontail. 

Lcpus  orizaba?  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  VIII,  p.  143.  December  29, 
1893.  Type  from  Mount  Orizaba,  Puebla,  Mexico;  No.  5331S.  $  ad..  U.  S. 
National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection)  ;  collected  by  E.  W.  Nel- 
son and  E.  A.  Goldman,  April  24,  1903. 

Lcpus  floridanus  persultator  Elliot.  Pub.  Field  Columbian  Mus.,  Zool.  ser.,  Ill, 
pp.  147-148,  Marcb,  1903.  Type  from  City  of  Puebla.  Puebla,  Mexico:  in 
Field  Columbian  Museum :  collected  by  F.  E.  Lutz.  May  9.  1901. 

Geographic  distribution. — Most  of  the  high  mountains  and  border- 
ing plains  on  southeastern  part  of  Mexican  Tableland,  from  Mount 
Orizaba  and  the  Cofre  de  Perote  on  the  western  border  of  central 
Vera  Cruz  through  northern  half  of  Puebla,  all  of  Tlaxcala,  most  of 
the  State  of  Mexico,  the  Federal  District.  Hidalgo,  Guanajuato.  San 
Luis  Potosi,  and  southern  Coahuila.  Vertical  range  from  about 
7,000  to  over  11,000  feet  altitude  in  eastern  Puebla ;  zonal  range  from 


184  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

Upper  Sonoran  through  Transition  to  the  Arctic- Alpine  division  of 
the  Boreal  Zone  (mainly  Transition). 

General  characters. — Smallest  and  darkest  gray  of  the  Mexican  sub- 
species of  / loridanus ;  much  like  chapmani  in  general  appearance,  but 
darker  gray;  nape  and  legs  a  deeper  or  darker  shade  of  rufous;  and 
ears  larger. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Dark,  nearly  iron  gray,  with  a  buffy 
tinge  on  top  of  head,  back,  and  sides  of  body  (dark  grayish,  heavily 
suffused  with  dull  ochraceous-buff  on  top  of  head  and  back  of  some 
individuals)  ;  sides  of  rump  grayer  than  back,  but  rump  patch  not 
well  marked ;  ears  a  little  grayer  than  back,  with  a  narrow  edging  of 
black  about  anterior  border  and  at  tip ;  nape  deep  rusty  rufous ;  legs  a 
duller  more  tawny  shade  of  same,  becoming  dull  chestnut  on  back  of 
hind  legs;  rufous  color  of  legs  shades  into  ochraceous  buff  or  buffy 
white  on  feet ;  top  of  tail  dusky  brown,  grizzled  with  gray ;  underside 
of  neck  creamy  clay  color ;  rest  of  underparts  white. 

Skull. — Small  and  light,  much  as  in  chapmani,  but  with  a  rather 
longer,  much  slenderer,  and  more  pointed  rostrum ;  bulla?  proportion- 
ately large. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  375;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 39 ;  hind  foot,  87 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  59. 

Remarks. — Winter  specimens  have  unusually  long  and  full  pelage, 
darkened  on  the  upperparts  by  an  abundance  of  long  black-tipped 
hairs.  As  the  latter  wear  off,  the  general  color  becomes  paler  and 
grayer,  especially  in  late  spring. 

Orizaba'  differs  from  subcinctus  mainly  in  its  smaller  size  and 
darker,  more  iron  gray  upperparts.  It  ranges  over  the  open  forests 
on  the  slopes  of  the  mountains  and  foothills  on  the  central  southern 
and  extreme  southeastern  part  of  the  Tableland  and  in  suitable  places 
on  the  adjacent  high  plains.  On  Mount  Orizaba  we  found  them 
living  in  scanty  patches  of  dwarfed  evergreen  shrubs  above  timber- 
line  (13.800  feet),  and  their  tracks  were  seen  up  to  above  14,000  feet. 
From  there  they  range  down  the  west  slope  through  open  pine  forest 
to  the  plains  of  Puebla.  Specimens  from  the  mountains  along  the 
backbone  of  the  Tableland  in  southern  San  Luis  Potosi  and  through 
Guanajuato,  while  not  typical,  appear  nearest  to  orizabce. 

The  type  locality  of  Lepus  persultator  Elliot  is  the  city  of  Puebla, 
Puebla,  in  the  midst  of  the  range  of  S.  f.  orizabce.  The  type  of  per- 
sultator. a  worn  spring  specimen,  proves  on  comparison  to  be  identical 
with  oHsabce,  and  thus  the  name  becomes  a  synonym  of  orizabce. 

S.  f.  orizabce  is  the  most  generally  distributed  cottontail  on  the 
mountain  sides  and  foothills  about  the  Valley  of  Mexico.  In  Quere- 
taro  and  Michoacan  it  intergrades  with  subcinctus,  and  in  San  Luis 
Potosi  and  adjacent  region  with  chapmani. 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS  FLORIDANUS   GROUP CONNECTENS.  185 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  49,  from: 

Coahuila  (Mexico):  Sierra  Encarnacion,  1. 

San  Luis  Potosi  (Mexico):   San  Luis  Potosi,  1. 

Guanajuato  (Mexico):   Santa  Rosa,  5. 

Hidalgo  (Mexico):  El  Chico,  5;   Encarnacion,  2;  Tulancingo,  6;  Zinia- 

pan,   2. 
Mexico  (Mexico):   Mount  Popocatepetl,  1;  Volcano  of  Toluca,  8. 
Federal  District  (Mexico):   Tlalpam,  8. 
Tlaxcala  (Mexico):   Huamantla.  2. 
Puebla  (Mexico):   Chalchieomula,  1. 
Vera  Cruz  (Mexico):  Las  Vigas,  5;  Mount  Orizaba,  2. 

SYLVILAGUS  FLORIDANUS  CONNECTENS   (Nelson). 

Alta  Mira  Cottontail. 

Lepus  fioridanus  conncctens  Nelson,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XVII.  p.  105, 
May  18,  1904.  Type  from  Chichicaxtle,  central  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico;  No. 
63660,  $  ad.,  U.  S.  National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection)  ;  col- 
lected by  E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A.  Goldman,  February  15,  1894. 

Geographic  distribution. — Coastal  plain  and  eastern  slope  of  adja- 
cent mountains  of  eastern  Mexico  from  Alta  Mira,  in  southern 
Tamaulipas,  through  eastern  San  Luis  Potosi  to  Pinal  de  Amoles, 
in  northeastern  Queretaro,  south  to  Papaloapam  River  in  Vera  Cruz, 
and  through  eastern  Puebla  to  Mount  Zempoaltepec  in  eastern 
Oaxaca.  Vertical  range  from  sea  level  near  Vera  Cruz  up  to  about 
9,000  feet  on  Mount  Zempoaltepec;  zonal  range  mainly  Arid  and 
Humid  Tropical,  extending  up  through  Upper  Sonoran  Zone. 

General  characters. — Large,  nearly  equaling  aztecus  in  size,  and 
resembling  russatus  and  aztecus  in  its  generally  reddish  coloration, 
but  with  much  larger  ears  than  either  and  with  the  rufous  on  hind 
legs  much  duller. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  deep  ochra- 
ceous  buff  heavily  washed  with  black;  sides  of  body  and  rump  a 
little  paler;  top  of  tail  rusty  brown;  ears  dark  buff}'  brown  washed 
with  black;  latter  color  strongest  along  anterior  edge  and  at  tip; 
nape  deep  rusty  rufous;  fore  legs  rusty  cinnamon,  shading  into 
ochraceous  buff  on  fore  feet ;  back  of  hind  legs  deep  rusty  brown, 
varying  from  rust}"  cinnamon  to  dark  russet,  becoming  paler  on  sides 
of  feet ;  tops  of  hind  feet  vary  from  white  to  dark  buff ;  underside 
of  neck  dark  creanry  buff;  rest  of  underparts  white. 

Sl-xll. — Most  like  aztecus,  especially  in  the  shape  of  the  heavy 
rostrum,  but  with  braincase  a  little  broader;  bullae  distinctly  larger; 
jugal  distinctly  grooved,  with  a  pit  anteriorly,  as  in  aztecus;  skull 
longer  and  proportionately  narrower  than  in  typical  fioridanus.  The 
larger  size,  as  well  as  the  broad,  heavy  rostrum  with  nasals  inflated 
and  decurved  near  tip,  serve  to  distinguish  connectens  at  a  glance  from 
chapmani  and  orizabce;  rostrum  not  so  deep  as  in  chapmani;  inter- 


,186  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

orbital  breadth  great,  equaling  true  florid  anus  and  proportionately 
about  as  in  aztecus;  the  broad  interorbital  area  and  small  bullae 
distinguish  it  from  rvssata.s. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  434;  tail  verte- 
brae, 58;  hind  foot,  94;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  60. 

Remarks. — S.  f.  connectens  ranges  from  the  more  scantily  for- 
ested coastal  plains,  which  are  arid  tropical  in  character,  up  through 
the  adjacent  humid  tropical  mountain  slopes,  wherever  natural  or 
artificial  openings  occur  in  the  heavy  forest.  Specimens  from  this 
humid  belt  average  darker  colored  than  those  from  the  more  arid 
plains,  but  the  differences  do  not  appear  to  be  constant  enough  to 
distinguish  them.  In  the  dry  season  specimens  from  the  more  arid 
coastal  region  average  paler  than  those  from  the  more  humid  moun- 
tain slopes. 

As  in  most  other  forms  of  this  species,  connectens  shows  a  consider- 
able range  of  individual  variation  and  also  varies  geographically  as 
it  grades  toward  chapmani  on  the  north  and  russatus  on  the  south. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  47,  from : 

Tamaulipas  (Mexico):  Alta  Mira,  6. 

Vera  Cruz  (Mexico):  Chichicaxtle,  S ;  Jico,  15 ;  Mirador,  1 ;  Orizaba  City,  1. 

San  Luis  Potosi  (Mexico):   Valles.  4. 

Queretaro  (Mexico):   Pinal  tie  Amoles,  5. 

Puebla  (Mexico):   Metlaltoynca.  3. 

Oaxaca  (Mexico):   Mount  Zempoaltepec,  4. 

SYLVILAGUS  FLORIDANUS  RUSSATUS   (Allen). 

Vera  Cruz  Cottontail. 

Lepus  (Sylvilagus)  russatus  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  XX,  p.  31,  Feb- 
ruary 29,  1904.  Type  from  Pasa  Nueva,  southern  Vera  Cruz.  Mexico :  No. 
17203,  $  ad.,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History ;  collected  by  A.  E. 
Colburn.  April  10,  1901. 

Geographic  distribution. — Coast  lowlands  of  southern  Vera  Cruz 
and  thence  east  into  adjacent  part  of  Tabasco  and  south  to  lower 
slopes  of  the  Cordillera.  Vertical  range  from  sea  level  to  about  3,000 
feet  in  southern  Vera  Cruz;  zonal  range  Humid  and  Semi-humid 
Tropical. 

General  characters. — A  well-marked  subspecies  of  medium  size 
and  reddish  color,  with  very  short  dark  ears  and  dark  rufous  legs; 
skull  narrow ;  interorbital  breadth  narrow ;  bulla?  proportionately 
large. 

Color  in  nearly  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  ochra- 
ceous  buff,  rich  and  dark  in  fresh  pelage;  sides  of  body  and  rump 
paler;  a  wash  of  black  darkening  sides  and  top  of  head  and  upper- 
parts  of  body;  ears  with  a  blackish  wash,  darker  than  crown,  and 
becoming  heaviest  along  anterior  border  and  about  tip ;  nape  bright, 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   FLORIDANUS   GROUP AZTECUS.  187 

almost  orange,  rufous;  fore  legs  cinnamon  rufous  shading  to  ochra- 
ceous  buff  on  tops  of  fore  feet;  back  of  hind  legs  dull  cinnamon 
rufous,  becoming  paler  and  duller  on  sides  of  hind  feet ;  tops  of  hind 
feet  clear  white  or  buffy  white;  top  of  tail  dusky  brown,  grizzled 
with  ochraceous  buff;  underside  of  neck  rusty  ochraceous  buffy;  rest 
of  underparts  buffy  white. 

Skull. — Interorbital  breadth  very  narrow,  less  than  in  any  other 
Mexican  form;  bulla1  proportionately  larger  than  in  any  others;  ros- 
trum heavy,  with  inflated  nasals  and  broad,  decurved  tip. 

The  heavy  jugals  and  narrow  braincase  show  its  close  relationship 
with  aztecus,  connectens,  yucatanicus,  and  chiapensis.  Skull  propor- 
tionately much  narrower  than  in  typical  florid  an  us:  jugals  about  the 
same,  but  with  a  shallow  groove  and  pit  at  anterior  end  nearly  or 
quite  lacking. 

Average  measurements  (o  adults). — Total  length,  416;  tail  verte- 
bras, 45 ;  hind  foot,  89 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin.  51. 

Remarks.— In  color  this  form  is  much  like  aztecus  and  others  of  the 
related  tropical  forms  in  Mexico  and  decidedly  more  rusty  yellowish 
than  true  floridanus.  It  has  a  rather  restricted  range,  as  far  as 
known,  being  confined  mainly  to  the  hot  semiarid  tropical  lowlands  of 
southern  Vera  Cruz.  Its  small,  short,  and  dark-colored  ears  and 
marked  skull  characters  at  once  distinguish  it  from  other  Mexican 
forms.     In  faded  pelage  it  is  more  buffy  than  aztecus. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  21,  from — 

Vera   Cruz   (Mexico):   Caternaco,   6;    Coatzacoalcos,   2;    Miuatitlan,   12; 
Pasa  Nueva,   1. 

SYLVILAGUS   FLORIDANUS  AZTECUS    (Allen). 

Aztec  Cottontail. 

Lepus  sylvaticus  aztecus  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.  N.  Y.  Ill,  p.  188 
(author's  separates  published  December  10,  1890).  Type  from  Tehuau- 
tepec  City,  Oaxaca,  Mexico:  No.  |^f,  $  ad.,  American  Museum  of  Natural 
History;  collected  by  Dr.  Audley  C.  Duller,  February  19,  1890. 

Geographic  distribution. — Coastal  plain  and  adjacent  foothills  of 
southern  Oaxaca  and  southeasterly  along  coast  of  Chiapas  nearly  or 
quite  to  border  of  Guatemala,  and  also  middle-northern  Costa  Rica. 
Vertical  range  from  sea  level  to  about  2.000  feet  altitude  in  southern 
Oaxaca;  zonal  range  Arid  and  Semi-humid  Tropical  zones. 

General  characters. — A  large  form,  larger  than  typical  floridanus; 
color  similar  to  that  of  russatus,  but  larger,  with  much  longer  ears, 
and  more  brightly  colored  hind  legs  and  feet ;  skull  large. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Head  and  upperparts  of  body  rich 
ochraceous  buff,  becoming  paler  or  grayer  on  sides  of  body  and  rump 
(still  paler  or  grayer  in  faded  or  worn  pelage)  ;  nape  deep  rusty 


188  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no. 29. 

rufous  (orange  rufous)  ;  fore  legs  rich  cinnamon  rufous,  shading  to 
ochraceous  buff  on  feet;  hind  legs  a  duller  cinnamon  rufous,  strongly 
contrasting  with  the  clear  white,  or  bright  buffy  white,  on  front  of 
legs  and  top  of  hind  feet;  top  of  tail  rusty  brown,  often  with  a  cin- 
namon rufous  shade;  underside  of  neck  ochraceous  clay  color;  rest  of 
underparts  white. 

Skull. — Large;  rostrum  long  and  heavy,  with  nasals  inflated  and 
decurved  near  tip ;  braincase  narrow ;  interorbital  area  broad,  much 
broader  than  in  russatus;  bullae  very  small  (as  in  chiapensis). 
Skull  most  like  chiapensis,  but  smaller,  with  narrower  rostrum  and 
interorbital  area.  Compared  with  true  floridanus,  the  skull  is  longer 
and  proportionately  slenderer,  with  interorbital  area  averaging 
broader ;  braincase  actually,  as  well  as  proportionately,  narrower  and 
bulla1  much  smaller;  jugal  heavy,  and  usually  with  a  distinct  groove 
ending  anteriorly  in  a  well-marked  pit;  nasals  average  longer  and 
proportionately  narrower;  base  of  rostrum  more  elevated,  giving  a 
more  arched  outline  to  upper  surface  of  skull  in  front ;  braincase 
more  elongated  and  outline  less  abruptly  descending  at  occiput. 

Average  measurements  (  5  adults). — Total  length,  444;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 54;  hind  foot,  97;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  58. 

Remarks. — General  color  much  as  in  russatus  and  chiapensis,  but 
the  hind  legs  and  hind  feet  are  much  more  brightly  colored,  the 
cinnamon  rufous  and  the  white  areas  being  clearer  and  more  sharply 
contrasted. 

Until  recently  I  supposed  that  no  form  of  Sylvilagus  floridanus 
ranged  beyond  Guatemala.  Recent  collections,  however,  prove  that 
this  species  occurs  as  far  at  least  as  middle  Nicaragua  and  even  to 
Tenorio,  northern  Costa  Rica.  The  single  specimen  known  to  me 
from  Costa  Rica  was  collected  January  30,  1908,  by  C.  F.  Under- 
wood, and  is  in  the  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology.  As  stated 
elsewhere,  the  Nicaragua  specimens  examined  by  me  are  referable 
to  chiapensis,  which  is  surprising  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  single 
known  Costa  Rica  specimen  is  very  brightly  colored  and,  with  the 
exception  of  being  a  little  grayer  on  the  ears  and  a  little  more  dusky 
on  top  of  the  tail,  is  not  distinguishable  from  S.  f.  aztecus  from 
Tehuantepec,  Oaxaca,  Mexico.  The  skull  characters  also,  including 
the  smaller  bulla?,  are  the  same.  This  appears  to  be  a  case  of  parallel 
development,  since  chiapensis  intervenes  in  the  territory  between 
Oaxaca  and  Costa  Rica. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  42,  from: 

Oaxaca    (Mexico):   Hnilotepec.   27:    Juchitan,   1;    Salina    Cruz,    1;    San 
Mateo  del  Mar,  6;  Santa  Eugenia,  3;  Santa  Maria  Petapa,  1;  Tapana, 
1 ;  Tehuantepec  City,  1. 
Costa  Rica:  Tenorio,  1. 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   FLORIDANUS   GROUP CHIAPENSIS.  189 

SYLVILAGUS  FLORIDANUS  CHIAPENSIS  (Nelson). 
Chiapas  Cottontail. 

Lepus  floridanus  chiapensis  Nelson,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XVII,  p.  106, 
May  18,  1904.  Type  from  San  Cristobal,  Chiapas,  Mexico ;  No.  75953,  5  ad., 
IT.  S.  National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection)  ;  collected  by  E.  W. 
Nelson  and  E.  A.  Goldman,  September  28,  1895. 

Geographic  distrljution. — Interior  of  Chiapas,  mainly  in  the  high- 
lands, the  adjacent  highlands  of  Guatemala  and  southerly  to  middle- 
northern  Nicaragua.  Vertical  range  from  about  2,000  to  over  10,000 
feet  altitude  in  Chiapas  and  Guatemala ;  zonal  range  mainly  upper 
Sonoran  and  Transition  but  ranges  down  to  upper  border  of  Tropical 
Zone. 

General  characters. — Largest  of  the  subspecies  of  floridanus ;  pelage 
coarse ;  color  of  upperparts  ochraceous  buff,  similar  in  size  and  gen- 
eral color  to  aztecus  and  yucatanicus  but  darker,  with  hind  legs 
duller  colored  and  underside  of  neck  darker. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  dark  ochra- 
ceous buff,  heavily  washed  with  black;  sides  of  body  and  rump  paler 
or  grayer ;  ears  darker  and  more  clay  colored  than  crown,  with  a  dis- 
tinct wash  of  blackish,  becoming  heaviest  along  anterior  border  and 
at  tip ;  upperside  of  tail  dull  rusty  brown ;  nape  deep  rusty  rufous ; 
fore  legs  vary  from  russet  to  deep  cinnamon  rufous,  shading  to  ochra- 
ceous buff  on  fore  feet;  hind  legs  vary  from  dull  cinnamon  to  dull 
cinnamon  rufous  becoming  more  tawny  ochraceous  on  sides  of  feet; 
tops  of  hind  feet  dull  ochraceous  buff;  underside  of  neck  nearly 
wood  brown,  darker  and  duller  colored  than  in  aztecus;  underparts 
of  body  mainly  similar  to  sides;  insides  of  legs  mainly  ochraceous 
buff,  limiting  the  dingy  whitish  area  on  underside  to  a  band  along 
ventral  line;  chin  and  throat  dingy  gray. 

Skull. — Large  and  massive,  largest  of  all  the  forms  except  yuca- 
tanicus, with  which  it  agrees  closely  in  size,  but  is  a  little  shorter  and 
narrower  both  in  interorbital  and  parietal  breadth;  bullae  smaller 
and  jugals  lighter;  skull  larger  and  heavier  than  in  aztecus,  with 
rostrum  much  broader  at  base  but  about  the  same  in  depth;  jugal 
more  deeply  grooved,  with  a  deep  pit  anteriorly;  bulla?  smallest 
among  the  Mexican  forms,  except  aztecus,  with  which  they  agree  in 
size  but  proportionately  smaller. 

Average  measurements  (o  adults). — Total  length,  463;  tail  verte- 
brae, 52;  hind  foot,  97;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  60. 

Remarks. — This  is  a  very  large,  coarsely  pelaged  cottontail,  which 
appears  to  range  from  the  highlands  of  Chiapas  southerly  through 
the  interior  of  Central  America  to  northern  Nicaragua. 

In  a  recent  paper  on  a  collection  of  mammals  from  Nicaragua  a 
Dr.  J.  A.  Allen  publishes  the  first  record  of  the  occurrence  of  a  form 

°  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  XXIV,  pp.  647-670,  Oct.  13,  1908. 


190  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

of  Sylvilagus  jloridanus  in  Nicaragua.  Three  specimens  were  sent 
the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History  from  middle  northern 
Nicaragua  in  the  region  about  Matagalpa,  and  another  specimen 
from  the  same  region  is  in  the  collection  of  the  Biological  Survey. 
Doctor  Allen  identified  his  specimens  as  S.  f.  chiapensis.  In  color 
they  are  perfectly  typical  chiapensis,  but  are  smaller,  with  shorter 
cars  and  hind  feet.  The  skull  is  smaller  than  typical  chiapensis, 
with  proportionately  wider  interorbital  breadth  and  larger  bulla?. 
However,  these  differences  do  not  appear  to  be  sufficiently  marked 
to  be  worth  more  than  passing  notice,  and  I  agree  with  Doctor  Allen's 
identification.  The  Biological  Survey  specimen  from  the  same  re- 
gion is  not  fully  grown,  though  in  fresh  adult  pelage,  and  is  brighter 
colored  than  the  others,  thus  approaching  aztecus. 
Total  number  of  specimens  examined  28,  from : 

Chiapas  (Mexico):  Canjob  ,  1 :  Comltan,  1 ;  San  Bartolome,  3  ;  San  Cristo- 
bal. 8;  San  Vicente.  8;  Tuxtla.  1. 
Guatemala:  Hacienda  Chancol,  1;  Jacaltenango.  1. 
Nicaragua:  Chontales,  1 ;  Jinotega,  1 ;  Leon,  1 :  Ocotal,  1. 

SYLVILAGUS  FLORIDANUS  YUCATANICUS  (Miller). 

Yucatan  Cottontail. 

(PI.  IX,  figs.  4,  6.) 

Lepus  floridanus  ljucatanicus  Miller,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Philadelphia,  October, 
1899,  pp.  384,  3S6.  Type  from  Merida,  Yucatan,  Mexico;  No.  \\m,  5  ad., 
U.  S.  National  Museum :  collected  by  A.  Schott,  February  22,  1S65. 

Geographic  distribution. — Coastal  plain  of  Yucatan,  Campeche, 
and  Tabasco.  Vertical  range  from  sea  level  to  about  500  feet  in 
Campeche.     Zonal  range  Arid  and  Semi-Arid  Tropical  zones. 

General  characters. — Size  large;  the  largest  of  the  subspecies  of 
-floridanus  except  chiapensis;  pelage  coarse;  color  rusty  yellowish, 
much  like  aztecus;  skull  very  large  and  massive  with  great  interor- 
bital breadth  and  supraorbital  processes,  including  postorbitals,  often 
fused  to  skull  as  thoroughly  as  in  the  swamp  rabbits. 

Color  in  nearly  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  rusty 
ochraceous  buff  as  in  aztecus,  but  sides  of  head,  body,  and  rump  dis- 
tinctly paler  or  more  grayish;  outside  of  ears  grayer  and  narrowly 
edged  along  front  border  and  tipped  with  blackish ;  top  of  tail  rusty 
brown  as  in  aztecus;  nape  deep  rusty  rufous;  fore  legs  dull  cinna- 
mon rufous  shading  into  ochraceous  buff  on  feet;  hind  legs  rusty 
cinnamon  behind,  varying  to  mars  brown,  and  becoming  paler  on 
sides  of  feet ;  tops  of  feet  white,  sometimes  shaded  with  buffy  but 
paler  than  in  chiapensis ;  underside  of  neck  varies  from  dark  creamy 
buff  to  dull  clay  color;  rest  of  underparts  white. 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   FLORIDANUS   GROUP COGNATUS.  191 

Skull. — This  subspecies  averages  rather  smaller  than  chiapensis,  but 
skull  larger  and  more  massive  (the  largest  among  the  forms  of 
fioi'idanus),  with  broad  heavy  rostrum  and  broad  interorbital  and 
frontal  area ;  bullae  decidedly  larger  than  in  either  aztecus  or  chia- 
pensis  and  same  actual  size  as  in  true  fioridanus,  holznerl,  and  rus^- 
sat  us,  though  proportionately  smaller.  Although  a  much  larger  and 
heavier  animal  than  true  floridanus,  it  has  decidedly  smaller  molars; 
jugal  heavy,  usually  with  a  groove  ending  in  a  decided  pit  anteriorly; 
supraorbital  processes  commonly  more  or  less  completely  fused  to 
skull,  often  as  in  typical  specimens  of  swamp  rabbits. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length  461;  tail  verte- 
bra?,  60;  hind  foot,  97;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  61. 

Remarks. — Yucatanicus  is  much  like  aztecus  in  color,  but  a  little 
paler,  with  the  light  and  rufous  areas  on  the  feet  and  legs  less  intense 
and  not  so  strongly  contrasted  with  the  color  of  adjoining  parts.  One 
of  the  strong  characters  is  the  extent  to  which  the  postorbital  process 
is  fused  to  the  skull,  thus,  in  combination  with  the  generally  heavy 
proportions  of  the  skull,  producing  a  close  general  similarity  to  the 
skulls  of  the  swamp  rabbits. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  15,  from: 

Campeche  (Mexico):   Campecbe  City.  3. 
Yucatan  (Mexico) :  Merida,  8 ;  Progreso.  4. 

SYLVILAGUS  COGNATUS   (Nelson). 

Manzano   Mountain   Cottontail. 

Lcpus  cognatus  Nelson,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XX,  p.  82,  July  22,  1907. 
Type  from  10,000  feet  altitude,  near  summit  of  the  Manzano  Mountains, 
New  Mexico;  No.  136569,  ad.,  U.  S.  National  Museum  (Biological  Survey 
collection)  ;  collected  by  A.  Rea,  February,  1905. 

Geographic  distribution. — High  mountain  summits  and  adjacent 
slopes  of  central-eastern  New  Mexico.  Vertical  range  from  about 
6,500  to  10,200  feet  altitude  on  Manzano  Mountains;  zonal  range 
mainly  Transition,  and  lower  part  of  Canadian  Zone. 

General  characters. — Color  of  upperparts  light  buffy  grayish,  as  in 
S.  rohustvs,  but  a  little  browner  or  more  buffy  on  the  ears;  skull 
smaller  with  more  slender  supraorbitals  and  smaller  bulla?. 

Color  in  fresh  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  dull  buffy  grayish 
darkened  with  wash  of  black ;  rump  dull  iron  gray,  forming  a  fairly 
distinct  patch;  top  of  tail  buffy  brown  washed  with  gray;  orbital 
area  rusty  buff;  sides  of  head  and  body  dingy  iron  gray,  tinged 
slightly  with  buff;  nape  light  rusty  rufous;  sides  of  neck  and  fore 
part  of  shoulders  underlaid  with  dull  rusty  buff  strongly  overlaid 
with  dull  buffy  gray ;  outside  of  ears  slightly  buffy  gray,  paler  than 
back  and  slightly  edged  with  blackish  about  terminal  third  in  front ; 
front  and  sides  of  legs  pale  rusty,  shading  into  buffy  whitish  on  tops 


192  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

of  fore  feet ;  back  and  outside  of  lower  hind  legs  and  outside  of  hind 
feet  rather  pale  dull  rusty  cinnamon,  washed  or  overlaid  with  gray 
tips  to  hairs;  tops  of  hind  feet  white;  underside  of  neck  pale  buffy 
grayish  underlaid  with  light  plumbeous  gray;  among  five  specimens 
one  has  the  underside  of  neck  pale  grayish  buff  underlaid  with  rather 
dark  dull  rusty  buff. 

Skull. — Closely  resembles  that  of  holzneri,  but  a  little  larger  with 
smaller  bulla?;  a  similarly  deep  notch  in  front  of  supraorbital,  but 
supraorbital  itself  much  lighter  and  narrower  with  a  more  slender 
and  tapering  postorbital  process  standing  well  out  from  skull,  givirig 
a  more  winglike  appearance,  and  touching  skull  only  at  or  very  near 
posterior  tip,  thus  inclosing  a  well-marked  flattened,  tear-shaped 
foramen ;  bulla?  distinctly  smaller  than  in  holzneri  and  much  smaller 
than  in  robustus. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  451;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 65 ;  hind  foot,  102 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  G7. 

Remarks. — The  present  species  with  S.  robustus  and  S.  f.  holzneri 
make  up  a  group  of  pale  gray  mountain  cottontails  which  have 
relatively  long  ears  and  certain  skull  peculiarities  which  make  them 
appear  very  different  from  the  ordinary  forms  of  floridanus.  The 
nearly  straight  upper  outline  of  the  rather  slender  tapering  rostrum 
is  most  like  that  of  ehapmani,  among  the  forms  of  foridanus  found 
in  the  United  States,  but  so  far  as  known  none  of  these  forms  inter- 
grade  with  chapmani.  Direct  intergradation  of  holzneri  with  flori- 
danus  takes  place  at  the  southern  end  of  the  Mexican  Tableland 
through  subcinetus,  orizabce,  and  other  forms  along  the  Gulf  coast. 
In  eor/natus,  as  in  the  case  of  both  robustus  and  holzneri,  there  is  con- 
siderable individual  variation  in  the  skull  and  especially  in  the  size 
of  the  bulla?. 

The  topotypes  of  the  present  form  from  Tajique  ranch,  at  10,000 
feet  altitude,  near  the  highest  part  of  the  Manzano  Mountains,  vary 
comparatively  little  in  size,  but  a  specimen  from  a  short  distance 
away  and  lower  down  on  the  east  slope  of  the  extreme  south  end  of 
the  range  is  larger  in  general  dimensions  and  has  much  longer  ears, 
about  as  in  robustus,  but  the  skull  is  only  a  little  larger  than  the 
average  and  agrees  with  those  from  Tajique.  The  type  measures  as 
follows  in  the  dried  skin :  Total  length,  390 ;  hind  foot,  100 ;  length  of 
ear  from  notch,  68.  Compared  with  7"obustus  the  skull  is  smaller  and 
lighter  with  much  smaller  bulla?  and  narrower  or  more  slender  supra- 
orbital and  slenderer,  more  tapering  postorbital  processes. 

Just  what  the  range  of  this  form  is  remains  to  be  determined. 
Specimens  in  the  Biological  Survey  collection  from  the  Capitan 
Mountains  and  from  north  of  Santa  Eosa,  New  Mexico,  belong  here, 
and  it  will  probably  be  found  on  all  suitable  mountain  elevations  in 
central  New  Mexico,  east  of  the  Kio  Grande.     Possibly  the  rabbits 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   FLOEIDANUS   GROUP COGNATUS.  193 

of  the  top  of  the  Sacramento  and  Guadalupe  mountains  are  of  this 
form,  or  may  be  intergrades  between  it  and  the  closely  related 
robust  us. 

As  in  the  case  of  robustus  and  holzneri,  in  winter  this  rabbit  has  a 
heavy  coat  with  large,  thickly  furred  feet,  very  different  in  appear- 
ance from  the  ordinary  short-haired  forms  of  floridanus  from  lower 
altitudes.  It  agrees  also  with  S.  n.  pinetis  in  its  abundant  pelage, 
but  is  much  paler  and  grayer.  There  is  also  considerable  resemblance 
between  the  skulls  of  cognatus  and  pinetis,  but  the  broader  rostrum, 
heavier  supraorbitals,  and  narrower  braincase  distinguish  the  former. 

The  skull  of  cognatus  suggests  that  of  rooustus,  holzneri,  and  pine- 
tis in  various  characters,  but  the  entire  set  of  seven  specimens  from 
the  Manzano  and  Capitan  mountains  has  smaller  bullae. 

A  single  specimen,  taken  at  about  9,000  feet  on  the  Datil  Moun- 
tains in  central  New  Mexico,  is  provisionally  referred  to  the  present 
form,  though  it  is  grayer  (less  washed  with  black)  on  the  upperparts 
than  any  of  the  Manzano  Mountain  specimens,  but,  like  one  of  these, 
has  the  underside  of  the  neck  pale,  slightly  buffy,  gray  underlaid 
with  pale  lead  gray ;  the  ears  are  also  paler  gray.  The  skull  differs 
from  that  of  typical  cognatus  in  the  narrow  slender  rostrum,  and  has 
bullae  like  pinetis  or  holzneri  and  broad,  heavy  supraorbitals,  with  a 
broad,  heavy  triangular  postorbital  process  touching  the  skull  pos- 
teriorly and  inclosing  a  well-marked  oval  foramen.  The  general 
resemblance  of  this  specimen  places  it  nearest  to  cognatus,  of  which  it 
appears  to  be  a  slightly  varying  local  form,  such  as  is  probably  found 
on  each  isolated  mountain  within  the  range  of  this  species. 

The  badly  worn  summer  specimen  from  35  miles  north  of  Santa 
Rosa,  New  Mexico,  is  referred  to  cognatus  with  some  hesitation.  It 
has  long  ears  like  the  present  form,  but  the  fresh  pelage  on  the  top 
of  the  head  is  much  too  dark.  The  skull  is  somewhat  intermediate 
in  character  with  pinetis,  with  which  the  bulla?  agree  in  size,  though 
the  upperpart  of  the  skull  is  more  like  that  of  cognatus.  The  occur- 
rence of  specimens  of  cognatus  from  different  localities,  with  varying 
characters  not  uncommonly  indicating  more  or  less  of  an  approach 
to  pinetis,  combined  with  the  resemblance  between  holzneri  and  pine- 
tis, leads  to  the  suspicion  that  when  abundant  material,  covering  all 
the  intermediate  country,  is  at  hand  it  may  be  found  that  there  is 
distinct  intergradation.  In  this  case,  the  chain  would  be  complete 
connecting  the  forms  of  floridanus  with  those  of  S.  nuttalli;  and  as 
nuttalli  has  many  years  priority,  it  would  necessarily  replace  flori- 
danus as  the  name  for  the  enlarged  group. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  8,  from  : 

New   Mexico:    Capitan    Mountains,    1;    Datil    Mountains,    1;    Manzano 
Mountains,  5 ;  Santa  Rosa,  1. 

85595— No.  29—09 13 


194  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

SYLVILAGUS  ROBUSTUS    (Bailey). 

Davis  Mountains  Cottontail. 

Lepus  pinetis  robustus  Bailey,  N.  A.  Fauna  No.  25,  p.  159,  October  24,  1905. 
Type  from  6,000  feet  altitude  in  Davis  Mountains,  Texas;  No.  Ifffl, 
9  ad.,  U.  S.  National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection)  ;  collected  by 
Vernon  Bailey,  January  6,  1890. 

Geographic  distribution. — Davis,  Chinati,  and  Chisos  mountains  in 
southwestern  Texas.  Vertical  range  mainly  above  6,000  feet  in 
Davis  Mountains ;  zonal  range  mainly  Transition. 

General  characters. — A  large  pale  slightly  buffy  gray  species,  much 
larger  and  averaging  a  little  grayer  than  holzneri;  similar  to  cognatus 
in  color,  with  rump  patch  iron  gray;  feet  large,  thickly  furred, 
whitish ;  legs  light  rusty  or  rusty  cinnamon ;  ears  rather  large,  gray. 
Skull  in  general  shape  much  like  that  of  holzneri  and  much  larger 
than  in  cognatus,  with  supraorbitals  broader  and  more  winglike  and 
bulla?  conspicuously  larger. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  pale  dull 
buffy,  thinly  washed  with  black;  rump  iron  gray,  forming  a  well- 
marked  patch ;  sides  of  head  and  body  dull,  slightly  buffy,  gray ;  nape 
bright,  light,  rusty  rufous;  top  of  tail  dull  brownish,  washed  with 
gray;  outside  of  ears  pale  buffy  gray,  paler  than  top  of  back  and  with 
only  slight  indications  of  dusky  border  on  terminal  half;  front  and 
sides  of  fore  legs  light  rusty  rufous,  shading  into  whitish  or  buffy 
white  on  tops  of  fore  feet ;  back  and  sides  of  lower  hind  legs  a  little 
darker  and  more  cinnamon  rufous  than  fore  legs  and  shading  into 
pale  rusty  buff}'  on  sides  of  feet ;  underside  of  neck  pale  buffy  gray 
varying  to  nearly  drab  with  a  gray  wash,  or  to  dull  buffy  brownish 
washed  with  pale  buff  or  buffy  gray;  sides  of  neck  underlaid  with 
dull  rusty  buff,  or  rusty  buff}'  brownish  washed  with  gray,  or  pale 
grayish  buffy,  thus  forming  an  indistinct  collar  separating  the  gray 
on  sides  of  head  from  gray  area  on  sides  of  body. 

Worn  spring  or  summer  pelage. — In  worn  and  faded  pelage  the 
buffy  suffusion  on  top  of  head  and  back  is  mainly  lost,  and  the  entire 
upperparts  become  nearly  uniform  dull,  rather  pale,  iron  gray,  clear- 
est on  rump ;  owing  to  wearing  off  of  pale  tips  to  hairs  on  legs,  the 
rusty  areas  appear  much  darker  and  richer  than  in  fresh  pelage, 
while  for  same  reason  the  ears  become  darker  gray. 

Skull. — Largest  among  the  related  forms;  large,  long,  and  propor- 
tionately narrow;  similar  to  holzneri,  but  larger,  with  much  larger 
and  heavier  supraorbitals,  proportionately  smaller  molar  series,  and 
larger  bullae;  rostrum  long  and  tapering  slightly  to  a  rather  broad 
muzzle,  much  as  in  S.  f.  mallurus,  but  the  upper  outline  much  flat- 
ter and  without  the  strong  descending  curve  near  tip ;  braincase 
similar  to  mallvrvs  in  size  and  form;  supraorbitals  practically  the 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   FLORIDANUS   GROUP TRANSITIONALIS.  195 

same  in  size  and  form,  with  a  small  inclosed  slit-like  foramen  along 
inner  side  of  postorbital;  zygomatic  arch  similar,  but  molar  series 
proportionately  smaller;  bullae  much  larger;  basioccipital  more 
deeply  constricted  posteriorly. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  456;  tail  verte- 
brae, 61.8 ;  hind  foot,  103 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  68.3. 

Remarks. — The  pale  gray  rabbits  of  the  Transition  and  Canadian 
zones  on  the  mountain  tops  of  the  southwest  appear  to  be  closely 
related,  and  two  of  them,  S.  robustus  and  JS.  cognatus,  are  not  distin- 
guishable by  color,  although  they  are  separable  by  size  and  skull 
characters;  while  another  (holzneri)  is  very  close  in  general  color. 
8.  robustus  is  the  largest  and  most  isolated  of  the  species  of  this 
group,  and  may  be  readily  distinguished  by  its  large  size  and  long 
ears  with  the  accompanying  large,  heav}7  skull,  broad  supraorbitals, 
small  molar  series,  and  large  bulla?.  Two  of  the  five  specimens  of 
robustus  examined  are  smaller  than  the  others,  and  as  both  are  males 
and  the  three  distinctly  large  specimens  are  females,  it  appears  as 
though  the  ordinary  sexual  difference  among  rabbits  may  be  more 
strongly  marked  in  this  form  than  usual.  It  is  quite  probable  that 
when  material  is  available  from  the  Sacramento  and  other  high  moun- 
tains of  southern  New  Mexico,  the  intergradation  of  holzneri  and 
robustus  may  be  proved,  but  at  present  it  appears  best  to  treat  them 
as  distinct.  Winter  specimens  are  heavily  furred,  and  the  feet  are 
large  and  woolly. 

The  abundant  signs  of  a  large  cottontail  on  the  tops  of  the  higher 
mountains  in  Coahuila  and  adjoining  parts  of  northeastern  Mexico 
indicate  the  presence  of  a  close  relative  of  robustus.  These  signs 
were  especially  numerous  in  the  Guadalupe  Range  west  of  Saltillo. 
Persistent  hunting  failed  to  secure  one  of  the  rabbits  on  this  range, 
and  no  doubt  an  undescribed  species  or  subspecies  remains  to  be  col- 
lected in  the  mountains  of  that  region. 

In  winter  these  cottontails  sometimes  descend  to  much  lower  alti- 
tudes than  their  summer  home  and  may  be  found  at  such  times  within 
the  higher  parts  of  the  ranges  of  S.  a.  minor  or  S.  a.  cedrophilus. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  5,  from : 

Texas:  Chisos  Mountains,  1;  Davis  Mountains,  1;  Fort  Davis,  2:  Marfa 
(35  miles  south),  1. 

SYLVILAGUS    TRANSITIONALIS    (Bangs). 
New  England  Cottontail. 

(Pi.rx,fig.i.) 

Lepus  sylvaticus  transitionalis  Bangs,  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XXVI,  pp. 
405-407  (1894),  January  31,  1895.  Type  from  Liberty  Hill,  Connecticut; 
$  ad.,  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology  (No.  2407,  Bangs  collection)  ;  col- 
lected by  O.  Bangs.  November  6,  1894. 


196 


NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA. 


[no.  29. 


Geographic  distribution. — New  England  States  north  to  Rutland, 
Vermont,  southern  New  Hampshire,  extreme  southwestern  Maine, 
and  southwest  through  eastern  New  York  (including  southern  end 
of  Lake  George  and  Long  Island),  New  Jersey,  eastern  Pennsylvania, 
and  Maryland  to  Alexandria,  Virginia ;  also  along  the  Alleghenies 
through  West  Virginia  to  Roan  Mountain,  North  Carolina,  and  Brass- 
town  Bald  Mountain  in  extreme  northern  Georgia  (see  fig.  12).  Ver- 
tical range  from  near  sea  level  in  Virginia  to  6,000  feet  on  Roan 
Mountain,  North  Carolina ;  zonal  range  mainly  Transition  and  thence 
down  into  upper  part  of  Upper  Austral  Zone. 

General  characters. — Size  rather  small,  about  equaling  the  Florida 

cottontail ;  nearest 
mallurus  in  general 
color,  but  differs  from 
all  other  cottontails  in 
the  almost  uniform 
rich  pinkish  buffy, 
varying  to  almost 
ochraceous  buffy.  of 
the  upperparts;  back 
overlaid  by  a  distinct 
black  wash,  the  latter 
strongly  marked  and 
giving  a  finely  streaked 
or  penciled  effect  on  the 
buffy  ground  color  in 
place  of  the  usual  griz- 
zling seen  in  mallurus; 
rump  patch  obsolete  j 
ears  short,  rounded, 
and  broadly  margined 
on  inside  with  deep 
fulvous  or  ochraceous 
buffy ;  bullae  very 
small ;  supraorbital  process  decreasing  in  width  anteriorly  and  ending 
in  a  point  against  skull  with  no  anterior  process  or  notch;  posterior 
process  tapering  throughout  its  length  to  a  slender  and  usually 
divergent  point. 

Color  in  fresh  pelage. — Upperparts  of  head  and  body  usually  bright 
pinkish  buffy,  varying  to  a  deeper  almost  ochraceous  buffy  heavily 
overlaid  with  a  black  wash,  the  latter  coarsely  distributed  and  giving 
the  effect  of  black  streakings  or  pencilings ;  top  of  head  with  a  narrow 
black  patch  between  ears;  sides  of  body  less  heavily  washed  with 
black  than  back  and  slightly  paler  pinkish  buffy,  often  with  a  grayish 
wash ;  rump  slightly  duller  buffy  than  back,  but  only  indistinct  traces 


Fig.    12. — Distribution   of   the    New    England    cottontail 
{Sylvilagus  transitionalis) . 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS  FLORIDANUS   GROUP TRANSITIONALIS.  197 

of  a  paler  rump  patch ;  nape  rusty  rufous  varying  in  intensity ;  top  of 
tail  rusty  buffy  brown;  orbital  area  more  or  less  strongly  ochraceous 
buffy;  rest  of  sides  of  head  pale,  slightly  buffy,  grayish;  outside  of 
ears  dull  ochraceous  or  slightly  reddish  buffy,  washed  and  strongly 
margined  with  blackish:  inside  of  ears  with  long  whitish  hairs  on 
anterior  border  near  base  and  elsewhere  broadly  margined  with  deep 
ochraceous,  almost  rusty,  buffy ;  fore  legs  bright  rusty  rufous  shading 
into  paler,  more  ochraceous  buffy  on  tops  of  fore  feet ;  back  and  out- 
side of  lower  hind  legs  and  adjoining  parts  of  outside  of  hind  feet 
bright  rufous,  varying  from  a  rich,  almost  bright,  chestnut  rufous 
to  a  light  bright  rusty,  almost  orange,  rufous ;  tops  of  hind  feet  vary 
from  bright  whitish  to  pale  buffy  whitish;  underside  of  neck  varies 
from  deep  pinkish  buff  to  a  paler  shade  of  same,  and  agrees  closely 
with  the  clear  deep  pinkish  buff  along  lower  border  of  flanks. 

Worn  pelage. — The  rich  buffy  of  the  head  and  body  fades  to  a 
much  paler  shade,  and  the  rufous  on  legs  becomes  paler. 

Post juvenal  pelage. — Much  like  that  of  old  adults,  but  the  upper- 
parts  uniformly  much  darker  and  more  of  an  ochraceous  or  deep  pink- 
ish buffy  brown  with  a  lighter  wash  of  black,  and  even  less  traces  of 
a  pale  rump  patch  than  in  the  adults;  front  and  hind  legs  more  of  a 
dull  rusty  cinnamon  rufous ;  hind  feet  dull  ochraceous  buffy,  varying 
to  rusty  buffy  and  buffy  whitish. 

Skull. — Light  and  slender,  and  much  like  that  of  S.  flor/'danus 
ohapmani  in  its  small  rounded  braincase  and  narrowly  pointed  ros- 
trum; upper  outline  of  rostrum  decurved  anteriorly;  interorbital 
breadth  very  narrow,  narrower  than  in  any  other  cottontail  of  the 
eastern  United  States;  supraorbital  process  narrows  conspicuously 
along  outer  side  anteriorly,  thus  resulting  in  the  absence  of  the  an- 
terior process  of  supraorbital  and  rendering  anterior  notch  obsolete  or 
reducing  it  to  a  shallow  concave  depression ;  the  narrow  posterior 
process  stands  well  out  from  skull  and  tapers  to  a  slender  point 
slightly  or  not  at  all  touching  skull  at  tip  and  inclosing  a  well-marked 
oval  notch  or  foramen;  zygomatic  arch  light;  jugal  very  slender  and 
not  strongly  grooved ;  bulla?  ven7  small,  smooth,  and  rounded ;  smaller 
than  in  any  form  of  floridanus  in  the  United  States. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  388;  tail  verte- 
brae, 39 ;  hind  foot,  95 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  51.6. 

Remarks. — This  is  a  well-marked  species,  characterized  by  peculiari- 
ties of  pelage,  by  small  ears,  and  above  all  by  the  strikingly  peculiar 
form  of  the  supraorbital  process,  which  narrows  anteriorly  in  a  way 
not  seen  in  any  other  species  of  American  rabbit  except  Lepus  wash- 
ingtoni  and,  to  an  even  more  marked  degree,  in  Romerolagus.  The 
slender  tapering  form  of  the  posterior  process  of  the  supraorbital 
closely  resembles  that  in  S.  nuttalli  and  related  species  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  and  is  quite  distinct  from  any  form  of  ftoridanus.  The 
range  of  transit ionalis  overlaps  that  of  S.  floridanus  mallurus  over 


198  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [xo.  29. 

a  broad  area  between  the  Hudson  River  and  Roan  Mountain,  North 
Carolina,  without,  so  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  determine,  the  slight- 
est sign  of  intergradation.  /S.  transitionaMs  varies  but  little  through- 
out its  range,  and  specimens  from  West  Virginia  are  indistinguishable 
from  those  taken  in  Massachusetts.  The  small  amount  of  variation 
noted  in  the  considerable  series  examined  from  throughout  the  range 
is  due  mainly  to  the  varying  intensity  of  the  buffy  on  the  body  and 
the  richness  of  the  bright  rufous  area  on  the  hind  legs.  The  dark- 
colored  young  adults  in  their  postjuvenal  pelage  are  more  like  S.  f. 
mallurus  than  like  old  adults  of  transitionall*.  The  largest  speci- 
mens with  the  heaviest  skulls  examined  are  from  Alexandria,  Vir- 
ginia, and  Travelers  Repose,  West  Virginia,  but  otherwise  these  are 
perfectly  typical. 

During  the  summer  of  1908  Mr.  A.  H.  Howell  extended  the  known 
range  of  this  species  to  the  extreme  southern  point  of  the  Transition 
Zone  of  the  Alleghenies  on  Brasstown  Bald  Mountain,  in  northern 
Georgia.  The  slight  amount  of  geographic  variation  in  this  species 
is  remarkable.  Two  specimens  taken  early  in  December  at  Young 
Harris,  Georgia,  at  the  base  of  Brasstown  Bald  Mountain,  are  in  no 
way  distinguishable  in  color  from  winter  specimens  taken  in  Massa- 
chusetts; and  the  skulls  from  Roan  Mountain,  North  Carolina,  and 
Brasstown  Bald,  Georgia,  are  similar  to  those  from  Massachusetts. 
This  species,  as  in  the  case  of  some  forms  of  ftoridanus,  is  extending 
its  range.  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher  has  noted  their  northward  extension 
from  the  Hudson  River  Valley  in  New  York.  He  saw  the  first  indi- 
vidual at  Lake  George  on  October  18,  188-4,  but  it  had  been  known 
for  some  years  as  a  resident  species  12  miles  farther  south.  The  fall 
of  1907  he  found  them  very  abundant  about  Lake  George  and  still 
slowly  spreading  northward.  The  fall  of  1908  Mr.  G.  H.  Ross,  of 
Rutland,  Vermont,  writes  that  in  1889  cottontails  were  rare  in  that 
district  and  ranged  below  1,500  feet  altitude.  Since  then  they  have 
increased  in  numbers  until  they  have  become  plentiful  and  in  places 
entirely  replace  the  formerly  abundant  varying  hare.  They  now 
range  up  to  2,000  feet.  In  notes  accompanying  the  original  descrip- 
tion, Bangs  records  their  recent  extension  of  range  in  New  Hamp- 
shire. Mr.  E.  A.  Preble,  who  for  years  has  been  familiar  with  this 
cottontail  in  Massachusetts,  tells  me  that  it  is  a  much  more  strictly 
forest-inhabiting  species  than  -ftoridanus,  as  has  already  been  recorded 
by  Bangs. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  83,  from : 

Vermont:   Near  Claremont,  N.  II.,  1. 

New  Hampshire:   Charlestown,  1. 

Massachusetts:   Easthanipton,  2;  Marthas  Vineyard,  5;  Middleboro,  1; 

Wilmington,  13. 
Connecticut:  Sharon,  2. 
Bhode  Island:  Exeter,  9;  Lake  Worden,  S. 


1909.] 


SYLVILAGUS   NUTTALLI   GROUP. 


199 


New  York:  Montauk  Point,  1;  Shelter  Island,  2;  Sing  Sing.  3;  Hastings, 
1;  Catskill  Mountains,  2;  Lake  George,  8;  Miller  Place  (Long 
Island),  1. 

Pennsylvania:  Stroudsburg,  1;  Renovo,  1;  Round  Island,  5;  Summit 
Mills,  3. 

Virginia:  Alexandria,  1. 

District  of  Columbia:   Washingon,  1. 

West  Virginia:   White  Sulphur  Springs,  4;  Travelers  Repose,  2. 

North  Carolina:   Roan  Mountain.  2. 

Georgia:   Brasstown  Bald  Mountain,  1  ;  Young  Harris,  2. 

SYLVILAGUS  NUTTALLI  Group   (Subgenus  SYLVILAGUS). 
ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  COTTONTAILS, 

The  /S.  nuttalli  group  is  made  up  of  three  not  strongly  marked 
subspecies  belonging  mainly  to  the  Eocky  Mountain  and  Great  Basin 
regions  of  the  western 


United  States  (see  fig. 
13).  They  belong- 
mainly  to  the  Transi- 
tion and  upper  half  of 
the  Upper  Sonoran 
Zone.  The  group  con- 
sists of  S.  nuttalli,  S. 
n.  grangeri,  and  S.  n. 
pinetis.  Typical  nut- 
talli has  the  most  re- 
stricted range  of  the 
three  forms  and  is  con- 
fined mainly  to  the 
sagebrush  area  of  the 
plains  of  the  Columbia 
in  "Washington  and 
Oregon.  In  western 
Idaho  and  northwest- 
ern Xevada  it  grades 
into  the  paler  and 
slightly  larger 
grangeri. 

Throughout  a  large  part  of  its  range  grangeri  occupies  sagebrush 
plains,  mainly  in  the  Transition  Zone,  but  in  Utah  and  Nevada,  as 
the  plains  become  lower  and  hotter,  it  continues  to  occupy  the  Transi- 
tion Zone,  and  thus  becomes  a  mountain  species.  Throughout  its 
range  pinetis  belongs  to  the  Transition  Zone  and  is  characteristic 
of  the  mountains.  In  the  Eocky  Mountains,  from  the  Black  Hills 
of  South  Dakota  to  middle  New  Mexico  and  Arizona,  grangeri  and 


SNUTT/ILII 


^%%j  .S.  NUTTAL  L I  GRANGERI 
\S- NUTTALLI  PINETIS 


Fig.    1.- 


-Distribution    of   the    mountain    cottontails 
the  Bylvilagus   nuttalli  group. 


of 


200  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

pinetis  frequent  pine  forests,  lower  border  of  fir  forests,  and  aspen 
slopes.  They  have  thick,  heavy  pelage  and  heavily  furred  feet,  suit- 
able to  the  cool  climate  in  which  they  live.  In  many  places  in  sum- 
mer pinetis  reaches  an  altitude  of  over  10,000  feet.  In  winter  it 
frequently  descends  to  the  foothills  and  intrudes  on  the  ranges  of 
the  local  forms  of  auduboni.  In  the  mountains  of  southern  New 
Mexico  and  Arizona  pinetis  is  replaced  in  the  same  life  zones  by 
members  of  the  florid-anus  group  of  cottontails. 

Just  what  relationship  exists  on  the  sage  plains  of  Wyoming  and 
adjacent  areas  between  the  distribution  of  S.  n.  grangeri  and  S.  audu- 
boni  baileyi  has  not  been  determined.  As  a  rule,  however,  where  the 
representatives  of  nuttalli  occupy  the  mountains  they  are  replaced 
on  the  surrounding  plains  by  representatives  of  the  auduboni  group. 
In  such  cases  the  nuttalli  and  auduboni  groups  have  the  same  relative 
distribution  as  exists  farther  south  between  the  members  of  the 
floridanus  and  auduboni  groups.  An  apparently  trivial  but  sig- 
nificant resemblance  between  the  floridanus  and  nuttalli  groups  ap- 
pears in  their  compactly  rounded  bullae  with  polished  surfaces,  con- 
trasting with  the  more  inflated,  irregularly  rounded,  and  dull  surface 
of  the  bullae  in  the  auduboni  group.  The  small  light  skull  of  typical 
nuttalli,  with  its  small  supraorbital  processes  and  free,  diverging 
tips  of  the  postorbital  processes  is  very  unlike  the  skulls  of  most 
members  of  the  floridanus  group,  but  the  bridge  between  the  two 
appears  to  be  very  nearly  complete.  In  fact  the  collections  now 
available  show  that  the  Sylvilagus  nuttalli  and  S.  floridanus  groups 
are  so  closely  related  that  there  can  be  little  doubt  of  their  common 
origin.  The  relationship  between  Sylvilagus  floridanus  holzneri  and 
S.  nuttalli  pinetis  in  Arizona  is  so  extremely  close  that  I  have  hesi- 
tated to  separate  the  two  groups.  A  series  of  holzneri  and  pinetis 
from  all  parts  of  their  ranges  in  Arizona  may  yet  demonstrate  their 
complete  intergradation.  In  this  event  all  the  subspecies  now  re- 
ferred to  floridanus  must  necessarily  be  treated  as  subspecies  of 
nuttalli,  since  this  last  name  has  priority.  The  probability  of  the 
nuttalli  and  floridanus  groups  being  one  is  increased  by  the  fact 
that  the  ranges  of  the  two  are  strictly  complementary.  Collections 
should  be  made  between  the  ranges  of  S.  f.  similis  and  S.  n.  pinetis 
in  Colorado  to  determine  the  relationship  of  the  two  groups  at  one 
of  their  points  of  contact  where  the  resemblance  is  close. 


1909.] 


SYLVILAGUS   NUTTALLI   GROUP NUTTALLI.  201 

Average  measurements  of  the  Sylvilagus  nuttalli  group. 


13 

0) 

tic 

o3 
u 

> 

Skin. 

Skull. 

a 

a 

a   . 

-a 

a 

w 

a 

0) 

0     . 

"3 

S  O 

§£ 
-  r 

-a 

03 

.d 

J§ 

Origin  of  specimens 

a 

,— 

Si 

z.* 

So 

o3 

y 

c3 

33 

averaged. 

■J 

V 

0, 

OQ 

o 

be 

a 
ii 

1 

> 

o 
o 

■d 

c 

o  u 

a 

a> 
o9 

"3 
to 

a 

O  I- 

p. 

"So 

CO 

2 

o 

03 

.fl 

"el 

0J 

0) 
4) 

s 

33 

03 

A 

H 

H 

W 

w 

pq 

i-i 

« 

«  ' 

P- 

« 

Syl vilagus  nuttalli 

5 

352  44. 0 

89.8 

55.7 

47.3 

27.9 

15.2 

12.1 

15.3 

25.6 

10.9 

Washington. 

Sylvilagus  nuttalli  gran- 

6 

385[46. 0;95. 4 

55.8 

61.1 

29.9 

16.5 

13.6 

16.5 

26.2 

11.5 

Wyoming. 

ge  ri. 
Sylvilagus  nuttalli  pine- 

5 

386  59.6  94.0 

61.5 

52.0 

31.1 

18.4 

13.3 

17.2 

26.4 

11.1 

Prescott     and      Hualpai 

tis. 

i 

Mountains,  Arizona, 

SYLVILAGUS  NUTTALLI  (Bachman). 

Washington  Cottontail. 

(PI.  X,  figs.  3,  5.) 

Lepus  nuttaUii  Bachman,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat  Sci.  Philadelphia,  VII,  pt.  2,  pp. 
345-348,  PI.  XXII,  fig.  1,  1837.  Type  probably  from  eastern  Oregon,  near 
mouth  of  Malheur  River ;  No.  382,  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  Philadel- 
phia ;  collected  by  Thomas  Nuttall,  August,  1834. 

Lepus  artemisia  Bachman.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Philadelphia,  VIII,  pt.  1,  p. 
94,  1839.  Type  from  Old  Fort  Walla  Walla,  Washington ;  formerly  in  Acad- 
emy of  Natural  Sciences  (apparently  no  longer  extant)  ;  collected  by  J.  K. 
Townsend. 

Geographic  distribution. — Plains  and  lower  mountain  slopes  of 
Columbia  River  basin  in  eastern  Washington  and  Oregon ;  also  north- 
eastern California,  northwestern  Nevada,  and  western  Idaho.  Ver- 
tical range  from  about  100  feet  on  Columbia  River  to  about  3,000  feet 
altitude  near  Prineville,  Oregon ;  zonal  range  mainly  Upper  Sonoran 
and  lower  part  of  Transition  Zone. 

General  characters. — Size  rather  small ;  smallest  of  the  subspecies : 
ears  short,  broadly  rounded,  and  coarsely  haired ;  color  of  upperparts 
dark  fulvous  buffy  brown,  sometimes  dusky  fawn  color,  sides  a  little 
lighter  or  grayer :  rump  more  dusky  gray ;  skull  light,  with  rostrum 
narrow ;  postorbitals  slender  and  rodlike ;  bullae  medium  sized,  smaller 
than  in  the  other  forms. 

Color  in  fresh  pelage. — Top  of  head  plain  dull  buffy  fawn  color; 
top  of  back  varying  from  dull  dark  buffy,  tinged  with  fawn  color,  to 
dull  dark  fawn  color,  darkened  by  a  wash  of  black ;  sides  of  head  and 
body  slightly  paler  and  grayer ;  rump  dark  iron  gray,  forming  a  not 
strongly  contrasting  rump  patch:  nape  dark  rusty  rufous;  ears  dark 
gray,  edged  with  black  along  most  of  front  border  and  about  tip; 
inside  of  ears  dingy  gray ;  top  of  tail  dusky  brown,  grizzled  with  dull 
gray  and  clingy  buffy;  front  and  sides  of  fore  legs  light  rusty  rufous, 


202  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

becoming  much  paler  and  more  buffy  on  tops  of  fore  feet;  back  and 
sides  of  lower  part  of  hind  legs  varying  from  rather  dark  rusty  cin- 
namon to  a  pale  rusty  cinnamon,  shading  into  pale  dull  rusty  along 
outside  of  hind  feet ;  tops  of  hind  feet  white,  sometimes  tinged  with 
underlying  dull  rusty;  underside  of  neck  varies  from  dark,  slightly 
ochraceous,  buffy  to  dark  dull  butty  with  a  strong  tinge  of  fawn 
color;  middle  of  breast  and  abdomen  usually  nearly  or  quite  pure 
white  to  base  of  hairs  and  underfur,  thus  forming  a  pure  white  area 
surrounded  by  an  area  with  underfur  slate  color  at  base,  this  color 
showing  through  thin  surface  layer  of  white,  giving  a  bluish  gray 
tinge. 

Worn  pelage. — The  pelage  fades  in  spring  and  summer  to  a  much 
paler  or  grayer  buffy,  and  finally  wears  away  until  the  upperparts 
become  more  or  less  darkened  by  the  exposure  of  the  underlying 
dusky  brown  or  dark  brownish  buffy  underfur. 

Post juvenal  pelage.— Upperparts  dull,  finely  grizzled,  grayish 
buffy,  much  paler  than  old  adults  and  with  more  of  a  creamy  shade 
to  the  buffy ;  rump  patch  dusky  grayish,  much  more  indistinct  than 
in  adults;  top  of  tail  dusky  brown,  grizzled  with  buffy  gray;  nape 
and  fore  legs  duller  rusty  rufous  than  in  adults;  hind  legs  rusty 
cinnamon,  varying  in  intensity  and  paler  rusty  on  sides  of  feet, 
which  sometimes  become  buffy  on  top;  underside  of  neck  and  white 
area  on  middle  of  underparts  much  as  in  adults. 

Juvenal  pelage. — Upperparts  dusky  grizzled  gray,  slightly  paler 
on  sides  of  body  and  rump;  nape  dull  dingy  rusty;  ears  dark  dull 
gray,  more  strongly  bordered  with  black  than  adults;  fore  legs  and 
feet  pale  dull  rusty  buffy;  hind  legs  and  feet  paler  than  in  adults, 
with  a  slightly  more  cinnamon  shade  of  buffy,  palest  on  tops  of  feet ; 
underside  of  neck  and  body  about  as  in  adults. 

Skull. — Small  and  light,  in  general  form  much  like  that  of  S.  a. 
parvulus;  proportionately  short  and  broad  across  base,  with  slender 
rostrum  and  long  narrow  slightly  tapering  nasals ;  braincase  broader 
and  more  rounded  than  in  either  jS.  auduboni  arizonce  or  8>.  floridanus, 
and  with  a  distinct  rounded  bulging  on  middle  of  parietal  area  on 
each  side  crossed  by  suture  along  upper  border  of  squamosal;  this 
character  distinctive  and  gives  braincase  its  exceptionally  full 
rounded  appearance;  supraorbitals  attached  to  skull  much  as  in 
L.  baehmani  by  a  narrow  base  with  the  anterior  process  separated 
from  skull  by  a  deep,  narrow,  incised  notch ;  posterior  process  slender, 
tapering,  standing  out  broadly  from  skull,  except  at  posterior  tip. 
where  usually  nearly  or  quite  touching  skull,  and  thus  inclosing  a 
large,  well-marked,  flattened  oval  foramen ;  upper  border  of  premaxil- 
laries  forming  a  strong  beadlike  angle  on  each  side  of  rostrum, 
bordering  nasals;  molar  series  proportionately  heavier  than  in  either 
arizonce  or  baehmani;  bullae  proportionately  rather  large,  about  mid- 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   NUTTALLI   GROUP NUTTALLI.  203 

way  in  size  between  the  very  small  ones  of  bachmani  and  the  very 
large  size  of  arizonce,  but  compactly  rounded  with  polished  surface 
as  in  the  floridanus  group. 

Average  measurments  (5  adults). — Total  length,  352;  tail  verte- 
brae, 44 ;  hind  foot,  89.8 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  55.7. 

Remarks. — The  name  Lepus  nuttalli  for  many  years  drifted  about 
and  was  applied  in  turn  to  several  species  of  cottontails,  but  has  at 
last  been  fixed  where  it  belongs,  on  the  species  living  in  eastern 
Oregon  and  the  adjacent  area.  The  type  specimen  still  exists  in  the 
Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia,  and  is  very  young, 
scarcely  one-fourth  grown. 

In  the  original  description  the  type  locality  was  not  stated,  but 
the  species  was  said  to  frequent  the  borders  of  small  tributaries  of 
the  Shoshone  and  Columbia  rivers.  More  definite  information  is 
found  in  the  appendix  to  Townsend's  Narrative,  page  314,  where  he 
says:  "This  description  [of  the  type  of  Lepus  nuttalli]  is  from  a 
single  specimen  brought  by  Mr.  Nuttall  from  beyond  the  Kocky 
Mountains.  It  was  captured  on  the  banks  of  a  small  stream  which 
flowed  into  the  Snake  or  Shoshone  River,  where  it  was  not  uncom- 
mon. We  never  heard  of  it  on  the  Columbia,  and  presume,  therefore, 
that  it  does  not  inhabit  a  very  extended  range."  From  a  close  read- 
ing of  Townsend's  Narrative  it  appears  probable  that  the  type  of 
nuttalli  came  from  a  small  tributary  of  the  Snake  River  in  eastern 
Oregon  not  far  from  the  mouth  of  Malheur  River. 

Oregon  specimens  represent  typical  nuttalli,  and  are  the  smallest, 
with  the  smallest  and  most  delicately  formed  skulls,  of  any  of  the 
subspecies.  To  the  southward,  in  northeastern  California,  representa- 
tives of  this  form  become  a  little  larger  and  a  little  darker  colored 
than  typical  specimens.  A  skull  from  Cheney,  Washington,  is  larger 
and  heavier  than  usual ;  and  the  bulla?  are  much  larger  than  in  any 
other  specimen  examined,  and  even  exceed  the  size  of  the  bulla?  in 
typical  grangeri.  To  the  east  and  south,  in  Idaho  and  Nevada,  they 
become  paler  and  increase  in  size,  thus  grading  into  the  larger  and 
paler  grangeri.  The  darker  colors  and  smaller  size  of  nuttalli,  con- 
trasting with  the  paler  colors  and  larger  size  of  grangeri,  are  the 
only  tangible  characters  separating  these  two  forms.  It  is  inter- 
esting to  note  that  typical  S.  nuttalli  has  a  distribution  nearly  coinci- 
dent with  that  of  Lepus  calif ornicus  xoallawalla. 
Total  number  of  specimens  examined  68,  from : 

Washington:  Asotin.  1;  Cheney,  1;  Douglas,  1;  Fort  Spokane,  2;  Pull- 
man, 1;  Rattlesnake  Hills  (30  miles  east  of  Yakima),  1;  Bock  Lake, 
2 ;  Rockland,  1 ;  Soap  Lake,  1 ;  Spokane  Bridge,  4 ;  Touchet,  5. 
Oregon:  Burns,  1;  Crooked  River  (20  miles  south  of  Prineville),  'A;  Des 
Chutes  Valley,  1 ;  Heppner,  1 ;  Lake  Alvord,  1 ;  Plush,  1 ;  Prineville, 
2;  Shirk,  1;  Steen  Mountain,  1;  The  Dalles,  4;  Twelve-Mile 
Creek,  3. 


204  NOKTH   AMEKICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

California:  Beswick,  2 ;  Bieber,  1 ;  Bridgeport,  1 ;  Brownell,  1 ;  Burney,  1 ; 

Cassel,  1 ;  Hayden  Hill,  1 ;  Honey  Lake,  1 ;  Mayten,  1 ;  Millford,  1 ; 

Mono  Lake,  1;  Pitt  River  (North  Fork),  1;  Petes  Valley,  1;  Shasta 

Valley,  2;  Susanville,  2. 
Idaho:  Fiddle  Creek,  6;  Lewiston,  1;  Sawtooth  National  Forest,  2. 
Nevada:  Anderson  Ranch,  2;  Summit  Lake,  1. 

SYLVILAGUS  NUTTALLI  GRANGERI   (Allen). 
Black  Hills  Cottontail. 

Lepus  sylvaticus  grangeri  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  VII,  pp.  264-265 
(author's  separates  issued  August  21,  1895).  Type  from  Hill  City,  South 
Dakota;  No.  f-fff,  S  ad.,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History;  collected 
by  W.  W.  Granger,  August  11,  1894. 

Lepus  l[aticinctus]  perplicatus  Elliot,  Field  Columbian  Museum,  Chicago,  Zool. 
series,  III,  No.  14,  pp.  255-256,  December,  1903.  Type  from  Hannopec 
Canyon,  Panamint  Mountains,  California  ;  No.  12612,  $  ad.,  Field  Museum 
of  Natural  History,  Chicago ;  collected  by  E.  Heller,  May  12,  1903. 

Geographic  distribution. — Western  South  Dakota,  most  of  Montana 
and  Wyoming;  most  of  the  sagebrush  plains  of  Idaho  (except  ex- 
treme western  and  northwestern  parts),  Nevada  (except  northwestern 
corner  and  low  valleys  in  the  south)  ;  mountains  of  middle  eastern 
California  from  near  Mono  Lake  to  Panamint  Range;  most  of 
Utah,  and  northwestern  Colorado ;  extends  north  of  the  United  States 
into  southern  Alberta  and  Saskatchewan,  Canada.  Zonal  range 
mainly  Transition  and  upper  half  of  Upper  Sonoran  Zone. 

General  characters. — Upperparts  pale  buffy  gray  much  like  pinetis 
but  paler,  with  rufous  on  legs  brighter  or  more  intense ;  size  the  same ; 
ears  shorter;  skull  narrower;  rostrum  shorter;  interorbital  breadth 
narrower;  bulla?  larger.  The  pale  colors  of 'grangeri  give  it  a  super- 
ficial resemblance  to  S.  a.  baileyi,  but  the  shorter  more  hairy  ears  at 
once  distinguish  it. 

Color  in  fresh  pelage. — Top  of  head  creamy  buif  with  a  slight 
shade  of  fawn  color,  lightly  frosted  on  surface  with  gray;  top  of 
back  a  slightly  paler  shade  of  same  creamy  buff,  darkened  by  an  over- 
lying wash  of  black;  rump  patch  iron  gray;  top  of  tail  dull  buffy 
brownish;  underside  white;  sides  of  head  and  body  dull  buffy  gray, 
much  paler  and  grayer  than  back ;  nape  light  rusty  rufous ;  front  and 
sides  of  fore  legs  bright,  almost  orange,  rufous,  varying  to  a  slightly 
darker  and  more  cinnamon  rufous,  but  like  hind  legs  averaging  much 
brighter  rufous  than  in  pinetis,  and  shading  into  a  paler,  more  rusty 
buffy  on  tops  of  fore  feet;  back  and  outside  of  lower  hind  legs  simi- 
lar to  front  of  fore  legs,  but  rufous  deeper  and  richer;  outside  of 
hind  feet  more  or  less  strongly  shaded  with  rusty ;  tops  of  hind  feet 
white,  underlaid  with  a  tinge  of  rusty  buffy ;  underside  of  neck  dull 
creamy  buffy,  varying  to  a  dull  ochraceous  buffy,  with  a  wash  of 
grayish  on  surface;  rest  of  underparts  pure  white:  sides  of  neck 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   NUTTALLI   GROUP GEANGERI.  205 

rather  dull  grayish  creamy  buff  underlaid  and  tinged  with  a  dull 
reddish  brown;  ears  dull  grayish,  edged  about  terminal  third  with 
black. 

Worn  pelage. — Upperparts  bleached  to  grayish  white,  underlaid 
by  varyirg  shades  of  the  buffy  brown  underfur,  which  often  give 
badly  worn  specimens  a  much  darker  or  browner  appearance,  very 
different  from  freshly  pelaged  ones;  legs  average  brighter  rufous; 
outside  of  ears  duller  and  browner;  nape  deeper  and  richer  rusty; 
rump  patch  less  distinct. 

Postjuvenal  pelage. — Darker  and  more  grizzled  grayish  buffy  than 
adults,  with  rump  patch  much  less  distinct;  sides  of  body  only 
slightly  grayer  than  back ;  legs  bright  rufous,  as  in  adults. 

Juvenal  pelage. — Dark  dull  grayish  buffy;  rather  darker  than  in 
the  young  of  pinetis;  nape  and  legs  duller  and  paler  rusty,  often  be- 
coming rusty  buffy  on  legs  and  feet. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  pinetis  but  averaging  smaller,  slenderer, 
and  less  heavily  proportioned;  rostrum  narrower  at  base  and  brain- 
case  about  the  same  width ;  molar  series  heavy  as  in  pinetis;  bulla?  of 
Wyoming  specimens  smaller  than  in  typical  examples ;  in  Idaho  and 
Montana  bulla?  average  smaller  and  about  equal  those  of  typical 
nuttalli;  postorbital  process  touching  skull  at  extreme  posterior  end 
and  inclosing  a  flattened  oval  foramen. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  385;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 46;  hind  foot,  95.4;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  55.8. 

Remarks. — The  type  of  grangeri  from  the  Black  Hills  of  South 
Dakota  is  a  nearly  grown  young  in  the  grizzled,  dark  buffy  grayish 
postjuvenal  pelage.  Among  five  topotypes  examined,  only  one  is 
fully  adult,  and  it  is  in  extremely  worn,  ragged  condition,  with  the 
new  pelage  just  starting  in  places;  the  others  are  all  younger  than 
the  type.  For  this  reason  it  is  impossible  to  say  just  what  the  fresh 
pelage  of  the  adult  from  the  Black  Hills  is  like,  but  the  traces  of  it 
in  the  single  adult  indicate  that  it  is  similar  to  but  perhaps  a  little 
darker  than  various  specimens  in  good  condition  from  the  surround- 
ing region.  The  skulls  of  the  type  and  topotypes  of  grangeri  are 
characterized  by  a  proportionately  greater  breadth  of  braincase  than 
the  average  from  the  surrounding  region,  although  these  last  are 
noticeably  broader  than  in  average  nuttalli. 

The  type  of  grangeri  has  an  unusually  broad  braincase,  rounded 
on  the  sides,  and  larger  bulla?  than  a  much  more  adult  topotype ;  the 
skulls  of  nearly  grown  specimens  of  grangeri  are  characterized  by 
the  great  proportionate  fullness  of  the  braincase,  which  is  less 
marked  in  more  adult  condition,  when  the  rostrum  becomes  more 
fully  developed.  The  series  from  Montana  and  Idaho  have  broader 
and  heavier  molars  than  those  from  Wyoming.  Several  young 
adults  from  North  Dakota  and  Montana  have  the  rufous  on  hind 


206  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

legs  and  feet  very  bright  and  strongly  marked,  even  along  outsides 
of  feet.  The  bright  rich  rufous  on  the  hind  legs  in  a  series  of  typical 
grangeri  stands  out  strikingly  when  compared  with  an  equal  num- 
ber of  typical  nuttalli  and  pinetis. 

The  type  of  grangeri,  as  already  stated,  is  a  nearly  grown  young 
of  the  year  in  post ju venal  pelage.  It  is  of  about  the  same  age  and 
in  about  the  same  condition  of  pelage  as  the  t}^pe  of  pinetis,  from 
which  it  differs  in  the  lighter,  or  slightly  grayer,  color  of  the  upper- 
parts,  the  paler  rusty  on  the  legs,  and  shorter  ears.  The  only  adult 
topotypes  of  these  two  forms  are  both  in  badly  worn  and  faded 
pelage,  but  the  paler  colors  of  grangeri  are  apparent.  S.  n.  grangeri 
grades  into  pinetis  near  the  southern  border  of  "Wyoming  and  into 
nuttalli  somewhere  in  western  Idaho  and  northwestern  Nevada.  The 
exact  delimitation  of  the  ranges  of  S.  nuttalli  and  its  subspecies  still 
remain  to  be  worked  out.  To  the  north  grangeri  ranges  across  the 
Canadian  border  to  the  Cypress  Hills,  Saskatchewan,  and  no  doubt 
into  the  adjacent  part  of  Alberta. 

One  specimen  in  the  Biological  Survey  collection  (No.  139098) 
from  Lay,  Colorado,  is  indistinguishable  in  external  characters  from 
three  specimens  of  S.  a.  baileyi  from  the  same  place,  but  its  skull  is  that 
of  grangeri,  to  which  it  has  been  referred.  Several  other  specimens 
of  cottontails,  some  baileyi,  and  some  grangeri  from  northwestern 
Colorado  are  extremely  puzzling,  and  much  more  material  from  there 
and  elsewhere  in  this  State  is  needed  before  the  relationships  and 
ranges  of  the  several  cottontails  can  be  satisfactorily  determined. 

Specimens  from  southwestern  Nevada  and  adjacent  part  of  Cali- 
fornia have  slightly  longer  ears  and  average  smaller  and  lighter 
skulls  than  typical  grangeri,  but  these  differences  are  within  those 
ordinarily  seen  between  extremes  of  the  same  form.  Specimens  rep- 
resenting this  variation  in  ears  and  skull  collected  in  the  Panamint 
Mountains  on  the  eastern  border  of  California  were  described  as 
Lepus  laticinctus  perplicatus  Elliot,  but  with  the  Elliot  specimens 
and  considerable  additional  material  for  comparison,  I  am  unable  to 
find  sufficiently  definite  characters  to  warrant  recognition  of  this 
form.  Winter  specimens  from  Nevada  and  the  border  of  southeast- 
ern California  are  indistinguishable  in  color  from  others  taken  at  the 
same  season  in  Montana.  A  specimen  in  the  Merriam  collection 
(No.  5434)  from  Ogden.  Utah,  has  a  remarkably  slender  skull,  the 
braincase  being  extremely  narrow  and  resembling  that  of  S.  a.  ari- 
zonce,  but  the  rostrum,  supraorbitals,  and  bullas  are  of  the  grangeri 
type,  as  are  the  external  characters,  including  the  ears.  A  skull 
from  Upper  Kanab,  Utah,  also  is  very  narrow.  An  immature  speci- 
men from  Helper,  Utah,  is  darker  and  approaches  pinetis.  The 
small  series  examined  from  the  Coso  Mountains,  California,  have  the 
longest  ears  of  all,  and  in  this  character  resemble  those  from  the 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   NUTTALLI   GROUP PINETIS.  207 

Hualpai  Mountains,  Arizona.     Two  specimens  from  Mount  Ellen, 
Utah,  have  short  ears  and  dark  color  approaching  pinetis,  but  the 
skulls  are  shorter  and  proportionately  broader  and  the  bullse  larger, 
as  in  grangeri,  to  which  they  have  been  referred. 
Total  number  of  specimens  examined  120,  from : 

North  Dakota:   Fort  Buford,  4. 

South    Dakota:  Custer,    3;    Elk    Mountains,    1;    Hill    City,    6;    Spring 

Creek,  1. 
Montana:  Bowers,    1;    Bozeman,    1;    Eagle   Creek,   1;    Fort    Custer,    6; 

Frenchnians  River,  1;  Gallatin  County,  1;  Gardiner,  12;  Great  Falls, 

1;  Little  Dry  Creek,  1;  Robare,  2;  Sunday  Creek,  1. 
Idaho:   Big  Lost  River,  1;  Blackfoot,  1;  Lemhi,  3;  Lemhi  Valley,  2;  Lost 

River  Mountains,  1. 
"Wyoming:  Bridger  Pass,  3;   Deer  Creek,    1;    Devils    Tower,    3;    Fort 

Bridger,  3 ;  Green  River,  2 ;  Laramie  Mountains,  1 ;  North  Platte,  1 ; 

Rock   Creek,  3 ;    Sherman,   1 ;    Sundance,   1 ;   Wind  River  Basin,   1 ; 

Woods  post-office,  1. 
Colorado:   Douglas  Spring  (Routt  County),  1 ;  Escalante  Hills,  2;  Lay,  2; 

Meeker  (Rio  Blanco  County),  1. 
Utah:  Bear  Lake,  1;  Henry  Mountains  (Mount  Ellen),  2;  Helper,  1;  Hot 

Springs    (12    miles   north   of   Ogden),    2;    Laketown,    1;    Xephi,    1; 

Ogden,  3 ;  ranguitch,  1 ;  Upper  Kanab,  1. 
Nevada:  Carson,  3 ;  Gardnerville,  1 ;  Monitor  Valley,  1 ;  Mountain  City, 

2:  Paradise,  3;  Paradise  Valley,  2;  Reese  River  Valley,  5:  Truckee 

Meadows,  1. 
California:   Coso  Mountains   (Bryan  Mine),  3;  Panamint  Mountains,  5; 

White   Mountains,   1. 
Saskatchewan:   Cypress  Hills.  1. 

SYLVILAGUS  NUTTALLI  PINETIS   (Allen). 

Rocky  Mountain  (  'oti oxtail. 

(PI.  X,  fig.  2.) 

Lepus  sylvaiims  pinetis  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  VI,  p.  348, 
December,  J894.  Type  from  While  Mountains,  south  of  Mount  Ord, 
Arizona;  No.  fff^,  $  yg.,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History;  col- 
lected by  B.  C.  Condit,  August  14,  1894. 

Geographic  distribution. — Pine  forests  of  mountains  from  central 
Arizona  and  middle-western  New  Mexico,  north  through  Colorado 
except  northwestern  corner.  Vertical  range  in  Colorado  and  New 
Mexico  from  about  7.500  to  over  10.000  feet ;  zonal  range  mainly 
Transition  and  lower  edge  of  Canadian,  moving  clown  in  winter  to 
border  of  Upper  Sonoran  Zone. 

General  characters. — Largest  of  the  forms  of  nuttalli,  with  which 
latter  it  agrees  most  nearly  in  color;  darker  than  grangeri;  ears 
long;  pelage  long  and  abundant;  feet  large  and  furry;  upperparts 
vary  from  dull  creamy  buff  to  pale  dull  grayish  fawn  color,  always 
darkened  with  a  wash  of  black,  producing  a  generally  dark  buffy 


208  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

gray  tone;  rufous  on  legs  as  in  nuttulli  and  dull  gray  rump  patch 
not  so  strongly  marked  as  in  grangeri. 

Color  in  fresh  pelage. — Top  of  head  varying  from  dark  pinkish 
buffy  to  dull  ochraceous  buffy ;  top  of  back  varying  from  creamy  buff 
in  palest  specimens  to  a  dull  slightly  ochraceous  buffy  or  dark  dull 
pinkish  buffy,  sometimes  with  a  shade  of  dull  fawn  color;  the  general 
shade  always  darkened  to  a  dark  buffy  gray  by  a  thin  overlying 
wash  of  black;  rump  patch  dull  iron  gray  not  strongly  marked; 
sides  of  head  and  body  paler  and  more  buffy  gray  than  back;  sides 
of  neck  similar  to  top  of  back  but  less  washed  with  black;  nape 
usually  rich  rusty  rufous,  washed  with  paler  on  tips  of  hairs;  out- 
side of  ears  vary  from  pale  slightly  buffy  gray  to  darker  more 
grayish  buffy,  usually  edged  about  terminal  third  with  black;  top 
of  tail  dull  brownish,  grizzled  with  dull  grayish  or  buffy  gray;  front 
and  sides  of  fore  legs  rather  light  rusty  rufous,  shading  into  pale 
ochraceous  buffy  on  tops  of  feet ;  back  and  outside  of  lower  hind  legs 
varying  from  dull  rather  dark  cinnamon  rufous  to  a  paler  more 
buffy  cinnamon  (not  brightly  rufous  as  in  grangeri)  ;  a  paler  shade 
of  same  color  extending  over  outside  of  hind  feet;  tops  of  hind  feet 
white,  sometimes  more  or  less  tinged  or  underlaid  with  buffy ;  under- 
side of  neck  usually  deep  ochraceous  buffy,  becoming  paler  and  more 
of  a  dull  pinkish  buffy  in  unusually  pale  specimens ;  lower  border  of 
flanks  and  sometimes  inguinal  area  clear  buffy;  rest  of  underparts 
pure  white. 

Worn  pelage. — Top  of  back  first  bleaches  to  pale,  almost  whitish, 
buffy  gray  and  then  wears  down  to  the  darker  reddish  or  buffy  brown 
of  surface  of  underfur,  while  rufous  on  legs  and  nape  becomes  darker 
through  wearing  off  pale  tips  to  hairs;  in  this  condition  color  of  up- 
perparts  much  darker  and  very  different  from  color  in  fresh  pelage 
or  in  bleached  but  unworn  specimens. 

Post juvenal  pelage. — Upperparts  dark,  grizzled  grayish  buffy,  with 
ears  and  rump  patch  darker  and  less  distinct  than  in  adults. 

Juvenal  pelage. — Darker  and  more  yellowish  buffy  with  less  gray- 
ish than  in  any  of  the  other  forms. 

Skull. — Largest  and  heaviest  among  the  forms  of  nuUalli,  with 
supraorbitals  broader  and  heavier;  postorbital  process  usually  rests 
against  skull  along  inner  border  of  terminal  fourth ;  braincase  broad, 
rounded  and  inflated,  or  slightly  bulging,  on  sides  of  parietals;  jugal 
nearly  flat  in  middle  and  deeply  grooved  anteriorly,  the  groove  end- 
ing in  a  shallow  pit ;  molar  series  rather  heavy ;  bulla?  average  about 
the  same  size  as  in  grangeri  but  proportionately  a  little  smaller ;  ros- 
trum rather  long  and  tapering  to  a  narrow  tip ;  upper  outline  nearly 
straight ;  frontal  area  depressed  a  little  more  than  in  the  other  forms 
of  nuttalli  and  the  winglike  form  of  supraorbitals  more  strongly 
marked,  due  largely  to  their  greater  size. 


1909]  SYLVILAGUS    XUTTALLI    GROUP PINETIS.  209 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  386;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 59.6;  hind  foot,  94;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  61.5. 

Remarks. — The  type  of  pinetis  is  a  nearly  grown  young  of  the 
year  in  its  post  Juvenal  pelage,  and  the  single  adult  topotype  is  in 
extremely  worn  and  faded  condition.  Fortunately  a  specimen  from 
the  east  side  of  the  AYhite  Mountains  near  Springerville,  Arizona, 
practically  a  topotype,  is  in  fine  fresh  pelage,  and  agrees  with  a  con- 
siderable series  in  good  condition  from  the  mountains  of  Xew  Mexico 
and  Colorado.  These  give  a  definite  range  to  this  little-known  cotton- 
tail. Wherever  found  it  appears  to  be  restricted  to  the  higher  slopes 
of  the  mountains.  The  lower  border  of  the  range  of  pinetis  (as  in 
the  other  forms  of  nuttalli)  meets  the  upper  border  of  the  range  of 
various  forms  of  auduhoni  There  appears  to  be  little,  if  any,  real 
overlapping  of  the  ranges  of  members  of  these  two  groups,  except 
perhaps  in  winter,  when  the  heavy  snows  drive  pinetis  down  to  lower 
country  than  they  usually  frequent. 

A  series  of  pinetis  from  the  Hualpai  Mountains,  Arizona,  is  in 
extremely  worn  summer  pelage,  and  in  this  condition  the  specimens 
are  similar  to  those  from  other  parts  of  its  range,  but  have  distinctlv 
longer  ears.  The  skulls,  however,  can  be  closely  matched  by  others 
from  Colorado.  Winter  specimens  from  various  parts  of  Colorado 
are  closely  like  those  from  about  Halls  Peak.  New  Mexico.  The 
darkest  and  most  richly  colored  specimens  examined  are  in  the  War- 
ren collection,  from  Fort  Lewis  and  Glenwood  Springs,  in  western 
Colorado,  while  from  central  northern  Xew  Mexico  and  various 
parts  of  Colorado  a  number  of  winter  specimens  have  a  slight  fawn- 
colored  tinge  on  the  back.  These  variations  appear  to  be  mainly 
individual,  but  perhaps  are  partly  due  to  age.  There  is  considerable 
individual  as  well  as  geographic  variation  among  the  skulls  of 
pinetis.  The  molar  series  of  the  Arizona  specimens  available  for 
comparison  are  smaller  than  those  from  Colorado.  In  many  Colo- 
rado specimens  the  molars  are  considerably  larger.  The  molars  of 
the  series  from  northern  Xew  Mexico  also  average  larger  than  those 
from  Arizona,  but  are  not  so  large  as  some  of  those  from  Colorado. 
This  appears  to  indicate  a  progressive  increase  in  the  size  of  the  molars 
from  Arizona  to  Colorado.  The  Arizona  skulls  also  average  a  little 
smaller  than  those  from  farther  north.  The  variation  in  the  size  of 
the  bulla?  is  marked.  In  some  cases  this  is  purely  individual,  since 
specimens  with  large  and  small  bullae  sometimes  occur  in  the  same 
locality,  but  there  are  also  striking  local  differences,  which  are  illus- 
trated in  several  series  of  specimens  from  different  places.  These 
specimens  lead  me  to  suspect  that  they  may  represent  a  slight  local- 
ized form,  with  small  bulla?  peculiar  to  the  Canadian  zones  of  the 

S5595— No.  29—09 14 


210  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

higher  mountains.  For  example,  three  specimens  in  the  Warren  col- 
lection from  near  Lake  Moraine,  at  over  10.000  feet  altitude,  have 
strikingly  smaller  bullae  than  the  specimens  from  lower  altitudes  in 
Colorado;  while  in  a  series  of  six  specimens  from  Halls  Peak,  New 
Mexico,  without  any  altitude  given,  the  two  largest  skulls  have  bullae 
of  typical  size,  while  four  rather  smaller  and  slenderer  ones  have 
proportionately  much  smaller  and  more  rounded  bulla?,  just  as  in  the 
Lake  Moraine,  Colorado,  specimens.  The  color  and  other  external 
characters  of  the  series  with  large  and  small  bullae  appear  to  be  the 
same. 

The  skull  of  the  adult  topotype  of  pinetis  lacks  the  small  posterior 
molar  on  both  sides,  thus  making  the  molar  series  much  shorter  than 
usual.  This  is  the  only  specimen  examined  in  which  this  tooth  is 
lacking.  The  postorbital  processes  are  slenderer  than  usual  in  this 
skull,  inclosing  an  unusually  wide  foramen.  The  skulls  from  Hual- 
pai  Mountains,  Arizona,  and  one  from  near  Prescott  have  small 
molars.  One  of  the  Hualpai  skulls  has  small  rounded  bullae  as  in 
the  four  from  Halls  Peak  and  in  one  from  Tres  Piedras,  New 
Mexico. 

In  many  cases,  particularly  in  somewhat  worn  pelage,  the  external 
appearance  of  specimens  of  pinetis  is  so  much  like  that  of  specimens 
of  arizoncv,  or  other  neighboring  forms  of  auduboni  in  the  same  con- 
dition, that  they  are  very  difficult  to  distinguish.  The  skull  charac- 
ters, especially  the  proportionately  much  smaller  bullae,  usually 
readily  distinguish  pinetis. 

Under  Sylvilagus  cognatus  attention  has  been  drawn  to  the  appar- 
ently close  relationship  between  pinetis  and  the  two  representatives 
of  the  foridan  us  group  in  New  Mexico  and'  Arizona — holzneri  and 
cognatus.  The  nuttalli  and  foridanus  groups  again  come  in  contact 
on  the  basal  east  slope  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  near  Denver,  Colo- 
rado. There  the  ranges  of  S.  n.  pinetis  and  S.  f.  similis  nearly  or 
quite  touch,  and  these  two  forms  have  a  close  superficial  resemblance. 
Large  series  of  specimens  from  the  bordering  parts  of  the  ranges  of 
these  two  groups  are  necessary  to  determine  their  actual  relationship. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  111,  from: 

Colorado:  Arkins,  1;  Boulder  County,  1;  Buffalo  Creek  Post-office,  Jef- 
ferson  County,  1;  Conejos  River.  2;  Coulter,  1;  Crawford,  4;  Dead 
Lake  Divide  (El  Paso  County),.  1;  Estes  Park,  6;  Florissant,  1; 
Fortification  Creek  (near  Craig),  2;  Mount  Baldy  (near  Fort  Gar- 
land). 2;  Fort  Lewis.  1;  Glenwood  Spring,  8;  Golden,  2;  Gold  Hill.  1; 
Greenhorn  Mountains,  1;  Hayden,  3;  Hebron,  2:  Lake  Moraine,  3: 
Longs  Peak,  1:  Mancos,  3;  Medano  Pass,  1;  Poncha  Pass,  1:  Rio 
Grande,  1 ;  Sapinero,  1 ;  Salida,  3 ;  Santa  Maria  Lake,  1 ;  Walcott,  2 ; 
near  Yampa    (Wright's  ranch),  4. 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   ATJDUBONI    GEOUP.  211 

New  Mexico:  Arroyo  Hondo,  1;  Catskill,  1;  Cliusca  Mountains,  4;  Cop- 
perton,  2;  Costillo  Pass,  3;  Gallinas  Mountains,  2;  Halls  Peak,  6; 
Jemez  Mountains,  1;  Martinez,  4;  Raton  Range  (5  miles  north,  of 
Folsom),  2;  Road  Canon  (7  miles  southwest  of  Catskill),  1;  San 
Antonio  Mountain,  1 ;  Santa  Clara  Mountains,  1 ;  Sierra  Grande,  1 ; 
Taos  Mountain,  1  ;  Tierra  Ainarilla,  2;  Tres  Piedras,  2;  Twining,  1; 
Vermejo   Park,   1 ;    Willis,   1. 

Arizona:  Hualpai  Mountains,  5;  Pine  Springs,  1:  Prescott,  1;  Springer- 
ville,  1;   White  Mountains,  4. 

SYLVILAGUS  AUDUBONI  Group   (Subgenus  SYLVILAGUS). 

WESTERN  COTTONTAILS. 

Owing  to  lack  of  specimens  from  the  type  locality,  the  exact  status 
and  relationship  of  Sylvilagus  auduhoni  have  long  been  unsettled. 
Fortunately,  the  proper  material  is  now  available,  and  proves  that 
auduhoni  belongs  to  the  same  species  as  the  well-known  arizoiue, 
which  latter  has  hitherto  typified  a  group  of  subspecies.  Since  audu- 
honi has  priority  over  arizoiue,  the  latter,  with  the  subspecies  com- 
monly referred  to  it,  must  be  treated  as  subspecies  of  auduhoni. 
Abundant  series  from  all  parts  of  the  range  show  that  the  most  com- 
mon and  widely  spread  cottontails  of  the  arid  western  plains  and 
Pacific  coast  belt  of  the  United  States  and  middle  and  northwestern 
Mexico  belong  to  a  single  species  containing  a  group  of  twelve  recog- 
nizable subspecies,  of  which  auduhoni  was  the  first  to  be  named. 
More  in  detail,  the  range  of  the  auduhoni  group  extends  from  San 
Francisco  Bay  to  middle  Texas,  and  from  southern  Montana  to  Cape 
St.  Lucas  and  middle  Sinaloa,  western  Mexico,  and  to  the  Plains  of 
Puebla,  near  the  southern  end  of  the  tableland  in  interior  Mexico 
(see  fig.  14).  S.  auduhoni  is  about  the  size  of  the  common  cottontail 
of  eastern  United  States,  but  most  of  the  subspecies  average  smaller. 
There  is  sometimes  a  close  resemblance  in  general  color  between  some 
subspecies  of  auduhoni  and  some  subspecies  of  the  eastern  floridanus 
group.  Representatives  of  the  two  groups  may  be  readily  distin- 
guished, however,  by  marked  skull  characters,  and  usually  by  differ- 
ence in  length  of  the  ears. 

There  is  a  broad  belt  along  the  eastern  border  of  the  range  of  this 
group,  especially  in  Texas  and  on  the  tableland  of  Mexico,  in  which 
the  ranges  of  the  auduhoni  and  floridanus  groups  overlap,  but  I  have 
found  no  evidences  of  intergradation  between  the  two.  So  far  as  I 
am  aware,  no  form  of  auduhoni  reaches  the  east  coast  of  the  United 
States  or  Mexico,  and  no  form  of  floridanus  reaches  the  west  coast 
north  of  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec  in  southern  Mexico.  It  thus 
becomes  evident  that  the  anduhoiri  group  is  characteristic  of  the  west 
coast  region  and  the  foridanns  group  of  the  east  coast,  their  ranges 
overlapping  on  the  plains  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  Sierra 
Madre. 


212 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.  29. 


Typical  auduboni  occupies  the  most  humid  area  of  any  of  the  sub- 
species, and  is  the  most  deeply  brownish  in  color. 

Sagebrush  plains  and  similar  arid  brushy  open  country,  as  well  as 
the  slopes  of  the  desert  mountains,  with  scattered  growth  of  junipers 
and   pinon   pines,   are   favorite   haunts   of  the   western   cottontails, 


Fig.  14.— Distribution  of  the  western  cottontails  of  the  Sylvilugus  auduboni  group. 

which  are  often  very  abundant.  The  group  has  a  vertical  range  from 
sea  level  in  California  and  western  Mexico  up  to  about  8,500  feet 
on  some  of  the  mountain  slopes  of  the  interior  of  Mexico.  Its  zonal 
range  is  from  the  border  of  the  Arid  Tropical  Zone  in  Sinaloa,  Mex- 
ico, up  through  Lower  and  Upper  Sonoran  into  the  Transition  Zone. 


1909.] 


SYLVILAGUS  AUDUBONI   GROUP. 


213 


The  principal  external  character  of  these  cottontails  is  their  large 
ears,  while  the  main  skull  character  is  the  large,  roughly  rounded 
bullae.  In  general  the  skull  has  a  straight,  narrow,  and  rather  pointed 
rostrum,  comparatively  broad  braincase,  and  broad  and  winglike 
supraorbital  j>rocesses,  which  are  usually  elevated  above  the  plane  of 
the  frontals.  The  posterior  process  of  the  supraorbital  is  nearly 
always  broad,  and  the  terminal  end  of  the  blunt  posterior  point 
touches  the  skull.  The  skull  is  light  and  pointed,  and  in  general 
appearance  resembles  that  of  the  smaller  S.  bachmani. 

The  variation  in  size  among  the  subspecies  is  considerable,  but  the 
color  differences  are  most  marked.  For  instance,  typical  S.  auduboni. 
S.  auduboni  bailei/i,  and  8.  auduboni  parvulus,  so  far  as  color  goes, 
are  quite  different  looking  animals. 

On  the  western  plains  and  the  tableland  of  Mexico  these  cottontails 
commonly  occupy  deserted  holes  of  prairie  dogs,  badgers,  and  other 
mammals,  or  live  in  holes  and  crevices  under  cliffs,  among  rocky 
ledges,  or  even  under  deserted  ranch  houses.  They  are  not  known  to 
dig  their  own  burrows,  but  they  often  enlarge  old  ones  or  partly 
excavate  entrances  under  rocks  and  similar  places.  "Where  there 
are  no  burrows  or  natural  cavities  they  make  forms  among  dense 
vegetation. 


Average  measurements  of  the  Sylvilagus  auduboni  group. 


bo 

£ 

> 
o3 

m 

a 

Skin. 

Skull. 

c 

A 
Be 

A 

rostrum 
:Olars. 

21 

2  c 

eg 
§1 

A 

■5 

a3 

%4 

A 

8 

Origin  of  specimens 

1 

A 

3  |_B 

A 

A 

averaged. 

o 

s 

a. 

CO 

"3 

u 

a 

3 

A 

0) 

eu 
> 

o 

o 

id 

d'0 

a  as 

u 

a 

0 

to 
a 

0  fe 

A  © 

is 

CIO 

"3 

A 

O 

CD 

A 
CD 

u 

0 

0 

S 

S3 

6 

o 

'3 

cj            03 

0 

»i    a 

OS 

z 

En 

Eh 

a 

H        03 

\A 

a? 

c-    S 

Ph 

P 

Sylvilagus  auduboni 

5 

lis 

72.6 

86.0 

59.  g  54.  0 

30. 3  17. 8 

14.219.1 

26.4 

11.6 

Chico,  Sacramento  Val- 

ley, California. 

Sylvilagus  auduboni 

5<402|55. 0 

91. 0  69. 6. ">4. 4  30. 4  17.5 

13.8  18.1 

26.1 

11.6 

San  Emigdio  and  Alila, 

vallicola. 

California. 

Sylvilagus  auduboni 

5 

398,66.0 

89.6 

68.  C  54. 9131.018. 2 

14.018.6 

26.4 

12.3 

San  Diego  Co. ,  California. 

sanctidiegi. 

1 

l      1      ! 

Sylvilagus  auduboni 

5 

36ll46. 0  85. 8  62. 6  50. 4  26. 7  15. 9 

12.917.7  25  2 

12.1 

Near  Playa   Maria  Bay, 

confinis. 

III 

1 

Lower  California. 

Sylvilagus  auduboni 

5 

359.51. 4  84. 4  68. 9  51. 6  28. 4  16. 0  13. 4 17. 3  25. 3 

13.1 

Kingman,  Arizona. 

arizonse. 

Sylvilagus  auduboni 

5 

382  52. 0  S3. 0  65. 6151. 6,28. 2|17. 5 

13.0 

17. 8  24. 7 

11.2 

Sinaloa,  Mexico. 

goldmani. 

Sylvilagus  auduboni 

5 

351 52. 8 

80.0  59.148.7  26.516.2 

12.2 

16.5  24.8 

12.4 

Near  El  Paso,  Texas. 

minor. 

Sylvilagus  auduboni 

5 

375  46. 0 

89. 6 60.  7  50. 728. 5 17. 1 13. 0 

17.  0  25. 1 

12.4 

South  central  New  Mex- 

cedrophilus. 

ico. 

Sylvilagus  auduboni 

5 

384  50.0 

97.0 

66.0 

52.5  30.8 

18.0 

13.3 

17.l|26.6 

12.6 

Southwest  Colorado. 

warreni. 

Sylvilagus  auduboni 

5 

41157.0 

96. 4  64. 

52. 9  30. 4 

18.3 

13.9 

17. 6  26. 7 

12.3 

Bighorn  Basin  and  Land- 

baileyi. 

I 

er,  Wyoming. 

Sylvilagus  auduboni 

5  374149.0 

87.0 

55.0 

48.3  27.5 

16.7 

12.7 

16. 7  25. 1 

12.2 

Pecos  Valley,  New  Mex- 

neomexicanus. 

ico. 

Sylvilagus  auduboni 

5  359  45.8 

76.0 

57.3 

48.1  i27. 4 

16.4 

12.3 

17.6;25.4 

11.6 

Souiiiern  end  of  Mexican 

parvulus. 

| 

j        j 

Tableland. 

214  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

SYLVILAGUS  AUDUBONI   (Baibd). 
Sacramento  Valley  Cottontail. 

(n.  xi,  figs,  i,  5.) 

Lepus  auduboni  Baird,  Mam.  N.  Am.,  pp.  608-610,  pi.  58,  fig.  2,  1857.  Type  from 
San  Francisco,  California ;  No.  |^f  |,  U.  S.  National  Museum ;  collected  by 
Lieut.  W.  F.  Trowbridge   (type  now  lost). 

Geographic  distribution.  —  Interior  of  north-central  California 
from  Reel  Bluff  in  Sacramento  Valle}7  south  in  suitable  localities  in 
valley  and  foothills  to  north  end  of  San  Joaquin  Valley  (Chinese 
Camp  on  the  east  and  Los  Banos  on  the  west),  and  reaching  the 
coast  along  the  east  and  south  sides  of  San  Francisco  Bay,  and  thence 
south  through  the  adjacent  Santa  Clara  Valley.  Vertical  range  from 
sea  level  at  San  Francisco  Bay  up  to  about  4,000  feet  on  west  slope 
of  Sierra  Nevada ;  zonal  range  mainly  semiarid  Upper  Sonoran. 

General  characters. — Size  rather  large  (total  length  averaging  over 
400  mm.)  ;  upperparts,  including  head,  in  fresh  pelage  dark  buffy 
brown ;  ears,  compared  with  most  other  forms  of  this  species,  propor- 
tionately short,  grayer  than  back  and  strongly  bordered  about  tip 
on  outside  by  black ;  tail  large,  brown  above  and  fluffy  white  below. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Upperparts,  including  top  of  head, 
dark  ochraceous  buffy  brown,  darkest  and  most  heavily  washed  with 
black  on  top  of  back  and  shading  on  sides  of  head  and  body  into 
slightly  paler  buff  (sometimes  with  a  grayish  cast)  with  less  over- 
lying black;  rump  usually  like  rest  of  back  but  sometimes  with 
slight  indications  of  a  paler  or  grayer  rump  patch ;  in  occasional 
specimens  the  rump  patch  more  strongly  marked,  about  as  in  ordi- 
nary sanctidiegi;  top  of  tail  dull  buffy  brown  similar  to  back,  under- 
side pure  white;  ears  on  inside  grayish,  on  outside  buffy  brownish 
becoming  more  grayish  about  base  and  usually  shading  into  a  well- 
marked  blackish  border  about  tip;  nape  rich  bright  rusty,  almost 
orange  rufous;  front  and  outside  of  fore  legs  varying  from  rich 
bright  cinnamon  rufous  to  dark  ochraceous  buff  shading  to  ochra- 
ceous buff  on  tops  of  fore  feet ;  back  and  outside  of  hind  legs  and 
outside  of  hind  feet  brownish  cinnamon,  sometimes  becoming  more 
buffy  on  sides  of  hind  feet ;  tops  of  hind  feet  white  sometimes  tinged 
with  buff;  underside  of  neck  dark  slightly  brownish  buff  (nearly 
wood  brown  of  Ridgway)  ;  rest  of  underparts  pure  white. 

In  spring  and  summer  the  overlying  black  tips  of  hairs  on  back 
wear  away,  and  the  buffy  ground  color  fades  until  the  upperparts 
become  nearly  uniform  dull  grayish  buffy  or  sometimes  dark  buffy 
grayish. 

Juvenal  pelage. — Dull,  dark,  slightly  yellowish  buffy  brown,  some- 
times with  a  dull  slightly  grayish  cast ;  tops  of  feet  and  outside  of 
legs  deep  buffy,  sometimes  becoming  light  ochraceous  buff;  nape  pale 
rusty  rufous. 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS    AUDUBONI    GROUP AUDUBONI.  215 

Skull. — Rather  broad  posteriorly  and  tapering  forward  to  the  tip 
of  the  distinctly  pointed  rostrum;  braincase  rather  broad  but  not 
much  inflated ;  anterior  half  of  frontal  area  and  base  of  rostrum 
across  ends  of  nasals  distinctly  flattened;  sides  of  rostrum  at  base 
flattened  in  a  vertical  plane,  thus  giving  the  cross  section  a  veil- 
defined  rectangular  form ;  premaxillaries  rise  on  each  side  of  rostrum 
to  upper  border  of  nasals  and  make  a  well-defined  bead,  thus  empha- 
sizing the  angular  form  of  basal  half;  rostrum  proportionately  broad 
at  base  and  tapering  to  a  narrow  pointed  tip ;  supraorbital  processes 
raised  above  plane  of  frontals,  broad,  proportionately  heavy,  and 
inner  side  of  postorbital  process  near  tip  resting  against  braincase, 
thus  inclosing  a  long  slender  foramen ;  anteorbital  process  usually 
separated  from  skull  by  a  well-defined  notch;  zygomatic  arch  of 
medium  width,  strongly  grooved,  with  a  deep  pit  anteriorly;  bullae 
proportionately  small  compared  with  most  other  forms  of  this  species, 
and  proportionately  large  compared  with  the  forms  of  S.  floridanus / 
basioccipital  rather  broad,  constricted  posteriorly,  and  rounded  on 
lateral  outlines;  post-palatal  fossa  broad. 

Average  measurements  (o  adults). — Total  length.  418;  tail  verte- 
brae, 72.6 ;  hind  foot,  86 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  59.8. 

Remarks. — The  original  description  of  S.  auduhoni  was  based  on 
five  specimens,  three  from  San  Francisco  and  two  from  San  Diego. 
No  type  was  mentioned,  but  skull  No.  2045  (belonging  to  skin  1163), 
from  San  Francisco,  was  figured,  and  this  has  properly  been  consid- 
ered the  type  by  Miller,  who  separated  the  San  Diego  animal  as  a 
geographic  subspecies. 

No  specimens  from  San  Francisco  are  available,  but  two  undoubt- 
edly typical  specimens  from  across  the  bay  at  Berkeley  have  been 
compared  with  the  large  series  of  this  species  from  various  parts  of 
California.  From  the  material  at  hand  it  is  evident  that  true  audu- 
honi is  characterized  among  its  subspecies  by  its  shorter  ears,  darker 
color  of  upperparts,  and  absence  of  a  grayish  rump  patch.  Its  dis- 
tribution is  rather  limited,  being  confined  mainly  to  the  Sacramento 
Valley  and  northern  border  of  the  San  Joaquin  Valley  and  adjacent 
foothills.  So  far  as  the  material  examined  goes,  there  is  nothing  to 
prove  that  any  form  of  this  species  occurs  in  the  cool  humid  belt  on 
the  west  side  of  the  Coast  Range,  along  the  immediate  coast  of  Cali- 
fornia north  of  Santa  Barbara,  except  where  true  avdubon?  is  found 
about  San  Francisco  Bay. 

Typical  auduboni  is  dark  ochraceous  brown  on  the  upperparts,  and 
specimens  from  Chico,  Marysville  Buttes,  Colusa,  and  Los  Banos  are 
not  distinguishable  from  an  individual  in  similar  fresh  pelage  from 
Berkeley.  A  specimen  in  fresh  pelage  from  Walnut  Creek,  east  of 
Berkeley,  and  one  from  Nelson,  in  the  Sacramento  Valley,  are  lighter 
colored  and  of  a  richer,  brighter  shade  of  ochraceous  buffy,  especially 


216  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

the  last-named  specimen.  One  from  Colusa  is  typical,  except  for 
the  presence  of  a  grayish  rump  patch  about  as  in  sauctidiegi.  The 
ears  of  a  specimen  from  Los  Banos  are  typically  short.  Two  speci- 
mens from  Oakdale  are  true  auduboni  in  color,  but  only  one  has 
short  ears,  the  other  having  long  ears  like  the  San  Joaquin  Valley 
form,  vallicola. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  29,  from : 

California:  Belmont,  1;  Berkeley,  1;  Brentwood,  1;  Carbondale,  1;  Chico, 
7:  Chinese  Camp.  2;  Colusa.  J!:  Ltos  Banos.  1;  Marysville  Ruttes.  4; 
Nelson.  3:  Oakdale.  2:  Red  Bluff,  1;  Stockton,  1;  Walnut  Creek,  1. 

SYLVILAGUS  AUDUBONI  VALLICOLA  Nelson. 

San   Joaquin   Cottontail. 

Si/lrilagus  dttdwboni  vallicola  Nelson.  Troe.  Biol.  Soc.  "Washington.  NN.  pp.  82, 
83,  July  22.  1907.  Type  from  San  Emigdio  Ranch,  Kern  County,  Califor- 
nia;  No.  -f+f |i,  5  ad.,  U.  S.  National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collec- 
tion) :  collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson,  October  22,  1891. 

Geographic  distribution. — Hot,  arid  parts  of  central-interior  Cali- 
fornia in  Salinas,  Upper  Ciryama,  and  San  Joaquin  valleys;  north 
to  beyond  Raymond  and  south  to  Walker  and  Tejon  passes.  Not 
found  west  of  the  outer  Coast  Range.  Vertical  range  from  about 
250  feet  in  bottom  of  San  Joaquin  Valley  to  4.500  feet  altitude  on 
western  slope  of  Sierra  Nevada ;  zonal  range  mainly  Lower  Sonoran, 
but  extending  into  Upper  Sonoran. 

General  characters. — Size  nearl}T  the  same  as  true  auduboni,  but 
ears  much  larger;  color  of  upperparts  (head  and  body)  paler  and 
more  yellowish  buffy  brown;  rusty  color  on  legs  paler  and  more 
buffy ;  nape  paler  rufous  and  grayish  rump  patch  usually  more  or 
less  strongly  indicated,  though  rarely  well  marked ;  skull  as  in  audu- 
boni, but  bulla?  averaging  larger  and  jugals  more  slender. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Upperparts  of  head  and  body  dull 
yellowish  buffy  brown,  much  paler  or  less  reddish  brown  than  true 
auduboni;  top  of  head  usually  a  little  richer  than  back,  with  more 
of  a  pinkish  or  light  ochraceous  shade;  sides  of  body  less  washed 
with  black  but  otherwise  only  slightly  paler  than  back ;  grayish  rump 
fairly  well,  and  often  strongly,  marked;  top  of  tail  light  grayish 
buffy;  outside  of  ears  dull  buffy  grayish,  paler  than  back  and  head, 
with  a  distinct  blackish  margin  about  tip;  nape  dull,  rather  pale 
ochraceous  buff  (much  paler  than  in  auduboni  or  sanctidiegi)  ;  front 
and  sides  of  fore  legs  varying  from  dull  ochraceous  buff,  almost  like 
nape,  to  a  much  deeper  more  reddish  or  tawny  ochraceous,  shading 
into  buffy  or  whitish  buffy  on  tops  of  fore  feet;  back  and  sides  of 
lower  hind  legs  varying  from  a  pale  dull  buffy  cinnamon,  near  isa- 
bella  color,  to  a  deep  cinnamon;  underside  of  neck  buff,  often  very 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS  AUDUBONI   GBOUP VALLICOLA.  217 

pale;  rest  of  unclerparts  white.  In  worn  pelage  the  black  wash  wears 
away,  and  the  general  color  of  npperparts  fades  to  paler  dull  buff  or 
buffy  grayish  much  lighter  than  the  winter  condition. 

Juvenal  pelage. — Paler  than  immature  of  either  auduboni  or  sanc- 
tidiegi, upperparts  pale  buffy  grayish,  sides  of  body  grayer;  sides  of 
legs  deep  buffy ;  tops  of  feet  white. 

Post ju  renal  pelage. — Upperparts  rather  pale  buffy  brownish,  paler 
and  less  heavily  washed  with  black  than  adults;  sides  of  body  grayer 
than  back;  nape  pale  dull  ochraceous  buff  or  pale  rusty;  gray  rump 
patch  indistinctly  but  evidently  present;  outside  of  legs  much  paler 
than  in  adults. 

Skull. — Size  and  general  appearance  much  as  in  auduboni  and 
sanctidiegi  but  rostrum  narrower  at  base,  lighter,  and  slenderer; 
interorbital  breadth  narrower;  supraorbitals  and  processes  lighter; 
jugal  light  and  slender,  as  in  sanctidiegi;  bulla'  averaging  a  little 
larger  than  in  auduboni  and  about  the  same  as  in  sanctidiegi. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  402;  tail  ver- 
tebra3, 55 ;  hind  foot,  91 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  69.6. 

Remarks. — This  pale,  buffy  yellowish  form  of  auduboni  occupies 
the  arid  San  Joaquin  and  adjacent  valleys,  and  is  the  connecting 
bridge  between  typical  auduboni  and  the  paler,  more  grayish,  arizonce 
of  the  Mohave  and  Colorado  deserts.  The  series  examined  in  the 
present  connection  shows  considerable  individual  variation,  but  their 
paler  colors  distinguish  them  from  auduboni  and  sanctidiegi,  while 
their  larger  size,  darker  flanks  and  shoulders  (which  are  but  little 
paler  than  their  backs),  and  their  generally  more  yellowish  buffy 
color  are  the  readiest  superficial  characters  for  distinguishing  them 
from  arizonce. 

The  palest  and  longest-eared  representatives  of  this  form  are  the 
series  from  the  Salinas  Valley.  A  specimen  from  east  of  the  Coast 
Range,  near  San  Luis  Obispo,  is  clear  bright  buff  heavily  darkened 
with  black  on  upperparts,  and,  except  for  its  slightly  paler  color.,  is 
scarcely  distinguishable  from  specimens  of  sanctidiegi  from  Nord- 
hoff  and  Santa  Paula.  Specimens  from  Walker,  Tejon,  and  Te- 
hachipi  passes  are  distinctly  referable  to  the  present  form,  though 
grading  toward  the  Mohave  Desert  arizonce.  Summer  specimens  be- 
come very  much  bleached,  and  are  dull  gray  or  pale  dull  buff,  varying 
much  in  exact  shade.  In  this  condition  they  are  much  like  worn 
specimens  of  arizonce,  but  the  darker  sides  of  vallicola  usually  dis- 
tinguish them. 

A  half-grown  male  from  Kern  River,  25  miles  above  Kernville,  in 
July  is  just  assuming  its  postjuvenal  pelage  and  is  a  pale  buffy  gray, 
as  pale  as  typical  arizonai,  but  the  color  of  other  specimens,  including 
various  adults  from  this  district,  is  that  of  vallicola,  with  which  they 
all  agree  most  closely  in  size. 


218  NOETH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  77,  from : 

California:  Alila,  4;  Arroyo  Seco,  1;  Badger,  1 ;  Bear  Valley  (San  Benito 
County),  2;  Bitterwater,  1;  Buttonwillow,  1;  Canada  de  las  Uvas,  1; 
Carrizo  Plain,  1 ;  Coalinga,  1 ;  Cuyaum  Valley,  1 ;  Fort  Tejon,  1 ; 
Fresno  Flats,  1;  Goshen,  1:  Huron,  7;  Jolon,  2;  Kern  River,  10; 
Kernville,  4;  Orosi,  3;  Paraiso  Springs,  2;  Paso  Kobles,  1:  Pleyto,  2; 
Porterville,  3;  Poso,  2;  Priest  Valley,  2;  Raymond,  3;  San  Emigdio, 
1 ;  San  Joaquin  River,  1 :  east  of  San  Luis  Obispo,  1 ;  Santiago 
Springs,  2;  Stanley,  2;  Tehachipi,  1;  near  Tejon  Pass,  1;  Temploa 
Mountains,  1;  Three  Rivers,  2;  Topo  Valley  (San  Benito  County),  4; 
Tulare  Lake,  2 ;  Walker  Basin,  1. 

SYLVILAGUS  AUDUBONI   SANCTIDIEGI    (Miller). 

San  Diego  Cottontail. 

Lepus  floridanus  sanctidiegi  Miller,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Philadelphia,  October, 
1899,  pp.  389-390.  Type  from  Mexican  boundary  line  near  Pacific  Ocean, 
San  Diego  County,  California  (Monument  25S)  ;  No.  60668.  9  ad.,  U.  S. 
National  Museum ;  collected  by  Dr.  E.  A.  Mearns,  July  10,  1894. 

Geographic  distribution. — Southern  California  west  of  the  moun- 
tains from  the  southern  half  of  Ventura  County  to  the  Mexican 
border,  and  Lower  California  from  the  coast  to  western  base  of 
Laguna  Hansen  and  San  Pedro  Martir  Mountains  and  from  the 
northern  border  south  to  El  Eosario  River.  Vertical  range  from  sea 
level  at  San  Diego  up  to  over  4,000  feet  altitude  on  mountains  to  the 
east ;  zonal  range  mainly  Upper  Sonoran. 

General  characters. — In  fresh  pelage  much  like  typical  auduboni, 
but  paler  on  sides  of  shoulders  and  body  and  with  the  grayish  rump 
patch  usually  much  more  strongly  indicated  and  in  many  specimens 
fairly  well  marked;  in  worn  pelage  paler;  size  smaller;  ears  and 
bullse  actually  larger;  jugals  smaller,  slenderer. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  -pelage  (San  Diego  County). — Upperparts, 
including  top  of  head,  varying  from  dull  ochraceous  buffy  brown-  to 
a  clearer  or  brighter  buffy  brown  shade,  often  scarcely  distinguishable 
from  color  of  typical  auduboni,  but  usually  lighter  colored  or  paler 
buffy ;  sides  of  shoulders  paler  and  more  grayish  buffy ;  rump  sometimes 
like  back,  but  usually  with  a  more  or  less  distinct  grayish  area  often 
forming  a  fairly  well-marked  rump  patch;  top  of  tail  agrees  with 
adjoining  part  of  rump,  underside  white;  nape  bright  rufous  ap- 
proaching orange  rufous  of  Eidgway;  outside  of  ears  grayish  buffy, 
grayer  about  base,  and  shading  into  a  broad  black  border  about  tip; 
front  and  outside  of  fore  legs  pale  dull  rusty  rufous  with  an  ochra- 
ceous tinge,  distinctly  paler  than  in  auduboni;  tops  of  fore  feet 
shading  into  buffy;  back  and  outside  of  lower  hind  legs  dull  cinna- 
mon brown,  sometimes  dull  buffy  brown;  tops  of  hind  feet  white; 
underside  of  neck  varying  from  dull  buffy  to  dull,  rather  dark  wood 
brown,  sometimes  with  a  pinkish  tinge;  rest  of  underparts  white. 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   AUDUBONI   GBOUP SANCTIDIEGI.  219 

In  worn,  faded  pelage  the  nape  becomes  paler  rufous,  the  ears 
grayer,  and  rest  of  upperparts  dull  grayish  or  dull  yellowish  buffy 
gray,  in  which  condition  the  generally  grayish  colors  largely  obscure 
the  gray  rump  area. 

Post juvenal  pelage. — Pale  dull  buff  lightly  washed  with  black, 
giving  the  usual  finely  pepper-and-salt  appearance  characteristic  of 
this  age  in  cottontails;  top  of  head  more  ochraceous  buffy;  ears  paler, 
more  creamy  buff  than  back ;  sides  of  body  paler  than  top  of  back. 

Juvenal  pelage  (Ensenada,  Lower  California,  May  23). — Much  as 
in  the  young  of  true  auduboni,  but  darker,  duller,  and  more  grayish 
buffy  brown ;  much  less  ochraceous  buffy  about  head  and  forepart  of 
body. 

Skull. — Closely  similar  to  typical  auduboni,  with  the  same  squarely 
angular  base  to  rostrum  but  with  bullae  larger;  zygomatic  arch 
lighter;  jugals  much  narrower  and  more  slender,  forming  the  strong- 
est character  separating  the  skulls  of  sanctidiegi  from  those  of  audu- 
bmi'i ;  palatal  bridge  broader. 

Average  measurements  (-5  adults). — Total  length,  398;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 66 ;  hind  foot,  89.6 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  68.6. 

Remarks. — L.  a.  sanctidiegi  is  not  a  strongly  marked  form  but 
has  several  average  characters  which  serve  to  distinguish  it  from 
the  closely  related  typical  auduboni.  The  type  is  an  unusually  small 
individual  in  much  worn  and  faded  summer  pelage  with  unusually 
short  ears.  The  anteorbital  process  in  the  type  is  fused  to  the  skull, 
thus  closing  the  anterior  notch,  and  the  postorbital  process  touches 
the  skull  along  posterior  half,  thus  nearly  closing  the  usual  foramen. 
Specimens  from  the  mouth  of  the  Tia  Juana  River  and  National 
City,  which  may  be  considered  topotypes,  and  also  those  from  San 
Diego,  are  extremely  close  to  auduboni  in  color  and  length  of  ears; 
more  so  than  specimens  from  other  parts  of  the  range  of  sanctidiegi. 
A  specimen  from  San  Bernardino  is  brighter  and  more  buffy  than 
typical  specimens,  and  is  an  intergrade  with  the  desert  form  to  the 
east.  A  series  taken  in  Ventura  County  in  fresh  winter  pelage  (Xord- 
hoff,  Santa  Paula)  are  paler  and  brighter  buffy,  with  a  heavier  wash 
of  black  over  the  back,  and  the  gray  rump  patch  more  strongly 
marked  than  most  specimens  examined,  though  one  individual  from 
Witch  Creek,  San  Diego  County,  is  practically  the  same. 

Specimens  from  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  type  locality  on 
the  lower  Tia  Juana  River  indicate  that  there  is  a  small  area  near 
the  coast  where  these  cottontails  on  an  average  are  shorter  eared  and 
duller  colored  than  elsewhere  in  this  region.  The  specimens  from 
immediately  about  the  type  locality  may  be  considered  rather  aber- 
rant representatives  of  a  form  which  ranges  for  a  considerable  dis- 
tance thence  up  and  down  the  coast.  Four  specimens  of  sanctidiegi 
in  the  collection   of  the  Philadelphia   Academy   of  Sciences   from 


220  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

Dulzura,  California,  are  similar  to  others  from  that  section,  and 
from  other  localities  in  this  region  north  to  Santa  Paula  and  Nord- 
hoff  in  having  long,  dark  buffy  gray  ears,  darker  than  the  back, 
grayish  buffy  brown  backs,  and  a  poorly  defined  dull  gray  rump 
patch.  They  are  only  slightly  paler  on  the  sides  than  on  the  back. 
The  specimens  of  sanctidiegi  from  the  area  just  mentioned  differ 
from  those  collected  in  the  vicinity  of  the  type  locality  in  having  a 
rather  brighter  and  grayer  (or  less  brownish)  color  and  longer  ears. 
This  region  back  from  the  immediate  coast  appears  to  be  occupied 
by  the  intergrades  between  sancfidicgi  and  rallicola  with  an  infusion 
of  arizomv  from  the  desert  plains  to  the  east. 

Owing  to  the  drier  climate  of  its  habitat  sanctidiegi  bleaches  in 
spring  and  summer  to  a  paler  color  than  auduboni.  Proximity  to 
the  coast,  where  dampness  and  sea  fogs  are  more  prevalent  than 
farther  inland,  is  shown  among  specimens  of  sanctidiegi  by  their 
darker  and  browner  color.  It  is  due  to  this  cause  that  specimens 
from  about  the  type  locality  are  darker  or  duller  colored  than  those 
from  the  foothills  of  the  adjacent  coast  range. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  91,  from : 

California:  Alhambra.  2:  Banning,  1;  Beaumont,  1;  Camerons  ranch 
(San  Diego  County).  3;  summit  of  Coast  Range,  1;  Dulzura,  17; 
Jacumba,  7;  Los  Angeles,  1;  Mexican  boundary  (San  Diego  County ) , 
2;  Mountain  Spring  (San  Diego  County),  3;  National  City,  4:  Nord- 
hoff,  4 ;  Pine  Valley,  1 ;  Radec,  1 ;  Redlands,  1 ;  San  Bernardino,  1 ; 
San  Diego,  ]  ;  San  Felipe  Valley,  3;  San  Fernando,  5;  San  Jacinto.  1 ; 
Santa  Monica,  1;  Santa  Paula,  3:  Temescal,  1;  Tia  Juana  River 
(mouth),  1;  Twin  Oaks,  2;  Warners  Valley,  4;  Witch  Creek,  2; 
Mount  Pinos,  1;  Arroyo  Seco  (near  Pasadena),  1. 

Lower  California:  Alamo,  1;  Ensenada,  1;  La  Huerta,  1;  Nachoguero 
Valley,  3:  Rancho  Viejo,  1;  San  Matias  Pass,  3;  Santo  Tomas,  1; 
San  Ysidro,  1 ;  Tecate  Mountains,  2 ;  Tecate  River,  1. 

SYLVILAGUS  AUDUBONI  CONFINIS   (Allen). 

Lower  California  Cottontail. 

Lepus  arisonce  conflnis  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  X,  p.  146  (author's 
separates  issued  April  12,  1898).  Type  from  Playa  Maria  Bay,  Lower 
California,  Mexico ;  No.  ttMi>  ?  a(i->  American  Museum  of  Natural  His- 
tory ;  collected  by  A.  W.  Anthony,  July  S,  1897. 

Geographic  distribution. — Lower  California,  Mexico,  from  Rosario 
River  on  the  wTest  coast  and  Santa  Rosalia  on  the  east  side  south  to 
Cape  St.  Lucas.  Vertical  range  from  sea  level  on  west  coast  up  to 
about  3,500  feet  in  interior  of  peninsula ;  zonal  range  mainly  Lower 
Sonoran,  reaching  the  upper  border  of  the  Arid  Tropical  Zone. 

General  characters. — Smaller  than  auduboni,  with  ears  shorter  and 
grayer;  back  brighter,  more  grayish  buffy;  legs  duller  brown;  rump 
patch  distinct,  iron  gray. 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   AUDUBONI   GROUP CONFINIS.  221 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  rather  clear 
pinkish  buff  with  a  strong  wash  of  black ;  sides  of  body  grayer,  much 
less  strongly  washed  with  black;  rump  patch  nearly  clear  iron  gray; 
top  of  tail  dusky,  grizzled  with  dull  gray;  ears  bufly  gray  (clearer 
gray  than  in  either  auduboni  or  arizonce)  with  well-marked  black 
tips;  nape  rusty  rufous;  front  of  fore  legs  between  cinnamon  and 
fawn  color;  tops  of  fore  feet  pinkish  buff;  front  of  hind  legs  and  tops 
of  hind  feet  white,  underlaid  on  feet  with  a  tinge  of  buff;  back  and 
sides  of  hind  legs  drab,  sometimes  more  or  less  shaded  with  cinna- 
mon; underside  of  neck  wood  brown  varying  in  intensity;  rest  of 
underparts  white. 

Skull. — Much  as  in  arizonce,  but  a  little  shorter  with  smaller  bullae 
and  lighter  jugals;  agrees  with  gdldmani  and  differs  from  the  other 
subspecies  in  having  the  postorbital  process  so  close  to  skull  that  the 
inner  border  nearly  or  quite  touches  it,  thus  reducing  the  usually 
well-marked  foramen  to  a  fine  slit,  or  entirely  closing  it ;  bullae  rather 
short  and  broadly  inflated  on  inner  side  in  front;  basioccipital  com- 
pressed and  forming  a  shallow  trough. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  361;  tail  verte- 
brae, 46 ;  hind  foot,  85.8 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  62.6. 

Remarks. — In  fresh  pelage  the  colors  of  the  upperparts  of  this  sub- 
species are  brighter  and  clearer  than  either  in  auduboni  or  arisonce, 
especially  the  gray  on  the  ears  and  rump.  From  near  the  Rosario 
River  south  nearly  to  La  Paz  the  color  of  eon-finis  usually  varies  but 
little,  but  two  specimens  (one  from  San  Ignacio  and  the  other  from 
25  miles  west  on  the  desert  plain  at  San  Angel)  are  sandy  buffy  on 
the  upper  parts  and  indistinguishable  in  color  from  typical  arizonm. 
The  rest  of  the  specimens  from  this  region  are  typical.  Specimens 
from  La  Paz  are  larger  and  browner  than  those  from  farther  north 
and  thus  approximate  auduboni.  A  good  series  of  specimens  from 
that  region  may  show  the  existence  of  a  recognizable  form  peculiar 
to  the  extreme  southern  end  of  the  peninsula.  We  found  no  signs  of 
cottontails  along  the  Gulf  coast  of  the  peninsula  from  south  of  the 
mouth  of  the  Colorado  Rh'er  to  the  vicinity  of  Santa  Rosalia,  though 
they  may  occur  somewhat  to  the  north  of  the  last-named  place,  but 
apparently  not  so  far  north  as  Calamahue  Landing. 

Total  number  specimens  examined  30.  from: 

Lower  California  (Mexico):  L;i  Paz,  6;  Mnleje.  2;  Playa  Maria.  1 ;  Rosa- 
rito,  1:  San  Andres.  G:  San  Angel,  2:  San  Bruno,  1;  San  Ignacio,  4; 
San  Javier,  1 ;  San  Jorge,  1 ;  Santo  Domingo,  5. 


222  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

STLVILAGUS  AUDUP.ONI  ARIZOXiE  (Allen). 
Arizona  Cottontail. 

(PI.  XI,  fig.  2.) 

Lcpus  sylvaticus  vat.  arizonw  Allen.  Mori.  N.  Am.  Rodentia,  p.  332,  1877.    Type 

from  Beal  Spring,  2  miles  from  Kingman,  Arizona,  No.    it'll*    $   ad.,  U.  S. 

National  Museum ;  collected  by  Dr.  Elliott  Coues.  September  S,  1S65. 
Lepns  arizonw  major  Mearns,  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  XVIII,  No.  10S1,  p.  557, 

June  24,  1896.     Type  from  Calabasas,  Pima   County,  Arizona,  No.     zfHf, 

U.    S.    National    Museum ;    collected   by    Leonhard    Stejneger,    October   23, 

18S9. 
Lcijiis  laticinctus  Elliot,  Pub.  Field  Columbian  Museum,  Zool.  ser..  Ill,  No.  14, 

p.  254,  January,  1904.     Type  from  Oro  Grande,  Mohave  Desert,  California ; 

in  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History ;  collected  by  Edmund  Heller. 

Geographic  distribution. — Deserts  of  extreme  southern  Nevada, 
California  (east  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  southern  Coast  Range) 
from  Owens  and  Death  valleys  south  across  the  Mohave  and  Colorado 
deserts  into  northeastern  Lower  California ;  nearly  all  of  Arizona 
below  6,000  feet  (except  northeastern  part)  from  westerly  slopes  of 
San  Francisco  and  "White  Mountains,  south  into  northern  Sonora, 
Mexico.  Vertical  range  from  below  sea  level  in  Death  Valley  up  to 
about  7,000  feet  in  mountains  of  western  Arizona ;  zonal  range  mainly 
Lower  Sonoran,  but  extending  through  Upper  Sonoran. 

General  characters. — Smaller  and  paler,  more  buffy  grayish,  than 
caUk-ola;  gray  rump  patch  present;  general  buffy  tinge  of  upper- 
parts  more  pinkish  or  creamy;  ears  equally  large;  skull  smaller  and 
lighter  with  rostrum  slenderer  and  bullae  actually,  as  well  as  pro- 
portionately, much  larger. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  palage. — Upperparts  of  head  and  body  pale 
buffy  gray,  the  buffy  of  a  pinkish  or  creamy  shade  contrasting  with 
the  slightly  rusty  yellowish  shade  of  oallicola;  top  of  back  less 
heavily  washed  with  black  than  in  latter,  thus  adding  to  the  gen- 
erally paler  color ;  sides  of  head  and  body  gray,  distinctly  paler  than 
back  and  much  paler  than  in  oallicola;  iron-gray  rump  patch  usually 
well  marked ;  nape  light  cinnamon  rufous ;  top  of  tail  similar  to  rump, 
or  a  little  darker  gray ;  outside  of  ears  gray  or  buffy  gray  (paler  than 
back)  and  narrowly  edged  about  tip  with  black;  front  and  sides  of 
fore  legs  rather  dull  rusty  cinnamon,  duller  and  less  rufous  than  nape 
and  varying  to  dull  ochraceous  buff;  tops  of  hind  feet  white  or 
whitish  buffy;  back  and  outside  of  hind  legs  and  sides  of  hind  feet 
brownish  drab,  varying  to  dull  brownish  fawn  color ;  tops  of  hind 
feet  pure  white;  underside  of  neck  usually  dull,  slightly  buffy,  drab 
varying  to  dull  buff:  rest  of  underparts  white. 

Color  in  worn  spring  and  summer  pelage. — Upperparts  of  head  and 
body  paler  and  grayer  than  in  winter,  owing  to  wearing  away  of 
black  tips  of  hairs  and  fading  of  buffy  suffusion;  fore  and  hind  legs 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   AUDUBON!   GROUP ARIZONA.  223 

more  rufous  or  reddish  brown  from  wearing  away  of  pale  tips  to  hairs 
and  to  change  of  color  due  to  exposure  to  light;  ears  grayer. 

Juvenal  pelage. — Upperparts  pale  brownish  gray,  a  little  paler  than 
vallicola  at  same  age ;  nape  and  legs  paler  and  more  rusty  buffy  than 
in  adults. 

Skull. — Similar  in  type  to  that  of  auduboni,  but  much  smaller  and 
lighter:  rostrum  proportionately  a  little  narrower  and  more  pointed; 
zygomatic  arch  slender,  jugal  grooved,  with  a  deep  pit  anteriorly; 
supraorbital  and  both  anterior  and  posterior  processes  broad  and 
thin,  more  deeply  notched  anteriorly  than  in  auduboni,-  postorbital 
process  stands  well  out  from  skull  in  middle,  but  touches  it  at  pos- 
terior end.  inclosing  a  well-marked  flattened  oval  foramen;  frontal 
area  flattened;  bulla?  with  rounded  and  roughened  surface,  actually 
as  well  as  proportionately  very  large,  averaging  the  largest  among 
the  forms  of  auduboni,  thus  forming  a  strong  character;  the  swollen 
or  greatly  inflated  form  of  bulla?  in  front  and  on  inner  side  compresses 
or  narrows  basioccipital.  giving  a  shallow  troughlike  form. 

As  noted  in  the  remarks  below,  there  is  considerable  local  variation 
in  arizomv  which  extends  to  the  skull.  The  small-eared  specimens 
from  Seligman,  Arizona,  for  example,  have  correspondingly  small 
bulla?. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  359;  tail  verte- 
bra1. 51.4  :  hind  foot,  81.4:  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  G8.9. 

Remarks. — The  present  subspecies  is  distinctly  smaller  than  audu- 
boni and  vallicola  with  proportionately  larger  ears,  and  is  much 
paler,  more  sandy  buffy,  on  the  upperparts,  and  the  legs  are  paler, 
more  rusty,  or  buffy  reddish,  than  in  auduboni,  vallicola,  con-finis,  or 
goldmani.  Occasional  specimens,  however,  have  the  hind  legs  dull 
brownish  as  in  auduboni.  Throughout  most  of  its  wide  range  the 
pale  buffy  gray  color  of  the  head  and  body  of  arizonce  is  more  uniform 
than  is  usual  with  color  characters  in  the  auduboni  group  over  a  simi- 
larly wide  range.  Specimens  of  arizona*  from  Death  Valley,  the 
Mohave  and  Colorado  deserts  in  California,  most  of  Arizona,  and 
northern  Sonora  are  practically  indistinguishable  in  color.  A  series 
of  topotypes  of  Lepus  laticinctus  Elliot  from  Oro  Grande  in  the 
Mohave  Desert  differ  from  typical  avizonm  only  in  their  slightly 
larger  size  and  larger  skulls,  characters  which  are  not  sufficiently 
marked  to  be  worthy  of  recognition  and  merely  show  the  gradation 
of  arlzori'v  in  the  western  part  of  its  range  toward  the  larger  vallicola 
and  sanctidiegi.  In  color  the  topotypes  of  laticinctus  are  typical 
arizoutt-.  A  series  of  specimens  from  Furnace  Creek  in  Death  Valley, 
including  the  type  and  topotypes  of  Lepus  laticinctus  ruflpes  Elliot, 
have  longer  ears  than  specimens  from  any  other  locality;  otherwise 
are  typical  arizonw.    There  is  much  local  variation  in  the  size  of  the 


224  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  20. 

ears,  usually  accompanied  by  a  corresponding  variation  in  the  size  of 
the  bullae. 

A  series  from  Seligman,  Arizona  (about  TO  miles  east  and  more 
than  2,000  feet  higher  than  the  type  locality  of  arizonce),  is  typical 
in  color,  but  has  very  short  ears  and  small  bulla?,  thus  contrasting 
strongly  with  the  series  from  Furnace  Creek,  California  (several 
hundred  miles  westerly  and  over  3,000  feet  lower  than  the  type  local- 
ity), which  have  unusually  long  ears  and  large  bulla?. 

Specimens  from  Cabezon,  southeast  of  San  Bernardino,  Hesperia, 
Vallecitos,  Carrizo  Creek,  and  other  localities  along  the  western  bor- 
ders of  the  Mohave  and  Colorado  deserts  in  California  are  darker 
and  larger  than  typical  arizonce,  thus  showing  distinct  gradation  to- 
ward sanctidiegi.  An  adult  female  from  San  Matias  Pass,  Lower 
California,  is  another  intergrade  of  this  kind,  which  must  be  referred 
to  arizona\  and  marks  the  southernmost  limit  of  the  form  in  Lower 
California.  Specimens  from  the  Cocopah  Mountains  near  the  lower 
Colorado  River  and  along  the  adjacent  boundary  line  average  small, 
but  are  typical  in  color.  A  considerable  series  from  Phoenix,  Tucson, 
THllcox,  and  other  localities  through  the  same  section  of  south-central 
Arizona  average  darker  buffy  than  ordinary  arizona\  with  a  heavier 
overlying  wash  of  black  on  the  back  and  with  the  underside  of  the 
neck  more  richly  buffy.  In  size  and  proportions  of  body,  ears,  and 
skull,  including  bulla?,  these  specimens  are  typical.  Various  other 
specimens  from  the  same  districts  are  typical  in  color.  The  dark, 
buffy  specimens,  however,  are  from  a  distinct  area  nearly  coincident 
with  the  distribution  of  the  giant  cactus,  and  while  the  characters 
are  not  sufficiently  well  defined  throughout  its  range  to  warrant  its 
recognition  as  a  subspecies,  it  may  be  considered  as  an  incipient  sub- 
species. A  good  series  of  specimens  from  a  little  farther  south,  near 
the  Mexican  border  of  Arizona  and  well  into  northern  Sonora,  are 
all  typical  arhoiw.  The  type  of  Lepus  arizona-  major  Mearns  came 
from  the  southern  border  of  Arizona  in  this  section.  The  type  is  a 
freshly  pelaged  fall  specimen,  with  the  body  made  up  less  than  half 
its  natural  size,  so  that  the  overlying  black  wash  on  the  back,  a  little 
heavier  than  usual,  is  concentrated,  giving  a  strikingly  and  unnatu- 
rally dark  appearance.  All  others  of  the  series  from  the  same  section 
are  typical  ari&once,  both  in  size  and  color.  From  as  far  south  as 
Magdalena,  central  Sonora,  the  color  remains  typical,  but  the  ears 
and  bulla?  are  smaller,  thus  grading  toward  goldmani.  A  specimen 
from  Phoenix.  Arizona,  is  the  darkest,  most  buffy  brown  example 
seen,  and  represents  the  extreme  of  individual  variation,  but  its  legs 
are  nearly  typical  and  the  underside  of  the  neck  dull  buffy.  Others 
from  Tucson  are  almost  equally  dark,  and  worn  specimens  taken  at 
Gardners  Lagoon  on  the  Mexican  border  in  the  Colorado  Desert  have 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   AUDUBONI    GEOUP GOLDMANI.  225 

the  upper  part  very  reddish,  especially  about  the  shoulders,  nape, 
and  fore  legs,  while  the  underside  of  the  neck  is  deep  ochraceous 
buff.  The  skin  of  the  head  and  neck  of  a  similarly  richly  colored 
specimen  taken  at  Yuma,  Arizona,  also  has  been  examined.  These 
are  sporadic  cases  of  extreme  individual  variation. 
Total  number  of  specimens  examined  163,  from : 

California:  Brawley,  1:  Cabezon,  1;  Carrizo  Creek,  1;  Coso.  2;  Coyote 
Well,  1;  Fort  Yuma,  3:  Furnace  Creek,  1;  Hesperia,  1 ;  Indian  Weils, 
1;  Lone  Pine,  2;  Mohave  River,  1;  Needles,  7;  New  River  Station 
(San  Diego  County),  2;  Oro  Grande,  4;  Owen  Lake.  2;  Palm  Spring, 
1;  Providence  Mountains,  2;  Resting  Spring.  6;  25  miles  southwest 
of  Ehrenberg,  Arizona,  1 ;   Vallecito,  1 ;   Whitewater,  2. 

Nevada:  Ash  Meadows,  5;  Pahrump  Valley,  2;  Vegas  Valley.  2. 

Arizona:  Beal  Spring,  25;  Big  Sandy  Creek,  1;  Caliuro  Mountains,  1; 
Dolans  Spring,  1;  Dos  Gabesos,  1:  Fort  Huachuca,  3;  Fort  Lowell, 
3;  Fort  Verde,  13;  Hualpai  Mountains,  2;  La  Osa,  2;  Mexican  bound- 
ary, 5  miles  east  of  Colorado  River,  1 ;  Oracle,  6 ;  Phoenix,  S  ;  Quitoba- 
quito,  1;  San  Pedro  River  (near  boundary).  1:  Seligman.  5; 
Tombstone,  1 ;  Tucson,  5 ;  Wilcox,  1 ;  Yuma,  5. 

Lower  California  (Mexico) :  Cocopah  Mountains,  3 ;  Gardners  Lagoon,  7  ; 
Hardy  River,  1;  Salton  River,  1;  San  Matias  Pass,  1;  Seven  Wells. 
2 ;  Unlucky  Lagoon,  1. 

Sonora  (Mexico):  Magdalena.  1;  Oputo,  1;  Poso  de  Luis,  1;  San  Jose 
Mountains,  1 ;  Sonoyta,  5. 

SYLVILAGUS  AUDUBONI  GOLDMANI   (Nelson). 

Sinaloa  Cottontail. 

Lepus  arizonce  goldmani  Nelson,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XVII,  p.  107, 
May  IS,  1904.  Type  from  Sinaloa,  Sinaloa,  Mexico;  No.  96S09,  $  ad.. 
U.  S.  National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection)  ;  collected  by  E.  A. 
Goldman,  February  15,  1899. 

Geographic  distribution. — Coastal  plain  and  adjacent  foothills 
from  near  Ortiz,  southern  Sonora,  south  to  Culiacan,  central  Sinaloa, 
and  Chacala  in  extreme  western  Durango,  Mexico.  Vertical  range 
from  near  sea  level  on  west  coast  of  Sinaloa  up  to  about  2,500  feet; 
zonal  range  Lower  Sonoran  and  upper  part  of  Arid  Tropical  Zone. 

General  characters. — Size  midway  between  that  of  auduhoni  and 
arizonce,  with  smaller,  slenderer  hind  feet ;  colors  brighter  and  more 
strongly  contrasted  than  in  the  other  forms;  upperparts  nearly  as 
dark  as  in  auduhoni  but  less  brownish;  ears  buffy  gray;  legs  deep 
rusty  cinnamon,  more  deeply  colored  than  in  any  of  the  other  form-, 
and  the  rump  patch  obsolete ;  bullae  smallest  among  the  subspecies  of 
ai/d'/boni. 

Color,  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  upperparts  cream 
buff,  heavily  washed  on  back  with  black;  sides  of  body  paler  and 
less  washed  with  black;  rump  patch  indistinct  or  represented  by  a 

85595— No.  29—09 15 


226  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

small,  dull  iron-gray  area  about  base  of  tail;  top  of  tail  dusky 
brownish  grizzled  with  dull  buff;  nape  patch  bright  rusty  rufous; 
ears  buffy  gray,  more  strongly  black-tipped  than  in  the  other  forms; 
front  of  fore  legs  dull  cinnamon  rufous,  becoming  paler  and  more 
buffy  on  tops  of  fore  feet;  back  and  sides  of  hind  legs  and  feet  rus- 
set or  rusty  cinnamon  ;  front  of  hind  legs  and  tops  of  hind  feet  bright 
white,  sometimes  slightly  tinged  with  buffy.  in  sharp  contrast  to 
color  on  rest  of  legs;  underside  of  neck  varying  from  dark  vinaceous 
to  pinkish  buff ;  rest  of  underparts  white. 

Skull. — Much  like  that  of  arizonce  in  size  and  general  form,  but 
postorbital  process  usually  lying  close  to,  or  in  contact  with,  the 
skull,  much  as  in  confinis,  thus  much  reducing  or  entirely  shutting 
the  long  narrow  foramen  present  in  the  other  forms;  bullae  actually 
and  proportionately  smallest  of  all  the  subspecies  of  auduboni;  the 
small  bullae  and  the  rather  narrow  braincase  give  the  skull  of  this 
form  a  superficial  resemblance  to  that  of  some  of  the  smaller  forms 
of  S.  forid  a  mis. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  382;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 52;  hind  foot,  83;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  65.6. 

Remarks. — The  present  form  resembles  conflnis  in  the  clear  buffy 
of  the  upperparts,  overlaid  with  a  heavy  black  wash,  but  the  shade 
of  the  buffy  averages  deeper.  The  absence  of  a  distinct  rump  patch, 
the  deep,  strongly  contrasting  colors  on  the  legs,  and  the  slender  hind 
feet  are  characteristic.  It  may  be  readily  distinguished  from  ari- 
zonce and  minor  by  the  dark  upperparts  and  the  richer  color  of  the 
legs.  The  color  of  the  upperparts  closely  resembles  that  of  parviri"*, 
from  which  the  much  darker  color  of  the  legs  readily  distinguishes  it. 
S.  a.  golclmani  intergrades  with  arizonce  in  the  region  from  near 
Hermosillo  south  to  beyond  the  Rio  Yaqui  in  Sonora,  but  specimens 
from  Ortiz  and  Batomotal,  near  Guaymas,  and  thence  south  are  all 
referable  to  goldmani. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  21,  from : 

Sinaloa  (Mexico):  Baeubirito,  1;  Culiacan.  4;  Sinaloa,  2. 
Sonora  (Mexico):  Batamotal,  2;  Camoa,  10:  Ortiz,  2. 

SYLVILAGUS  AUDUBONI  MINOR   (Mearns). 

Little  Cottontail. 

Lepus  arizonce  minor  Mearns,  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus..  XVIII,  No.  10S1,  pp.  557- 
558,  June  24,  1896.  Type  from  El  Paso.  Texas;  No.  f^f,  $  ad.,  U.  S. 
National  Museum;  collected  by  Dr.  E.  A.  Mearns  and  F.  X.  Holzner,  Feb- 
ruary 6,  1892. 

Geographic  distribution. — Extreme  western  Texas  (mainly  west  of 
Guadalupe  and  Davis  mountains)  and  Rio  Grande  Valley  above 
mouth  of  Pecos;  also  plains  of  extreme  southeastern  corner  of  Ari- 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   AUDUBONI   GROUP MINOR.  227 

zona  and  southwestern  Xew  Mexico,  and  thence  south  through  plains 
and  foothills  of  Chihuahua  to  northern  Durango,  Mexico,  east  of  the 
Sierra  Madre.  Vertical  range  from  about  3,500  to  6,000  feet  alti- 
tude in  Chihuahua ;  zonal  range  mainly  Lower  Sonoran,  extending 
up  into  the  Upper  Sonoran  Zone. 

General  characters. — A  pale  grayish  form  closely  similar  to  ari- 
zon«>.  but  smaller,  with  shorter  ears;  skull  among  the  smallest  and 
most  delicately  formed  of  the  subspecies  of  auduboni,  but  bullae  pro- 
portionately largest. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — General  colors  pale  grayish;  top  of 
head  and  back  pale  dull  grayish  buffy,  darkened  on  back  with  a  thin 
wash  of  black;  sides  of  head  and  body  without  the  black  wash  and 
paler  and  grayer;  a  band  of  clear  dull  buffy  along  lower  border  of 
flanks,  becoming  most  strongly  marked  just  back  of  fore  legs;  nape 
pale  dull  rusty  rufous;  ears  rather  dark  gray  narrowly  bordered 
with  black  about  tips;  rump  dull  iron  gray  forming  a  not  strongly 
contrasted  rump  patch;  top  of  tail  dull  grayish,  much  like  rump; 
front  and  sides  of  fore  legs  similar  to  nape,  but  darker  rusty  and 
shading  into  pale  buffy  on  tops  of  fore  feet;  back  and  outside  of 
lower  hind  legs  vary  from  dull  cinnamon  to  dull  rusty  cinnamon, 
shading  out  along  outside  of  hind  feet  to  a  paler,  more  buffy  color, 
the  same  shade  tinging  more  or  less  the  underfur  on  tops  of  feet; 
underside  of  neck  dull  creamy  buff  varying  to  grayish  buff. 

Worn  pelage. — In  spring  and  summer  the  pelage  of  upperparts 
bleaches  to  a  whitish  gray  with  only  a  very  pale  buffy  tinge,  but 
when  the  long  hairs  wear  away  the  prevailing  color  becomes  much 
darker  according  to  the  shade  of  buffy  or  cinnamon  brown  of  the 
underfur. 

Postjuvenal  pelage. — Upperparts  pale  grayish  buffy. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  typical  arizona,  but  smaller  and  more 
delicately  made,  with  proportionately  larger  bullae;  rostrum  slender 
and  tapering,  with  nearly  straight  upper  outline  and  large  wing- 
like supraorbitals  inclosing  a  small,  narrow  foramen  between  base 
of  postorbital  process  and  skull;  parietal  width  proportionately 
greater  than  in  arizonce;  about  same  size  as  in  neomexicanus  but 
with  larger  bulla?. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  351;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 52.8;  hind  foot,  80;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  59.1. 

Remarks. — In  general  appearance  this  form  is  much  like  the  pale 
gray  arizonce,  but  smaller.  It  occupies  a  rather  restricted  belt  along 
the  extreme  southern  border  of  the  United  States  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Pecos  River  in  Texas  to  extreme  southeastern  Arizona  and 
south  to  extreme  northern  Durango,  Mexico,  east  of  the  Sierra 
Madre.  It  is  typical  only  in  a  comparatively  limited  area  in  ex- 
treme  western   Texas   and   west   along  the   Mexican   boundary   to 


228  NOETH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

Arizona  and  south  to  Lake  Guzman,  Chihuahua.  Within  these 
restricted  limits  the  specimens  are  comparatively  uniform  in  small 
size  and  pale  gray  colors  and  represent  typical  minor.  A  series  of 
topotypes  from  El  Paso  and  two  specimens  from  Lake  Guzman,  Chi- 
huahua, are  gray  like  the  type,  while  a  third  specimen  from  Guzman 
is  darker  buffy,  similar  to  typical  cedrophilus,  though  its  skull  is 
smaller  than  the  average  minor.  Several  specimens  from  Chihuahua 
City,  Mexico,  a  higher,  colder,  and  more  humid  location  than  El 
Paso,  average  darker  buffy  than  typical  minor,  and  one  is  as  dark 
as  typical  cedrophilus.  Specimens  from  Santa  Rosalia,  Chihuahua, 
also  average  darker  than  those  from  El  Paso.  A  few  individuals 
from  Deming,  New  Mexico,  are  intermediates  in  size  and  color  be- 
tween minor  and  cedrophilus,  as  are  others  from  Jarilla,  San  Andres, 
and  Tularosa,  New  Mexico,  many  of  them  being  as  deeply  buffy  as 
typical  cedrophilus /  but  the  small  skulls  and  large  bullse  place  them 
with  minor.  One  curious  specimen  of  cedrophilus  from  the  Datil 
Mountains  in  central  New  Mexico  has  the  large  inflated  bulla?  of 
minor  and  is  grayer  than  is  usual  in  cedrophilus,  to  which  latter 
form  it  undoubtedly  belongs. 

Specimens  of  minor  from  the  type  region  have  the  underside  of 
the  neck  rich  buffy  as  in  cedrophilus,  but  this  character  is  often 
found  more  or  less  developed  among  intergrades. 

Specimens  from  Valentine  and  the  vicinity  of  the  mouth  of  the 
Pecos  River  in  Texas  are  puzzling  intergrades  with  neomexicanus 
and  parvulus.  The  material  from  the  base  of  the  Davis  and  Guada- 
lupe Mountains,  Texas,  appears  to  prove  that  specimens  from  their 
eastern  foothills  should  be  referred  to  cedrophilus,  while  those  from 
the  western  foothills  are  minor,  though  not  typical  in  either  case. 

There  is  a  possibility  that  more  thorough  field  work  in  the  south- 
west will  show  that  the  occasional  winter  specimens,  with  rich  colors 
like  cedrophilus,  which  are  taken  on  the  plains  with  minor,  may  be 
intergrades  from  the  neighboring  mountains,  and  that  cedrophilus 
inhabits  all  of  the  scattered  mountains  within  the  range  of  minor, 
restricting  the  latter  to  the  arid  plains  and  lower  foothills. 
Total  number  of  specimens  examined  147,  from : 

Texas:  Altuda,  2;  Belen,  1;  Boquillas,  1;  Chisos  Mountains,  2;  Davis 
Mountains,  1;  El  Paso,  5;  Fort  Hancock,  9;  Franklin  Mountains,  1; 
Haymoud,  2 ;  Kent,  1 ;  Langtry,  1 ;  Marathon,  1 ;  Marfa,  6 ;  Ogden 
Canyon,  1 ;  Sierra  Blauca,  1 ;  Terlingo  Creek,  2 ;  Valentine,  1. 

New  Mexico:  Adobe  Ranch.  1;  Big  Hatchet  Mountains,  2;  Carrizalillo 
Mountains,  1 ;  Carrizalillo  Spring,  1 ;  Chamberino,  5 ;  Deming,  5 ;  Dog 
Spring,  4;  (iuadalupe  Ranch,  IT;  Hachita,  3;  Jarilla,  1;  La  Mesa,  5; 
Lordsburg,  1 ;  Corner  Monument  on  Mexican  boundary,  4 ;  Mexican 
boundary  40  miles  west  of  El  Paso,  S;  San  Andres  Mountains,  3; 
Redrock,  2 ;  Tularosa,  4. 

Arizona:   San  Bernardino  ranch,  2. 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   AUDUBONI   GROUP CEDROPHILUS.  229 

Chihuahua  (Mexico):  Casas  Grandes,  1;  Chihuahua  City,  5;  Colonia 
Diaz,  1 ;  Guzman,  3 ;  Juarez,  1 ;  Mesquite  Spring,  2 ;  San  Bernardino 
ranch  (near  Mexican  boundary),  1;  San  Luis  Springs,  1;  Santa 
Rosalia,  2  ;  Whitewater,  2. 

Durango  (Mexico):  Inde,  1;  Matalotes,  1;  Rancho  Bailon,  18;  Rio 
Canipo,  1. 

SYLVILAGUS  AUDUBONI  CEDROPHILUS  Nelson. 

Cedar  Belt  Cottontail. 

Sylvilagus  auduboni  ccdrophilus  Nelson,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XX,  p.  83, 
July  22,  1907.  Type  from  Cactus  Flat,  20  miles  north  of  Cliff,  New  Mexico, 
No.  148287,  2  ad.,  U.  S.  National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection)  ; 
collected  by  Vernon  Bailey,  November  6,  1906. 

Geographic  distribution. — Mainly  the  juniper  and  piny  on  pine 
belt  from  Alpine,  in  the  Davis  Mountains  of  Texas,  north  through 
mountains  of  southern  half  of  New  Mexico  and  along  the  Mogollon 
range  to  east  side  of  San  Francisco  Mountain  of  east-central  Arizona. 
Vertical  range  from  about  5,000  to  8,000  feet  in  western  New  Mexico ; 
zonal  range  mainly  Upper  Sonoran. 

General  characters. — Larger  and  darker  than  minor;  upperparts 
dark  buffy,  sometimes  dull  ochraceous  buffy;  legs  deeper  and  richer 
rufous  and  underside  of  neck  rich  ochraceous  buffy. 

Color  in  fresh  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  varying  from  dark, 
slightly  grayish,  buffy  to  dull  ochraceous  buffy  washed  with  black; 
sides  of  body  grayer  with  little  or  no  wash  of  black ;  rump  dull  iron 
gray  forming  a  fairly  well-marked  patch;  outside  of  ears  grayish 
buffy,  with  a  narrow  black  border  about  tip ;  top  of  tail  buffy  grayish 
brown  or  dull  grayish;  nape  deep  rusty  rufous;  front  and  sides  of 
fore  legs  varying  from  deep  and  rather  dull  ochraceous  buff  to  rich 
deep  rusty  rufous ;  back  and  sides  of  lower  hind  legs  vary  from  dull 
rusty  cinnamon  to  dark  rich  rusty  cinnamon,  and  a  paler  more  buffy 
shade  of  same  extends  along  outside  of  hind  feet ;  latter  more  strongly 
washed  and  shaded  with  rusty  buffy  than  in  minor;  underside  of 
neck  varies  from  deep  dull  buffy  to  rich  dark  ochraceous  buffy,  com- 
monly much  richer  and  more  ochraceous  than  in  minor  and  in  this 
character  most  resembling  neomexicanus. 

Worn  pelage. — Much  paler  and  grayer  than  in  fresh  pelage  until 
the  long  hairs  wear  down  to  the  rusty  or  reddish  brown  underfur  of 
back  and  the  pale  tips  of  hairs  on  the  legs  wear  off,  after  which  the 
upperparts  become  much  darker  and  more  rusty  or  cinnamon  brown; 
the  rufous  on  legs  becomes  brighter  and  more  intense  and  the  hind 
feet  more  rusty  or  rusty  buffy. 

Postjuvenal  pelage. — Rather  dark  grizzled  buffy,  or  brownish,  gray 
varying  in  shade,  but  averaging  darker  than  in  minor,  with  legs 
darker  rusty  cinnamon  or  dull  dark  rufous;  underside  of  neck  dull 
buffy  or  dull  ochraceous  buffy,  duller  than  in  adults. 


230  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

Skull. — Similar  in  general  proportions  to  that  of  minor,  but  dis- 
tinctly larger;  bulla3  actually,  as  well  as  proportionately,  smaller; 
length  about  equal  to  typical  arizonce,  but  rostrum  proportionately 
slenderer,  braincase  broader,  and  bullae  smaller. 

Average  measurements  (-5  adults). — Total  length,  375;  tail  ver- 
tebras, 46 ;  hind  foot,  89. G ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  60.7. 

Remarks. — S.  a.  cedrophihfs  is  characteristic  of  the  cedar  and  pin- 
yon  grown  foothills  and  elevated  mesas,  where  it  is  abundant.  There 
is  considerable  local  as  well  as  individual  variation,  but  it  is  most 
typical  about  the  basal  slopes  of  the  Mogollon,  Capitan,  and  Manzano 
mountains  of  New  Mexico  and  the  north  base  of  the  White  Mountains 
of  Arizona.  It  grades  on  all  sides  into  other  subspecies  of  auduboni, 
so  that  a  large  number  of  puzzling  specimens  are  encountered,  showing 
all  degrees  of  intermediate  characters.  The  larger  size  of  the  skull, 
compared  with  minor,  small  bulla?,  and  rich  buffy  underside  of  the 
neck,  with  the  more  or  less  strongly  buffy  upperparts,  serve  to  dis- 
tinguish most  specimens. 

Lack  of  material  still  prevents  the  determination  of  the  exact 
limits  of  the  range  of  this  subspecies.  A  single  worn  specimen  from 
Alpine,  Texas,  bleached  to  a  dull  iron  gray  on  the  upperparts,  is 
duller  colored  than  ordinary  cedrophilus,  but  the  size  and  generally 
dark  color  with  the  skull  characters  are  so  much  nearer  the  present 
form  than  to  minor  that  I  have  placed  it  here  for  the  present,  although 
the  color  of  the  back  is  unusual  and  the  rounded  and  proportionately 
great  lateral  breadth  of  the  bulla?  are  j)eculiarities  not  possessed  by 
any  other  specimen  examined. 

Specimens  taken  in  early  Avinter  at  about  7,000  feet  on  the  northeast 
slope  of  the  White  Mountains,  Arizona,  near  the  upper  border  of  the 
piny  on  belt,  are  bright  buffy  on  the  back,  becoming  more  ochraceous 
on  the  sides  of  the  body,  and  still  deeper  ochraceous  on  the  underside 
of  the  neck.  They  are  nearly  as  large  as  arizonm,  but  have  shorter 
ears  as  well  as  brighter  colors.  Other  specimens  from  farther  north 
along  the  same  slope  of  the  Mogollon  range,  on  the  northeastern 
side  of  the  San  Francisco  Mountains,  at  about  0,000  feet  altitude, 
have  ears  and  bulla?  nearly  equaling  those  of  typical  arizonce,  but  the 
much  darker,  more  buffy  upperparts,  rufous  legs,  and  dark  buffy 
underside  of  neck  place  them  with  cedrophilu*. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  85,  from : 

New  Mexico:  Albuquerque,  2;  Ancho,  1;  Anthony  Spring.  1;  Bear  Spring 
Mountains,  1 ;  Burley,  1 ;  Burro  Mountains,  4 ;  Cactus  Flat.  2 ; 
Capitan,  3;  Capitan  Mountains,  5;  Copperton,  1;  Corona,  1;  Cuervo, 
1;  Datil,  2;  Fort  Wingate,  2;  Gallo  Canyon,  1;  Gallup,  2;  Gila 
National  Forest,  3 ;  Grants,  1 ;  Lsleta,  1 ;  Jicarilla  Mountains,  3 ; 
Manzano  Mountains,  7 ;  San  Rafael,  1 ;  Santa  Rosa,  6 ;  Silver  City,  G. 

Arizona:   Holbrook,  1  :  San  Francisco  Mountains,  4;  Springerville,  20. 

Texas:   Alpine  (15  miles  south).  1. 

Chihuahua  (Mexico):   San  Diego,  1. 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS  AUDUBONT   GROUP WARREN  I.  231 

SYLVILAGUS    AUDUBONI    WAKRENI    Nelson. 

Colorado    Cottontail. 

Sylvilainix  auduboni  warreni  Nelson.  Proc.  Biol.  Sot*.  Washington,  XX,  p.  S3 
July  22,  1907.  Type  from  Coventry,  Colorado;  No.  14868B,  9  ad.,  V.  S. 
National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection)  ;  collected  by  C.  H.  Smith. 
January  4.   1907. 

Geographic  distribution. — Southwestern  Colorado,  southeastern 
Utah,  northwestern  New  Mexico,  northeastern  Arizona,  including 
lower  half  of  valley  of  the  Little  Colorado  River,  to  east  base  of 
San  Francisco  Mountain,  and  to  Henry  Mountains,  southeastern 
Utah.  Vertical  range  from  about  5.000  to  8,500  feet  in  northwestern 
New  Mexico;  zonal  range  mainly  Upper  Sonoran.  extending  into 
Transition  and  Lower  Sonoran  zones. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  baileyi  in  size,  length  of  ears,  and 
long  abundant  pelage;  but  upperparts,  including  ears,  darker,  more 
buffy  brownish,  and  gray  rump  patch  clearer,  more  strongly  marked ; 
nape  and  legs  darker,  more  rufous. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Upperparts  of  head  and  body  dark 
creamy  buff  strongly  washed  on  back  with  black;  sides  of  head  and 
body  grayer  and  washed  with  less  black  than  back  and  shading  into 
clear  dull  buff  along  lower  border  of  flanks;  outside  of  ears  similar 
to  back,  or  a  little  grayer;  nape  light  rusty  rufous;  rump  iron  gray, 
forming  a  well-defined  patch;  top  of  tail  like  rump;  front  and  out- 
side of  fore  legs  varying  from  dark  rusty  ochraceous  buff  to  light 
rusty  cinnamon  rufous;  tops  of  fore  feet  white,  more  or  less  shaded 
with  buff;  back  and  outside  of  hind  legs  cinnamon,  varying  to  lighter 
more  rusty  cinnamon  and  to  darker  more  cinnamon  brown;  tops  of 
hind  feet  vary  from  white  to  pale  buff;  the  rusty  areas  on  fore  and 
hind  legs  connected  by  buffy  line  along  lower  border  of  flanks ;  under- 
side of  neck  varies  from  dull  dark  buff  to  dark  buff  tinged  with  fawn 
color;  inguinal  area  more  or  less  deeply  buffy. 

Worn  spring  and  summer  pelage. — Distinctly  darker,  more  griz- 
zled, buffy  brownish  than  baileyi.  with  deeper  rusty  areas  on  nape 
and  legs. 

Skull. — Not  distinguishable  from  that  of  baileyi. 

Average  measurements  (o  adults). — Total  length,  384:  tail  ver- 
tebra^, 50;  hind  foot,  97;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  6G. 

Remarks. — The  present  form  is  separable  from  baileyi  only  by 
darker  colors;  to  the  south  it  grades  into  cedrophilus  and  arizonce. 
"While  typical  specimens  are  readily  separable  from  baileyi.  it  shows 
a  considerable  range  of  variation.  Specimens  from  Delta  and  Grand 
Junction,  Colorado,  and  Xephi,  Utah,  are  paler  and  grayer  than  those 
from  Coventry,  and  the  Delta  examples  have  the  tops  of  the  hind  feet 
pure  white.  The  extreme  intensity  of  coloration  is  shown  by  speci- 
mens  from   Cortez,   Montezuma    County,   in   extreme   southwestern 


232  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

Colorado.  In  these  the  nape  and  outside  of  fore  legs  are  rich  rusty 
rufous,  and  the  back  of  the  hind  legs  dark  reddish,  almost  chestnut, 
brown ;  the  underside  of  the  neck  deep  ochraceous  buffy.  Specimens 
from  Grand  Junction  and  Coventry,  Colorado,  have  unusually  long 
ears,  measuring  over  70  mm.  from  the  notch.  A  skin  from  Nephi, 
Utah,  is  paler  and  more  brightly  colored  than  typical  specimens,  and 
most  like  others  from  Delta  and  Grand  Junction,  Colorado,  which 
are  intermediates  with  baileyi,  but  nearest  the  present  form. 

Two  skins  from  Cieneguilla  near  central  New  Mexico  are  scarcely 
distinguishable  from  some  of  the  topotypes  from  Coventry.  Another 
specimen  from  the  base  of  the  Jemez  Mountains,  New  Mexico,  also 
belongs  here.  Specimens  from  the  valley  of  the  Little  Colorado 
River  and  the  Painted  Desert  of  northeastern  Arizona  are  rather 
paler  than  typical  specimens,  but  otherwise  differ  but  little. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  93,  from : 

Colorado:  Alamosa,  1;  Antonito,  1;  Ashbaugh's  Ranch  (Montezuma 
County),  3;  Cortez,  5;  Coventry,  16;  Delta,  3;  Grand  Junction,  5; 
Hotchkiss,  2 :  Medano  Ranch,  3 ;  Paradox,  1 ;  Rifle,  2 ;  Villa  Grove,  1. 

New  Mexico:  Aztec,  1;  Blanco,  2;  Canon  Blanco,  1;  Chaco  Canyon,  5; 
Cieneguilla,  2 ;  Dulce,  2 ;  Fruitland,  9 ;  Hondo  Canyon,  1 ;  Juan 
Tafoya,  1 ;  San  Antonio  Mountains,  2 ;  Stinking  Springs  Lake,  2 ; 
Tres  Piedras.  1. 

Arizona:   Holbrook,  1;  Keams  Canyon,  1;  Winslow,  13. 

Utah:   Canesville,  1;  Hankville,  1;  Henry  Mountains  (Mount  Ellen).  4. 

SYLVILAGUS  ATJDUBONI  BAILEYI  (Mebriam). 

Wyoming  Cottontail. 

(PI.  XI,  figs.  4,  6.) 

Lepus  bailey i  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XI,  p.  148,  June  9,  1897. 
Type  from  Spring  Creek,  east  side  Bighorn  Basin,  Wyoming;  No.  56016, 
$  ad.,  U.  S.  National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection)  ;  collected  by 
C.  Hart  Merriam  and  Vernon  Bailey,  September  17,  1893. 

Geographic  distribution. — Plains  and  valleys  of  eastern  Montana, 
most  of  Wyoming,  northeastern  Utah,  northwestern  and  eastern 
Colorado  (east  of  the  mountains),  western  parts  of  North  and  South 
Dakota,  Nebraska,  and  as  far  east  as  Trego  County,  Kansas.  Verti- 
cal range  from  about  3,000  feet  in  Kansas  to  7,000  feet  in  Colorado; 
zonal  range  mainly  arid  Upper  Sonoran,  but  ranging  into  lower  part 
of  Transition  Zone. 

General  characters. — Largest  of  the  subspecies  except  typical  audu- 
boni;  pelage  longest  and  most  abundant  of  any;  ears  and  feet  long- 
haired as  in  pinetis;  color  pale,  often  nearly  plain,  creamy  buff  dark- 
ened by  a  thin  wash  of  black. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Upperparts  of  head  and  body  nearly 
uniform  pale  creamy  buff,  slightly  darkened  by  thin  overlying  wash 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS  AUDUBONI   GROUP BAILEYI.  233 

of  black ;  sides  of  head  and  body  a  little  paler  or  grayer  than  back ; 
rump  dull  iron  gray,  forming  a  not  strongly  contrasted  patch ;  top  of 
tail  like  rump;  outside  of  ears  similar  to  top  of  head,  but  slightly 
darker  and  edged  around  tip  with  black ;  inside  of  ears  dull  grayish 
white  becoming  more  buffy  about  borders ;  nape  light  rufous  approach- 
ing ochraceous  buff;  front  and  outside  of  fore  legs  ochraceous  buff 
varying  in  intensity,  sometimes  approaching  dark  buff,  and  shading 
into  dark  buff  on  tops  of  fore  feet ;  back  and  sides  of  lower  hind  legs 
dark  buff,  sometimes  shaded  with  brownish  but  rarely  showing  traces 
of  the  darker  cinnamon  or  reddish  shades  characteristic  of  warreni; 
lower  border  of  flanks  scarcely  more  buffy  than  rest  of  sides;  under- 
side of  neck  dark  buff  varying  to  deep  pinkish  or  creamy  buff. 

Worn  spring  and  summer  pelage. — Usually  paler  and  grayer. 

Skull. — In  size  nearest  typical  auduboni  and  sanctidiegi  with  supra- 
orbital almost  equally  heavy,  the  broad  processes  inclosing  posteriorly 
a  well-marked  oval  foramen,  and  anteriorly  with  an  even  deeper  and 
broader  notch ;  braincase  similar  in  form,  but  rostrum  heavier  and 
more  expanded  on  sides  near  base;  interorbital  breadth  narrower; 
zygomatic  arch  nearly  as  heavy  as  in  auduboni  and  jugal  similarly 
grooved;  molar  series  strikingly  larger  and  heavier  (heaviest  among 
the  forms  of  auduboni) ,  and  bullae  much  larger  and  more  inflated, 
sometimes  equaling  in  actual  diameter  the  largest  examples  of  ari- 
zonw,  though  always  proportionately  smaller;  basioccipital  deeply 
constricted  posteriorly  and  trough-like.  The  large  size,  heavy  molar 
series,  heavy  rostrum,  and  broad  zygomatic  arch  distinguish  the  skull 
of  baileyi  from  the  various  smaller  forms. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  411;  tail  verte- 
brae, 57;  hind  foot,  96.1;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  61.3. 

Remarks. — This  is  the  most  strikingly  differentiated  form  of  audu- 
boni,  and  is  easily  recognizable  by  its  large  size,  pale  creamy  color, 
the  long  abundant  pelage,  and  the  hairiness  of  the  ears  and  feet.  It  is 
typical  throughout  the  northern  part  of  its  range,  but  becomes  a  little 
darker  in  northwestern  Colorado  and  along  the  east  base  of  the  moun- 
tains in  the  same  State  and  in  western  Kansas. 

The  ears  of  baileyi  are  usually  long,  but  there  is  considerable  indi- 
vidual variation,  in  addition  to  the  geographic  variation,  in  eastern 
Colorado  and  western  Kansas.  The  individual  variation  in  the  skull 
is  most  strikingly  shown  in  the  bullae  which  usually  vary  in  size  cor- 
respondingly with  the  varying  length  of  the  ears.  In  addition  to  the 
shorter  ears  specimens  from  Kansas  and  adjacent  parts  of  eastern 
Colorado  compared  with  typical  baileyi  are  smaller,  darker,  and  have 
distinctly  smaller  bullae. 

The  young  in  immature  pelage  are  darker  and  more  buffy  brownish 
gray  on  upperparts  than  the  adults.  The  postjuvenal  pelage  is 
slightly  darker  and  more  grizzled  gray  than  the  adult,  with  darker 


234  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

brownish  gray  ears  and  more  rusty  legs.     The  young  are  often  not 
very  different  from  those  of  arisonce  and  minor. 
Total  number  of  specimens  examined  197,  from: 

South  Dakota:  Battle  Creek,  1;  Cheyenne  River  (Custer  County),  5; 
Corral  Draw  (Pine  Ridge  Reservation),  7;  Elk  Mountain,  1. 

North  Dakota:    Little  Missouri  River,  2. 

Nebraska:   Glen  (Sioux  County),  1;  Warbonnet  (Sioux  County),  3. 

Kansas:    Wakeeney,  2;  Peudennis.  3. 

Colorado:  Agate,  1;  The  Cedars  (northwest  corner  Baca  County),  1; 
Colorado  Springs,  8;  Denver,  1;  Douglas  Spring  (Routt  County),  3; 
Flagler,  1:  Fortification  Creek  (near  Craig),  1;  Gauine's  ranch 
(northwest  corner  Baca  County),  7;  Lay,  6;  Loveland,  8;  Bear  River 
(north  of  Maybelle),  1;  Meeker,  2;  Monon,  4;  Quenda,  1;  20  miles 
southwest  of  Rangely,  3 ;  Rockvale,  6 ;  Salida,  3 ;  Sand  Creek,  3 ; 
Semper,  5;  Snake  River,  3;  Snake  River  (lower  bridge),  6;  between 
Snake  River  bridge  and  Lily,  1:  Spring  Canyon  (Larimer  County), 
1;  White  River  (20  miles  east  of  Rangely),  1;  White  Rock,  2. 

Utah:    Uncompahgre  Indian  Reservation,  5. 

Montana:  Billings,  1 ;  Box  Elder  Creek,  1 ;  Great  Falls  of  the  Missouri,  1 ; 
Little  Big  Horn  River  (2  miles  from  Wyoming  line),  3;  Phillips 
Creek,  2;  Sage  Creek  (Big  Horn  Basin),  4;  Stillwater,  1. 

Wyoming:  Aurora,  3;  Beaver,  1;  Belle  Fourche,  1;  Big  Piney,  3;  Bitter 
Creek,  18 ;  Camp  Curling,  1 ;  Cheyenne.  2 ;  Circle,  2 ;  Deer  Creek,  1 ; 
Douglas,  6;  Fort  Bridger,  1;  Fort  Fettermann,  2;  Fort  Laramie,  1; 
Green  River,  1 ;  Henrys  Fork,  1 ;  Kinney  Ranch,  1 ;  Lander,  7 ;  Opal, 
2 ;  Owl  Creek  Mountains,  2 ;  Percy,  5 ;  Rawlins,  1 ;  Sheep  Creek,  1 ; 
Spring  Creek  (Bighorn  Basin),  1;  Van  Tassel  Creek,  1;  Wamsutter 
(30  miles  south),  5;  Wind  River  Basin,  5. 

SYLVILAGUS  AUDUBONI  NEOMEXICANUS  Nelson. 

New  Mexico  Cottontail. 

Sylvilagus  auduboni  neomexicanus  Nelson,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XX, 
p.  83,  July  22,  1907.  Type  from  Fort  Sumner,  New  Mexico;  No.  118477, 
$  ad.,  U.  S.  National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection)  ;  collected  by 
J.  H.  Gaut,  September  23,  1902. 

Geographic  distribution. — Pecos  Valley  from  near  Fort  Stockton, 
Texas,  north  to  about  Fort  Sumner,  New  Mexico,  and  thence  east  to 
Abilene  and  Wichita  Falls,  Texas,  and  north  through  eastern  Xew 
Mexico,  western  Texas,  and  western  Oklahoma  to  extreme  south- 
central  Kansas.  Vertical  range  from  about  2.500  feet  in  western 
Texas  to  5,000  feet  in  eastern  Xew  Mexico ;  zonal  range  Lower  Sonoran 
and  lower  part  of  Upper  Sonoran  Zone. 

General  characters. — Size  about  as  in  minor;  ears  shorter;  hind  feet 
longer;  color  generally  darker  and  more  rusty  reddish,  especially  on 
legs  and  sides  of  body;  fore  legs  more  strongly  rusty  rufous,  shading 
to  rusty  buffy  on  tops  of  fore  feet ;  sides  of  shoulders  and  along  lower 
part  of  flanks  more  or  less  strongly  rusty  buffy,  deepest  on  shoulders 
and  shading  into  rusty  cinnamon  on  outside  of  hind  legs;  winter 
pelage  thinner  and  shorter  than  in  minor. 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS  AUDUBONI   GEOUP NEOMEXICANUS.  235 

Color  in  fresh  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  dull,  rather  dark 
huffy  gray  with  a  slight  tinge  of  rusty  buffy;  sides  of  body  grayer 
than  back  with  a  stronger  tinge  of  rusty  buffy,  becoming  nearly  pure 
rusty  buffy  along  lower  border  of  flanks  and  most  intense  on  sides  of 
shoulders;  deepening  to  rather  bright  rusty  rufous  on  sides  of  fore 
legs  and  shading  into  dark  buffy  on  tops  of  fore  feet,  and  into  rusty 
cinnamon  on  outside  of  hind  legs;  tops  of  hind  feet  Varying  from 
pale  buffy  to  whitish;  nape  rather  rufous,  duller  and  paler  rufous 
than  on  fore  legs ;  outside  of  ears  pale  grayish  buffy ;  rump  covered 
with  a  poorly  defined  dull  iron  grayish  patch ;  top  of  tail  dull  buffy 
gray ;  underside  of  neck  varying  from  dark  rusty  buffy,  deeper  than 
sides  of  flanks,  to  deep  ochraceous  buffy. 

Worn  summer  pelage.- — Upperparts  paler  and  more  dingy  grayish, 
but  the  generally  rusty  or  rusty  buffy  tinge  nearly  always  distinctive. 

/Skull. — In  size  and  general  appearance  much  like  that  of  minor, 
but  with  frontal  area  more  flattened,  interorbital  breadth  greater, 
nasals  longer,  and  bulla1  distinctly  smaller. 

Average  measurements  (-5  adults). — Total  length,  374;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 49;  hind  foot,  87;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  55. 

Remarks. — This  is  not  a  strongly  marked  form,  but  at  the  same 
time  the  cottontails  from  the  low  open  country  of  eastern  New  Mex- 
ico and  middle  western  and  northwestern  Texas  have  so  much  more 
rusty  reddish  on  the  legs  and  shoulders,  so  much  of  a  rusty  buffy 
tinge  over  the  rest  of  the  body  and  so  much  smaller  ears  that  they  do 
not  fit  in  with  any  of  the  adjacent  forms,  and  it  lias  seemed  best  to 
distinguish  them  by  name.  As  would  be  expected,  they  grade  into 
the  other  forms  on  the  south,  west,  and  north.  To  the  east  they 
occupy  the  limit  of  the  range  of  this  species.  Specimens  from  the 
southern  part  of  their  range  have  the  longest  ears  and  largest  bulla? ; 
those  from  the  north,  about  the  northeastern  border  of  the  Pan- 
handle, and  thence  to  southern  Kansas,  have  much  shorter  ears  and 
smaller  bulla?  than  from  elsewhere  in  the  range  of  this  form,  and 
thus  grade  toward  the  small  representatives  of  baileyi  in  middle 
western  and  northern  Kansas. 

Specimens  from  the  lower  Pecos  Valley  in  Xew  Mexico  are  similar 
to  those  from  about  Colorado  and  adjacent  parts  of  western  Texas. 
Through  lack  of  material  the  exact  area  of  intergradation  between 
neomexicanus  and  par  wins  is  unknown. 

The  range  of  this  subspecies  overlaps  that  of  S.  floridanus  chap- 
mani  in  middle  western  Texas,  but  I  have  seen  no  specimens  which 
suggest  intergradation. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined,  85.  from : 

New  Mexico:  Carlsbad,  5;  Clayton,  2;  Emery  Peak.  1;  Fort  Sumner,  4: 
Guadalupe  Mountains,  4 ;  Perico  Arroyo,  4 ;  Roswell,  11 ;  Sierra 
Grande,  2;  Tucuincari,  1. 


236  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

Texas:  Adam,  1;  Canadian,  1;  Colorado,  3;  Davis  Mountains,  2;  Fort 
Stockton,  4;  Gail,  1;  Grand  Falls,  2;  Hereford,  1;  Lipscomb,  5; 
Monahans,  9 ;  Pecos  City,  1 ;  San  Angelo,  1 ;  Stanton,  2 ;  Tascosa,  1 ; 
Tebo,  1 ;  Texline,  3 ;  Toyah,  1 ;  Toyahvale,  2 ;  Wicbita  Falls,  2. 

Oklahoma:    Chattanooga,  2;  Neutral  Strip,  2;  Tepee  Creek,  2. 

Kansas:    Kinsley,  1;  Kiowa,  1. 

SYLVILAGUS  AUDUBONI  PARVULUS   (Allen). 

Mexican  Desert  Cottontail. 

(PL  XI,  fig.  3.) 

Lepus  (Sylvilagus)  parvulus  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  XX,  pp.  34-36, 
figs.  3,  6,  9,  February  29, 1904.  Type  from  Apam,  Hidalgo,  Mexico  (altitude 
about  8,000  feet)  ;  No.  Hlll>  American  Museum  of  Natural  History;  col- 
lected by  Frank  M.  Cbapman,  March  19,  1897. 

Geographic  distribution. — Eastern  and  southeastern  part  of  Mex- 
ican Tableland  from  Puebla  north  to  Rio  Grande  Valley  of  Texas 
(from  Rio  Grande  City  to  mouth  of  Pecos  River).  Vertical  range 
from  below  500  feet  on  the  Rio  Grande  to  over  8,000  feet  altitude  on 
southern  end  of  tableland  in  Mexico;  zonal  range  Upper  and  Lower 
Sonoran. 

General  characters. — Upperparts  dusky  buffy  grayish;  nape  and 
fore  legs  deep  rusty  rufous,  hind  legs  dull  cinnamon  brown ;  size  and 
proportion  of  minor  but  deeply  colored,  more  like  goldmani. 

Color  of  fresh  winter  pelage. — Upperparts  of  head  and  body 
dusky  buffy  gray,  the  buffy  having  a  pinkish  shade  on  head  and  fore 
part  of  body  and  giving  way  posteriorly  to  a  dull,  poorly  marked 
iron  gray  rump  patch;  top  of  tail  similar  to  rump;  sides  of  head 
and  body  paler,  less  washed  with  black  than  back;  ears  buffy  gray, 
paler  and  grayer  than  back;  nape  deep  rusty  rufous;  fore  legs  similar 
to  nape  but  darker  rufous ;  tops  of  fore  feet  buffy  varying  in  intens- 
ity; lower  part  of  hind  legs  usually  cinnamon  brown  varying  to  a 
lighter  more  rufous  shade;  tops  of  hind  feet  vary  from  white  to  buff; 
underside  of  neck  dark  buff  or  ochraceous  buff,  in  some  cases  becom- 
ing dark  buffy  drab;  a  narrow  band  of  dull  buff,  similar  to  but  duller 
than  underside  of  neck,  extends  along  lower  edge  of  flanks  bordering 
white  area  of  abdomen  between  front  and  hind  legs. 

Worn  spring  and  summer  pelage. — Paler  more  yellowish  gray, 
especially  on  the  sides  of  body  where  the  yellowish  buffy  suffusion 
is  most  strongly  marked. 

Skull. — Much  as  in  minor,  but  interorbital  width  and  bullae  aver- 
aging a  little  smaller  and  jugals  lighter. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  359;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 45.8 ;  hind  foot,  76 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  57.3. 

Remarks. — This  subspecies  is  most  like  goldmani,  but  its  colors, 
especially  on  the  legs,  are  less  intense  and  less  strongly  contrasted. 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   AUDUBONI   GEOUP PARVULUS.  237 

In  fresh  dark  pelage  some  examples  of  parvulus  have  strikingly 
close  external  resemblance  in  size  and  color  to  S.  f.  chapman!,  both 
forms  ranging  over  the  same  area  in  the  lower  Rio  Grande  Valley 
and  adjacent  part  of  northern  Mexico.  In  the  northern  part  of  its 
range  intergrading  specimens  of  parvulus  are  often  nearly  as  pale 
as  minor.  Its  fur  is  thinner  and  more  finely  grizzled  by  the  over- 
lying black  than  in  minor,  so  that  by  these  characters  pale  individuals 
may  usually  be  distinguished.  In  addition  specimens  from  the  Rio 
Grande  Valley  and  adjacent  part  of  Tamaulipas  and  Nuevo  Leon 
usually  have  smaller  ears  and  smaller  bullae  than  from  any  other 
part  of  its  range.  One  specimen  from  Chalchicomula,  Puebla,  and 
another  from  Miquihuana,  Nuevo  Leon,  have  ears  and  bulla?  as  large 
as  typical  arizonce.  The  ears  and  bulla?  vary  locally  in  this  as  in 
other  forms,  and  there  may  be  an  average  difference  between  series 
from  two  places  not  widely  separated.  Most  specimens  from  the 
extreme  northern  part  of  its  range  may  be  at  once  separated  from 
S.  floridanus  chapmani  by  the  well-marked  difference  in  the  size  of 
the  bulla?,  as  well  as  by  color,  but  some  are  very  close  in  color,  and 
the  bulla?  are  so  nearly  intermediate  in  size  that  they  are  very  puz- 
zling. The  two  species  live  together  over  a  considerable  area  with- 
out intergradation.  Occasionally  individuals  of  parvulus  in  the 
overlapping  parts  of  their  ranges  resemble  chapmani  in  general  ap- 
pearance, but  such  cases  are  too  sporadic  to  mean  anything  except  a 
parallelism  resulting  from  similar  conditions,  as  has  been  noted  in 
several  other  species  of  x^merican  rabbits. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  122,  from: 

Texas:  Carrizo,  3;  Comstock,  2;  Cotulla,  2;  Del  Rio,  6;  Mouth  of  Devils 
River,  4 ;  Eagle  Pass,  1 ;  Laredo,  5 :  Llano,  1 ;  Rio  Grande  City,  1 ; 
Roma,  2 ;  San  Diego,  1 ;  Sycamore  Creek,  1 ;  Webb  County,  2. 

Coahuila  (Mexico):  Carneros,  2;  Las  Vacas  Creek  (bead  of),  1 ;  La  Ven- 
tura, 4;  Monclova,  1:  Sabinas,  2;  Saltillo,  6. 

Tamaulipas  (Mexico):  Camargo,  6 ;  Guerrero,  1 ;  Mier,  6  ;  Miquihuana,  3 ; 
Nuevo  Laredo,  3. 

Nuevo  Leon  (Mexico):    Aldama,  1;  Rodriguez,  1. 

San  Luis  Potosi  (Mexico):  Ahualulco.  2:  Charcos,  2;  Hacienda  La 
Parada,  5 ;  Rio  Verde,  4 ;  San  Luis  Potosi,  6 ;  Soledad,  1. 

Aguas  Calientes  (Mexico):    Chichalote,  4. 

Zacatecas  (Mexico):  Berriozabal,  3;  Canitas,  1. 

Durango  (Mexico):  Durango  City,  2. 

Jalisco  (Mexico):   Lagos,  1. 

Guanajuato  (Mexico):    Silao,  1. 

Queretaro  (Mexico):    Tequisquiapam,  2. 

Hidalgo  (Mexico):    Irolo,  2;  Apam,  2;  Tulancingo,  3. 

Tlaxcala  (Mexico):    Huamantla.  1. 

Puebla  (Mexico):    Chalchicomula,  2. 

Vera  Cruz  (Mexico):    Perote,  10. 


238 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.  29. 


SYLVILAGUS  CUNICULARIUS  Group  (Subgenus  SYLVILAGUS). 

MEXICAN  COTTONTAILS. 

The  present  group  is  characteristic  of.  and  probably  originated  on, 
the  high  plains  and  mountain  slopes  at  the  southern  end  of  the  Desert 
Plateau  Region,  which  is  coincident  with  the  southern  end  of  the 
Mexican  Tableland.  The  cunicularius  group  is  very  distinct  from 
the  other  cottontails.  It  contains  only  two  species,  one  of  which  is 
wide  ranging  and  separable  into  three  forms,  namely,  £.  cunicularius, 
/>(/(■/ fcits\  and  insoUtus,  and  the  other,  &.  graysoni,  an  insular  species 
of  very  limited  distribution,  was  probably  derived  from  S.  c.  insolitus 
of  the  adjacent  mainland.  The  members  of  this  group  are  charac- 
terized by  coarse  pelage,  massive  skulls,  and  large  size,  S.  cunicularius 
being  about  as  large  as  a  medium-sized  jack  rabbit.  While  having  no 
close  relatives,  they  most  resemble  the  large,  heavy-skulled,  coarse- 
haired  S.  floridanus 
yucatanicus  and  -6'.  /. 
chiapensis. 

S.  cunicularius  (in- 
cluding its  subspecies) 
occupies  a  broad  area, 
including  the  lofty 
mountains  and  adja- 
cent borders  of  the  cool 
plains  about  the  south- 
ern end  of  the  Mexican 
Tableland,  and  thence 
west  and  south  in  the 
tropical  belt  along  the 

Pig.  15. — Distribution  of  the  Mexican  cottontails  of  the      Pacific     Coast     (see     fi°". 
Sylvilagus  cunicularius  group.  _,  ^ ,.         T.     .•■ 

15).  It  thus  possesses 
a  great  vertical  range,  from  an  altitude  of  more  than  11,000  feet 
in  the  Canadian  Zone  on  the  giant  volcanoes  down  to  sea  level 
on  the  Arid  Tropical  coast  plains.  The  range  of  typical  S.  cuni- 
cularius is  the  most  extended  and  varied  of  the  three  subspecies.  Its 
range  reaches  from  above  11,000  down  to  about  2,000  feet  altitude, 
thus  including  the  Canadian.  Transition,  Upper  and  Lower  Sonoran, 
and  the  upper  part  of  the  Arid  Tropical  Zone.  The  distribution  of 
the  other  forms,  pacific  us  and  insolitus,  in  common  with  S.  graysoni, 
is  Arid  Tropical.  In  contrast  with  the  wide  vertical  range  of  typical 
cunicularius,  that  of  graysoni  extends  only  from  sea  level  up  to  about 
200  feet.  The  range  of  typical  cunicularius  overlaps  a  considerable 
part  of  the  ranges  of  S.  f.  connectens  and  S.  f.  restrictus,  and  all  of 
that  of  S.  f.  orizdbm.  In  addition,  on  the  slopes  of  Mount  Popo- 
catepetl and  Mount  Iztaccihuatl,  the  limited  habitat  of  Romerolagus 


1909.] 


SYLVILAGUS   CUNICULARIUS   GROUP CUNICULARIUS. 


239 


nelsoni  is  wholly  within  that  of  cunicidarius,  and  on  the  borders  of 
the  adjacent  plain:;  cimicrdarius  occurs  in  company  with  the  plains 
cottontail.  8.  auduboni  pamihis.  and  the  jack  rabbits,  Lepus  caUotis 
and  L.  o.  festinvs. 

S.  cvnicularius  and  its  subspecies  have  fcabits  much  like  those  of 
the  forms  of  S.  floridamts.  They  usually  avoid  open  plains,  and 
frequent  the  rank  growths  of  bushes  or  coarse  saccaton  grass  in  the 
scattered  pine  and  oak  forest  of  the  mountain  slopes  and  similar 
growths  about  the  foothills  along  the  borders  of  the  plains.  Still 
lower  they  frequent  grass-grown  thickets  in  the  tangled  jungle  of 
the  hills  and  valleys  in  the  hot  country.  At  night  they  leave  cover 
to  feed  about  the  openings  and  along  the  edges  of  the  jungle. 

Average  measurements  of  the  Sylvilagus  cuniculpfritis  group, 


T3 

be 

S3 
u 
<u 
> 

Skin. 

Skull. 

rt 

a  la.  j 

■d 

o3 

a 

0> 

gf 

U  A 

si 

"3 

1th    of    rostru 
ve  premolars, 
l  of  rostrum 
t  of  premolars 

-5 

jo 
o 

g 

'C 

3 

Origin  of  specimens 

1 

0 

.a 
t-i 

a 

c 

c 

c3 

c 
o 

o 

"3 

,9 

O 

averaged. 

o 

3 

-. 

H 

bo 

B 

3  g  =  S 

S-2  ^P 

o 

_OI 

a 

c3 

d 

o 

'S 

S 

03 

(a 

£.  °3 

►—i 

cj 

fc 

H 

'~ 

H 

H 

cq 

h^ 

« 

Q*" 

Ph 

S 

Sylvilagus    cunicu- 

5 

511.  6 

67.8 

109.4 

74.4 

62.3 

36.4 

21.2 

17.0 

19.4 

29.3 

11.4 

Las  Yigas,  Vera  Cruz. 

larius. 

Sylvilagus     cunicu- 

5 

489.0,62.2110.8 

70.7  61.9 

36.5  20.118.4 

19.5 

28.1 

11.2 

Coast     of    Guerrero: 

larius  pacificus. 

Mexico. 

Sylvilagus    cunicu- 

5 500. 0 54. 6  108. 8  70. -1  62.  1  37. 023. 1  18. 9 21. 0 28. 3  11. 3 

Plains  of  Colima. 

iarius  insolitus. 

Sylvilagus  graysoni . . . 

5 180. 0  51. 4   96. 8  57. 0l61. 5]34".  0  20. 4 

17.118.6  26.711.0 

Maria  Madre  Island. 

SYLVILAGUS    CUNICULARIUS     ( Waterhouse). 

Mexican  Highland  Cottontail. 

(PI.  XIII,  figs.  7,  8.) 

Lepus  cunicularius  Waterhouse,  Nat.  Hist.  Mammalia,  II,  pp.  132-133,  footnote, 

1S48.     Type  from  Sacualpan    (probably  in  State  of  Mexico),  Mexico;  No. 

1503,  Berlin  Museum :  collected  by  F.  Deppe.  July  26,  18 — . 
Lepus  vercecrueis  Thomas,  Proc.  Zool.  Soc.  London,  June  1,  1890,  pp.  74-75,  pi.  7. 

Type  from  Las  Vigas,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico;  in  British  Museum;  collected  by 

the  Geographical  Exploring  Commission  of  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Mountains  about  extreme  southern  end 
of  Mexican  Tableland  and  bordering  slopes  and  valleys  on  both  sides 
from  Cofre  de  Perote  and  Mount  Orizaba  in  central-western  Vera 
Cruz,  and  Mount  Zempoaltepec,  eastern  Oaxaca,  west  through  south- 
ern Hidalgo,  Puebla,  Tlaxcala,  Mexico,  northern  Michoacan,  Morelos, 
northern  Guerrero,  and  northern  Oaxaca.  Vertical  distribution  from 
about  2,000  feet  in  Guerrero  up  to  over  11,000  feet  on  Mount  Orizaba 


240  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  Ino.  29. 

and  on  the  mountains  about  the  Valley  of  Mexico;  zonal  distribution 
from  upper  part  of  Arid  Tropical  up  through  Sonoran  and  Transi- 
tion into  Canadian  Zone. 

General  characters. — Very  large  and  heavy,  equaling  medium-sized 
jack  rabbits  in  weight;  celor  dull  buffy  brownish  gray;  pelage  abun- 
dant and  coarse. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  buffy  brown,  washed 
with  black;  back  pale  buffy  yellowish  gray  darkened  by  overlying 
long  black  hairs;  ears  similar  to  top  of  head,  becoming  blackish  on 
outside  at  tip ;  orbital  area  clear  deep  buffy ;  sides  of  head  dark 
dingy  buffy;  nape  dull  rusty  rufous;  fore  legs  similar  to  nape,  but 
duller,  less  rufous;  hind  legs  and  sides  of  hind  feet  duller,  more 
rusty  brownish,  than  fore  legs;  tops  of  hind  feet  buffy  whitish  or 
pale  dull  rusty;  line  along  lower  side  of  flanks  between  front  and 
hind  legs  dull  rusty  buff;  underside  of  neck  a  little  lighter  shade  of 
same;  rest  of  underparts  dingy  whitish. 

Skull. — Large  and  heavy,  rather  broad  across  braincase;  rostrum 
heavy  with  a  massive  base,  flattened  in  frontal  region  and  arched 
along  upper  outline;  nasals  sharply  compressed  laterally  into  a  pit- 
like indentation  about  one-third  of  length  from  tip  and  expanded 
again  toward  tip;  jugals  proportionately  light,  slightly  grooved, 
with  a  deep  pit  anteriorly ;  supraorbital  process  light  and  narrow 
and  but  slightly  raised  above  plane  of  frontals;  postorbital  process 
usually  joined  to  skull  posteriorly  inclosing  a  narrow  flattened-oval 
foramen ;  braincase  proportionately  broader  than  in  S.  floridanus 
aztecus,  S.  f.  yucatanicus,  and  S.  f.  chlapensis;  bulla?  medium  sized, 
proportionately  about  as  in  yucatanicus /  considerable  similarity  in 
general  appearance  exists  between  skulls  of  S.  cunicularius  and  S.  f. 
yucatanicus,  but  supra-  and  postorbital  processes  of  cunicularius 
smaller  and  narrower,  and  postorbital  process  less  closely  joined  to 
skull;  jugals  lighter  and  teeth,  both  incisors  and  molars,  larger  and 
heavier;  lower  outline  of  rami  of  underjaw  on  a  plane  surface  usually 
rest  on  posterior  angle  and  tip,  leaving  middle  free;  in  old  skulls 
middle  lower  outline  sometimes  becomes  convex,  raising  tip  free. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  511.6;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 67.8;  hind  foot,  109.4;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  74.4. 

Remarks. — Lepus  aquaticus  has  been  recorded  from  Orizaba,  Vera 
Cruz,  but  the  specimen  upon  which  this  record  was  based  is  still  in 
the  National  Museum,  and  proves  to  be  a  typical  example  of  Sylvi- 
lagus  cunicvlarius.  As  stated  in  the  general  introduction,  neither 
S.  aquaticus  nor  S.  palustris  occurs  in  Mexico. 

S.  cunicularius  has  a  wide  range  and  is  abundant  in  many  places, 
frequenting  the  cover  offered  by  rank  growths  of  coarse  grass  or 
weeds.  It  is  equally  at  home  at  an  elevation  of  10.000  or  11,000 
feet  in  the  grass-grown  areas  of  the  open  pine  forest  on  the  giant 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS    CUNICULARIUS    GROUP CUNICULARIUS.  241 

volcanoes  of  Orizaba  and  Popocatepetl,  or  at  2,000  feet  in  the  sub- 
tropical plains  and  valleys  of  southern  Puebla  and  northern  Guerrero. 

Specimens  of  this  species  from,  the  Sierra  Madre  of  Michoacan, 
in  the  western  part  of  its  range,  are  a  little  larger  in  dimensions  of 
both  skin  and  skull  than  those  from  elsewhere,  but  there  are  no  color 
differences.  In  worn  pelage  the  general  color  becomes  paler  and 
more  of  a  dingy  yellowish  gray.  Considering  the  wide  range  of  this 
species  under  such  varied  conditions  of  climate,  the  amount  of 
variation  is  surprisingly  small. 

In  his  Natural  History  of  Mammalia  (loc.  cit.)  Waterhouse  pub- 
lished a  fairly  good  description  of  some  specimens  of  cottontails  in 
the  Berlin  Museum,  based  on  notes  given  him  by  Bachman.  Water- 
house  used  the  manuscript  name  cunicularius  which  Lichtenstein 
had  placed  on  the  labels  of  these  specimens.  This  description  was 
based  on  two  specimens  which,  during  a  recent  visit  to  Berlin, 
Osgood  found  in  the  mounted  collection  of  the  museum,  still  in  good 
condition.  They  were  carefully  examined  by  him  and  proved  to 
be  unquestionably  identical  with  the  species  described  as  Lcpns 
vercecrucis  by  Thomas.0  The  ear  measurements  of  the  two  original 
specimens  were  taken  by  Osgood  and  absolutely  confirm  this  deter- 
mination. Both  specimens  were  collected  by  Deppe  and  are  labeled 
for  locality  in  his  writing.  One  is  labeled  from  "  Xalapa  " 
(=Jalapa,  Vera  Cruz)  and  the  other  came  from  "  Sacualpan " 
(probably  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State  of  Mexico).  This  last 
specimen  is  marked  both  on  the  label  and  in  the  museum  catalogue 
as  the  type,  so  that  we  may  consider  "Sacualpan"  (=Zacualpan) 
as  the  type  locality  of  this  fine  species. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  104,  from : 

Michoacan  (Mexico):    Patzcuaro,  13. 

Guerrero  (Mexico):    Chilpancingo,  1. 

Mexico  (Mexico):  Ameeanieca.  1  ;  Mount  Iztaccihuatl,  1;  Mount  Popo- 
catepetl, 4:  Salazar,  3;  Volcano  of  Toluca,  6. 

Federal  District  (Mexico):    Ajusco,  1;  Tlalpam,  1. 

Morelos  (Mexico):  Cuernavaca,  1;  Huitzilac,  1;  Tetela  del  Volcan,  1; 
Yautepec,  4. 

Hidalgo  (Mexico):    Tulancingo,  4. 

Puebla  (Mexico):  Atlixco,  9;  Chalcliiconmla,  1;  Piaxtla.  1  ;  Tehuaean,  7: 
Tochiniilco,  1. 

Vera  Cruz  (Mexico):  Cofre  de  Perote.  1 ;  Las  Vigas,  23:  city  of  Orizaba, 
4  ;  Terote,  7. 

Oaxaca  (Mexico):  Huahuapam,  1;  Mount  Zenipoaltepec,  4:  Oaxaca  City, 
2 ;  Suchistepec,  1. 

a  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XX,  pp.  51-52,  April  18,  1907. 
85595— No.  29—09 16 


242  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [™.  20. 

SYLVILAGUS  CUNIOULARIUS  PACIFICUS   (Nelson). 

Acapulco  Cottontail. 

Lepus  vcrcccrucis  pacificus  Nelson,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XVII,  p.  104, 
May  18,  1904.  Type  from  Acapulco,  Guerrero,  Mexico;  No.  70622,  $  ad., 
U.  S.  National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection)  ;  collected  by  E.  W. 
Nelson  and  E.  A.  Goldman,  January  9,  1S95. 

Geographic  distribution. — Coastal  plain  and  adjacent  foothills  of 
southwestern  Mexico  from  extreme  southern  Michoacan  through 
Guerrero  to  Pluma,  Oaxaca.  Vertical  range  from  sea  level  in  Guer- 
rero to  about  2,500  feet  in  the  foothills ;  zonal  range,  Arid  Tropical. 

General  characters. — Similar  in  color  to  cunicularius,  but  smaller, 
with  shorter  ears,  proportionately  longer  hind  feet,  heavier  rostrum, 
and  narrower  braincase. 

Color. — Scarcely  distinguishable  from  typical  cunicularius. 

Skull. — In  general  appearance  much  like  typical  cunicularius,  from 
which  it  differs  in  narrower  but  deeper  and  heavier  rostrum,  broader, 
and  more  inflated  tip  to  nasals,  lighter  jugals,  larger  postorbital  proc- 
esses, and  narrower  braincase;  lower  outline  of  rami  of  lower  jaw 
usually  with  a  marked  convexity  posterior  to  symphysis,  so  that  when 
placed  on  a  plane  the  mandible  rests  on  lower  edge  of  angular  process 
and  on  convexity,  thus  raising  part  along  symphysis  free  from  the 
support ;  in  some  cases  this  convexity  becomes  so  reduced  that  lower 
side  of  mandible  along  symphysis  nearly  or  quite  touches  plane. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  489;  tail  verte- 
bras, 62.2 ;  hind  foot,  110.8 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  70.7. 

Remarks. — The  general  resemblance  in  coloration  and  in  type  of 
skull  between  cunicularius,  pacificus,  and  insolitus  proves  their  near 
relationship.  A  specimen  from  El  Limon  in  northwestern  Guerrero, 
a  place  intermediate  between  the  ranges  of  pacificus  and  insolitus, 
is  an  exact  intergrade  between  them.  The  amount  of  individual  varia- 
tion is  not  great.  The  upperparts  of  the  winter  specimens  are  darker 
with  a  much  heavier  wash  of  black  than  in  spring  and  summer,  when 
the  long  black  overlying  hairs  wear  away  and  the  buffy  underfur 
fades  so  that  the  general  color  becomes  decidedly  paler  or  more 
grayish. 

At  the  time  of  our  journey  through  the  hot  coastal  plain  near 
Sihuatanejo,  Guerrero,  in  the  dry  season,  these  rabbits  were  abundant 
in  low  situations  about  weedy  old  fields  and  in  the  bordering  scrubby 
jungle,  where  the  vegetation  was  greener  than  on  the  more  arid  higher 
ground. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  19,  from : 

Guerrero  (Mexico):  Acapulco,  12;  El  Limon,  3;  Papayo,  2;  Sihuatanejo,  1. 
Oaxaca  (Mexico):    Llano  Grande,  1. 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   CUNICULARIUS   GROUP INSOLITUS.  243 

SYLVILAGUS  CUNICULARIUS   INSOLITUS    (Allen). 

Colima  Cottontail. 

Lepus  insoliius  Allen.  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.  Ill,  pp.  189-190.  De- 
cember 10,  1890.  Type  from  the  plains  of  Colima,  State  of  Colima.  Mexico; 
No.  |f|f,  $  ad.,  Aruericaii  Museum  of  Natural  History;  collected  by  Dr. 
Audley  C.  Duller,  January  15,  1890. 

Geographic  distribution. — Coastal  plains  of  western  Mexico  from 
Michoacan  north  through  Colima  and  Territory  of  Tepic  to  Mazat- 
lan,  Sinaloa.  Vertical  range  from  sea  level  in  Colima  to  about  3.500 
feet  on  west  base  of  Volcano  of  Colima ;  zonal  range,  Arid  Tropical. 

General  characters. — A  large,  coarsely  haired  cottontail,  more 
brightly  colored  than  cunicularius,  with  back  deep  buffy  brownish, 
heavily  washed  with  black;  sides  of  legs  bright  rusty  reddish;  front 
of  legs  and  feet  white,  in  strong  contrast  to  sides  of  same ;  skull  with 
very  heavy  rostrum  and  broad  frontal  area. 

Colors  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  deep  buffy  ochra- 
ceous  washed  with  black;  base  of  ears  similar,  but  becoming  black- 
ish near  tip ;  orbital  area  and  sides  of  nose  dingy  buffy ;  cheeks  dark 
buff  washed  with  black ;  upperparts  dark  buff  or  brownish  buff  (some- 
times tinged  with  reddish,  especially  on  rump)  heavily  washed  with 
black;  nape,  fore  legs,  and  sides  and  back  of  hind  legs,  bright  rusty 
rufous;  tops  of  fore  and  hind  feet  and  front  of  hind  legs  clear  white, 
in  strong  contrast  to  rufous  on  rest  of  legs;  top  of  tail  dull  rusty 
brown,  underside  white ;  underside  of  neck  deep  yellowish  buff ;  rest 
of  underparts  white. 

Skull. — In  general  resembles  that  of  cunicularius,  but  base  of  ros- 
trum much  heavier  (broader  and  deeper)  ;  frontal  and  interorbital 
area  more  flattened  and  greater  (in  depth  of  rostrum  it  agrees 
Avith  pacificus)  ;  jugals  heavier;  lower  outline  of  rami  nearly  straight, 
so  that  the  mandible,  on  a  plane  surface,  usually  rests  on  lower  part 
of  angular  process  and  ends  of  rami  along  symphysis,  leaving  the 
slightly  convex  middle  part  of  rami  free. 

Average  measurements  (-5  adults). — Total  length,  500;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 54.6 ;  hind  foot,  108.8 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  70.4. 

Remarks. — The  strong  contrast  between  the  bright  rusty  reddish 
of  the  nape  and  legs  with  the  clear  white  on  the  feet  and  along  the 
front  of  the  hind  legs  strongly  marks  this  cottontail,  which,  like 
pacificus,  is  limited  to  a  belt  along  the  Pacific  coast  of  Mexico.  It 
merges  into  pacificus  in  southern  Michoacan  and  northern  Guerrero. 
Specimens  from  northern  Tepic  and  southern  Sinaloa  have  a  slen- 
derer rostrum  than  those  from  the  type  region. 

In  fresh  pelage  the  colors  are  deep  and  rich,  with  a  strong  wash 
of  black  on  the  upperparts.     In   spring  and   early   summer  they 


244  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29: 

become  much  worn  and  faded  and  decidedly  paler,  changing  to  dull 
grayish  bully. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  GO,  from  : 

Colima  (Mexico):    Armeria,  !>;  City  of  Colirua,  1;  Hacienda  Magdalena, 

4 ;  Manzanillo,  1. 
Jalisco  (Mexico):    Ixtapa,  G. 

Territory  of  Tepic  (Mexico):  Acaponeta,  10;   San  Bias,  2:   Santiago,  (J. 
Sinaloa  (Mexico):    Escuinapa,  13;  Mazatlan,  6;  Rosario,  2. 

SYLVILAGUS  GRAYSONI   (Allen). 

Tres  Marias  Cottontail. 

Lepus  graysoni  Allen,  Mon.  N.  Am.  Rodentia,  pp.  347-348,  August,  1877.  Type 
from  the  Tres  Marias  Islands,  western  Mexico;  No.  8318,  U.  S.  National 
Museum ;  collected  by  A.  J.  Grayson. 

Geographic  distribution. — Tres  Marias  Islands,  western  Mexico. 
Vertical  range  from  sea  level  to  about  200  feet ;  zonal  range  Arid 
Tropical. 

General  characters. — Smaller  than  any  form  of  cunicularius;  most 
like  S.  c.  insolitus  in  color,  especially  the  bright  rufous  nape  and  legs, 
but  upperparts  more  reddish,  and  with  decidedly  smaller  ears  and 
lighter  skull. 

Color  in  rather  worn  pelage. — Top  of  head  reddish  brown ;  orbital 
area  and  sides  of  head  deep  buff,  washed  on  cheeks  with  black ;  ears 
grizzled  rusty  brown  becoming  blackish  about  tips;  back  and  sides 
of  body  deep  fulvous  buffy  with  a  distinct  tinge  of  reddish,  especially 
on  rump  and  tail;  nape,  most  of  fore  and  hind  legs,  and  sides  of 
hind  feet  bright  rusty  rufous;  tops  of  feet  and  line  along  front  of 
hind  legs  white  or  buffy  whitish;  underside  of  neck  dull  brownish 
buffy;  rest  of  underparts  white. 

Skull. — Lightest  of  the  cunicularius  group;  proportionately  slen- 
derer than  the  others ;  nasals  unusually  short ;  interorbital  and  pari- 
etal width  narrow ;  supraorbital  and  postorbital  processes  generally 
united  to  braincase  along  entire  length,  about  as  in  S.  palustris; 
rostrum  strikingly  slenderer  than  in  insolitus;  undersides  of  rami 
of  lower  jaw,  between  angular  processes  and  symphysis,  nearly 
straight,  so  that  when  placed  on  plane  the  jaw  rests  on  angular 
processes  and  anterior  end  of  jaw,  leaving  middle  parts  free. 

Average  measurement*  (J  adults). — Total  length,  480;  tail  ver- 
tebra?, 51.4;  hind  foot,  06.8;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin.  57. 

Remarks. — S.  graysoni  is  a  well-marked  insular  species,  but  its 
general  coloration  and  type  of  skull  clearly  show  its  close  relationship 
to  S.  cunicularius  insolitus  of  the  adjacent  mainland.  The  distribu- 
tion of  this  cottontail  on  the  islands  appears  to  be  unaccountably 
limited  to  a  vertical  range  of  about  200  feet  above  sea  level.  Within 
this  area  it  is  fairly  well  distributed. 


*800.]  SYLVILAGUS   BACHMANI   GROUP.  245 

In  May,  1897,  it  was  extremely  abundant  and  unsuspicious  about 
the  brush-grown  fields  of  an  abandoned  ranch  near  the  north  end  of 
Maria  Madre  Island.  We  found  it  on  the  three  northern  islands  of 
the  Tres  Marias,  but  during  our  short  visit  to  the  southerly  Maria 
Cleofas  saw  no  sign  of  it.  and  it  is  doubtful  if  this  rocky  island 
affords  suitable  situations  for  it. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  21.  from: 

Territory   of  Tepic  (Mexico):   Maria   Madre  Island,  20;   Maria  Magda- 
lena  Island,  1. 

SYLVILAGUS  BACHMANI  Group    (Subgenus   SYLVILAGUS). 

PACIFIC  COAST  BRUSH  RABBITS. 

The  brush  rabbits  of  California  and  Lower  California  make  a 
well-marked  group,  the  various  forms  of  which  bear  an  unusually 
close  general  resemblance  to  each  other.  There  are  only  two  species, 
S;/l rilagus  mansuetus  and  S.  bachmayd,  with  its  subspecies  ubericolor, 
c'/ik rascens.  exiguus,  cerrosensis,  and  peninsularis.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  typical  bachmani  and  ubericolor,  all  occur  in  Lower  Cali- 
fornia. Of  these  cinerascens  is  the  only  one  which  inhabits  both  sides 
of  the  border. 

The  distribution  of  8.  bachmani  and  its  subspecies  is  practically 
that  of  the  group.  They  occupy  a  comparatively  narrow  belt  from 
the  Columbia  River  in  Oregon  south  through  California,  including 
the  foothills  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  on  the  east  side  of  the  Sacramento 
and  San  Joaquin  valleys  to  Cape  St.  Lucas  at  the  extreme  southern 
point  of  Lower  California.  (See  fig.  1G.)  In  the  northern  part  of 
Lower  California  they  range  inland  from  the  Pacific  coast  to  the 
summit  of  the  Laguna  Hansen  Mountains,  and  high  up  on  the  west 
slope  of  the  San  Pedro  Martir  Range.  Near  the  middle  of  the  penin- 
sula they  extend  across  to  the  gulf  shore  and  thence  south  occupy  all 
the  country  except  the  higher  mountains.  Their  range  also  extends 
to  Cerros  Island  on  the  Pacific  side,  but  on  San  Jose  Island,  on  the 
Gulf  side,  they  are  replaced  by  the  closely  related  rrMnsitetus. 

This  group  belongs  to  the  Transition  and  the  Upper  and  Lower 
Sonoran  zones,  and  in  northern  Lower  California  ranges  from  sea 
level  up  to  6,000  feet  on  the  Laguna  Hansen  Mountains  and  to  7,000 
feet  on  the  San  Pedro  Martir  Mountains;  the  latter,  so  far  as  I  am 
aware,  being  its  greatest  altitude.  Farther  south  on  the  peninsula 
they  rarely  go  over  3.000  feet  above  sea  level,  and  on  the  mountains 
of  the  Cape  region  appear  to  be  absent  above  2,000  feet. 

The  brush  rabbits  appear  to  be  more  strictly  nocturnal  than  the 
cottontails  of  the  auduboni  group,  and  during  the  day  lie  very  closely 
in  the  densest  thickets  of  bushes  or  other  small  herbage.  They  appear 
to  be  equally  at  home  in  the  heavy  vegetation  of  the  humid  coast 


246 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.  29. 


region  of  Oregon  and  northern  California  and  in  the  matted  growths 
of  thorny  plants  on  the  arid  deserts  of  Lower  California. 

The  members  of  the  group  are  characterized  externally  by  small 

size,  short  legs,  small  tail, 
and  nearly  uniform  dark 
brown  or  brownish  gray 
color.  The  skull  is  broad 
across  the  base,  the  rostrum 
slender  and  tapering,  and 
the  supraorbital  processes 
light  and  slender. 

The  small  size  and  short 
legs  and  tail  constitute  a 
strongly  marked  specific 
type  very  different  from 
any  other  group  in  the  sub- 
genus Sylvilagus.  Alive 
they  appear  like  dwarf  cot- 
tontails. In  general  the 
skulls  bear  a  rather  close 
resemblance  to  those  of  8. 
auduboni  arizonw.  The 
subspecies  of  bachmani 
vary  little  in  size,  but  the 
effect  of  environment  on 
color  is  well  shown  by  the 
contrast  between  the  dark 
brown  ubericolor  from  the 
humid  coast  country  north 
of  San  Francisco,  and  the 
gray  forms  from  the  more 
arid  regions  of  southern 
California  and  the  penin- 
sula of  Lower  California. 
Specimens  from  the  district 
about  San  Luis  Obispo, 
California,  may  be  consid- 
ered typical  bachmani. 

The  fine  series  of  speci- 
mens in  the  Biological 
Survey  collection  from 
many  points  throughout 
the  range  of  this  species  show  that  typical  bachmani  intergrades  with 
ubericolor  on  the  north  and  cinerascens  on  the  south;  and,  through 
the  latter,  passes  into  several  forms  of  Lower  California.     S.  mansu- 


16. — Distribution    of    the    brush    rabbits. 
vilagus  bachmani  group. 


1909.] 


SYLVILAGUS    BACHMANI    GROUP BACHMANI. 


247 


etits  from  San  Jose  Island  is  undoubtedly  an  offshoot  from  pcninsv- 
laris,  the  form  of  the  adjacent  mainland,  but  it  has  become  sufficiently 
differentiated  through  isolation  to  be  treated  as  a  species.  It  is 
possible  that  adults  of  oerroeen^is  may  show  well-marked  differences, 
and  the  form  may  prove  to  be  worthy  of  specific  rank,  but  the  avail- 
able material  is  too  imperfect  and  immature  to  decide  this. 

Average  measurements  of  the  Sylvilagus  baehmani  group. 


<u 

be 

n 

Skin. 

Skull. 

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03 

a 

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11 

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8 

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00 

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*=  P 
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^ 

Origin  of  specimens 

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a 

o 

CJO 

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8 

o 

o 

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a 

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a 

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11 

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§ 

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S-l 

93 

03 

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EH 

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m 

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a 

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ft 

5 

Sylvilagus  baehmani 

5 

328 

31.5 

74.5 

54.6  47.9 

27.2 

15.9 

10.9 

14.0 

23.9 

9.8 

Monterey  and  near  San 

Luis  Obispo,  California. 

Sylvilagus   baehmani 

5 

360 

37.0 

78.6 

49.9 

51.1 

27. 6 17. 

12.3 

14.7 

25.2 

8.7 

Northwestern  California 

ubericolor. 

and  Oregon. 

Sylvilagus  baehmani 

5 

31 3 

34.6 

71.6 

56.5 

46.5 

25.7 

15.5 

10.8 

13.8 

24.3 

10.3 

San  Fernando  and  neigh- 

cinerascens. 

boring  districts,  Cali- 
fornia. 

Sylvilagus  baehmani 

5 

314 

31.0 

72.0 

63.9 

47.6 

25.4 

14.4 

10.9 

14.1 

23.7 

11.5 

Central  LowerCalifornia. 

exiguus. 

Sylvilagus  baehmani 

1 

325 

25.0 

70.0 

57.7 

47.6 

26. 0  14. 2 11. 5 

15.0 

23.1 

10.2 

Cape  St.    Lucas,    Lower 

peninsularis. 

| 

California. 

Sylvilagus  baehmani 

2 

347 

40.0 

75.0 

53.7 

47.8 

25.2 

14.211.8 

14.2 

23.9 

11.3 

Cerros    Island,    Lower 

cerrosensis. 

California. 

Sylvilagus  mansuetus . . . 

1 

339 

44.0 

73.0 

63.0 

49.5 

29.0 

15.8 

13.0 

17.2 

23.9 

11.5 

San Jos6 Island,  Lower 
California. 

SYLVILAGUS  BACHMANI    (Waterhouse). 

California  Brush  Rabbit. 

(PL  X.  figs.  6,  7.) 

Lepus  baehmani  Waterlionse,  Proc.  Zool.  Soc.  London,  1838,  pp.  103-105.  Type 
from  California,  probably  between  Monterey  and  Santa  Barbara  (specimens 
from  near  San  Luis  Obispo  may  be  considered  typical)  ;  No.  53.S.29.36, 
British  Museum ;  collected  by  David  Douglas. 

Lepus  trqicbridgei  Baird.  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Philadelphia,  1855,  p.  333.  Type 
from  Monterey,  California;  No.  iV^,  U.  S.  National  Museum;  collected  by 
Lieut.  W.  P.  Trowbridge  in  1853. 

Geographic  distribution. — California,  from  Monterey  to  Santa 
Monica  on  west  side  of  the  Coast  Range;  and  western  foothills  of 
Sierra  Xevada  from  Tulare  County  to  Shasta  County.  Vertical 
range  along  coast  from  sea  level  up  to  over  3,000  feet  altitude  in  adja- 
cent mountains;  zonal  range  semihumid  Upper  Sonoran  into  semi- 
humid  Transition  Zone  (mainly  Upper  Sonoran). 

General  characters. — Size  small  (total  length  less  than  350  mm.)  ; 
ears,  legs,  and  tail  short;  color  of  upperparts  dark  grayish  brown 


248  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [SO.  2©. 

with  a  tinge  of  dull  reddish;  darker  and  more  reddish  than  cineras- 
cens  but  less  reddish  than  ubericolor ;  skull  proportionately  lighter 
than  in  ubericolor ;  braincase  broad  and  rostrum  rapidly  tapering. 

'Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Upperparts,  including  head,  dark 
grayish  brown  with  a  slight  reddish  tinge ;  sides  of  body  and  rump  a 
little  grayer  than  top  of  back,  but  no  distinct  rump  patch ;  nose  and 
sides  of  head  paler  and  grayer  than  in  ubericolor;  ears  nearly  uniform 
dark  grayish  brown,  usually  darker  than  back,  with  a  narrow  black- 
ish margin  about  tip  but  no  sign  of  a  black  patch;  nape  rather  dark 
rusty  rufous;  top  of  tail  like  rump,  underside  white;  sides  of  shoul- 
ders and  upperparts  of  fore  legs  on  outside  deep  dull  cinnamon  rufous, 
varying  in  intensity  and  shading  into  dull  dark  buffy  or  grayish  buffy 
on  tops  of  fore  feet;  outside  of  hind  legs  a  little  more  reddish  than 
upperparts  of  body;  tops  of  hind  feet  dingy  whitish  with  a  slight 
shade  of  dull  buffy;  underside  of  neck  varying  from  dull,  slightly 
brownish  buffy  to  pale  dull  cinnamon ;  underside  of  head  and  body 
dull  white  with  the  plumbeous  underfur  showing  through. 

Skull. — Proportionately  rather  small  and  light,  the  broad  brain- 
case  and  rapidly  tapering  rostrum  giving  it  a  roughly  conical  form ; 
supraorbitals  small  wTith  a  fairly  broad  connection  with  the  skull  and 
long  slender  postorbital  process  nearly  or  quite  touching  skull  at 
posterior  tip  and  inclosing  a  narrow  slit-like  foramen  or  notch;  an- 
terior notch  in  supraorbitals  usually  narrow,  but  well  marked;  brain- 
case  short  and  rounded ;  jugals  medium  heavy ;  molar  series  and  pal- 
atal bridge  rather  small;  bullae  proportionately  large  and  rounded; 
basioccipital  proportionately  large. 

The  skull  of  typical  bachmani  is  intermediate  in  size  and  pro- 
portions between  those  of  typical  ubericolor  and  cinerascens,  but  is 
nearer  cinerascens,  owing  to  its  small  size,  light  form,  large  bulla?, 
and  small  rostrum. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  328;  tail  verte- 
brae, 31.5 ;  hind  foot,  74.5 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  54.6. 

Remarks. — Lepvs  bachmani  was  described  from  a  specimen  sent  to 
England  by  David  Douglas  during  his  travels  in  California.  No 
type  locality  was  given,  but  the  fact  that  during  his  travels  Douglas 
journeyed  from  Monterey  to  Santa  Barbara  and  sent  home  other 
specimens  of  rabbits  from  this  region  makes  it  possible  that  the  type 
of  bachmani  also  came  from  somewhere  in  the  same  area.  Fortu- 
nately the  tj7pe  is  still  in  the  British  Museum,  and  on  his  recent  trip 
abroad  W.  H.  Osgood  made  direct  comparison  of  skins  and  skulls 
of  specimens  from  various  parts  of  California  with  the  type.  In  skin 
and  skull  characters  the  type  of  bachmani  agrees  with  the  form  found 
along  the  immediate  coast  of  California  from  Monterey  south,  and 
confirms  the  idea  that  it  came  from  that  region,  so  the  name  should 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   BACHMANI   GROUP BACHMANI.  249 

be  fixed  on  this  form.  Specimens  from  the  coast  near  San  Luis 
Obispo  are  most  typical.  It  may  be  noted  that  the  type  is  a  mounted 
specimen  in  rather  faded  condition,  but  the  skull,  although  somewhat 
broken,  is  in  fair  condition  for  comparison. 

In  1855  Baird  described  Lepus  trowbridgei,  saying  that  the  type 
came  either  from  Monterey  or  San  Francisco.  Specimens  of  this 
rabbit  were  collected  at  both  places  by  Lieutenant  Trowbridge,  but  in 
the  original  museum  catalogue  entry  the  type  is  recorded  from  Mon- 
terey. The  skin,  with  the  original  label,  no  longer  exists,  but  the 
evidence  of  the  catalogue  is  sufficient  to  fix  the  type  locality  at  Mon- 
terey, and  thus  renders  trowbridgei  a  synonym  of  bachmani.  The 
skull  of  the  type  of  troivbridgei,  with  one  side  and  the  lower  part  of 
the  braincase  gone,  still  remains  in  the  National  Museum. 

Typical  bachmani  belongs  to  the  narrow  coast  belt  west  of  the 
Coast  Range,  between  Monterey  and  Santa  Barbara.  From  Santa 
Barbara  to  Santa  Monica,  while  still  referable  to  bachmani,  they  are 
paler  with  larger  ears  and  larger  bulla?,  thus  indicating  intergrada- 
tion  with  cinerascens.  Inland  from  Santa  Monica,  as  soon  as  the 
humid  belt  on  the  coastal  slope  passes  into  the  more  arid  area  on  the 
east  side  of  the  Coast  Range,  bachmani  passes  into  the  paler  cineras- 
cens. To  the  north  of  Monterey  it  grades  into  ubericolor.  One  of 
the  series  examined  from  near  San  Luis  Obispo  is  as  strongly  reddish 
as  ordinary  ubericolor,  but  its  skull  is  smaller  and  lighter.  A  speci- 
men from  Posts,  near  Monterey,  has  a  large  heavy  skull  with  small 
bullae,  thus  in  this  character  approaching  closely  to  ubericolor. 

Posts  is  located  in  the  continuation  of  the  redwood  belt  south  of 
Monterey  Bay,  and  it  is  possible  that  additional  specimens  from 
there  may  show  that  they  belong  to  ubericolor,  and  that  the  range  of 
this  form  to  the  south  is  really  coterminous  with  the  redwoods,  while 
specimens  from  the  immediate  coast  about  Monterey  and  south  are 
true  bachmani.  Owing  to  the  complication  of  zone  distribution  in 
California  a  great  amount  of  detail  work  is  necessary  to  determine 
properly  the  distribution  of  many  mammals.  This  is  particularly 
true  of  bachmani,  cinerascens,  and  ubericolor,  and  their  exact  ranges 
around  the  borders  of  the  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin  valleys  are 
still  imperfectly  known.  Specimens  from  the  Santa  Clara  Valley, 
north  of  Monterey,  vary  greatly,  some  being  like  ubericolor  in  color 
and  others  approaching  bachmani.  These  are  all  intergrades  refer- 
able to  ubericolor.  The  series  from  the  lower  slopes  of  the  Sierras 
between  Shasta  County  and  northern  Tulare  County  are  not  typical 
of  any  of  the  forms,  but  in  color  are  nearest  to  bachmani,  to  which 
they  have  been  referred,  though  they  have  long  ears  like  cinerascens. 

In  southern  Tulare  County  and  in  Kern  County  they  are  paler  and 
are  referable  to  cinerascens. 


250  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  Tno.  29. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  35,  from : 

California:  Auburn,  3 ;  Badger,  2 ;  Black  Mountain  ( Santa  Clara  County) , 
1;  Carbondale,  4;  Carinel  River,  1;  Coulterville,  2;  Huenenie,  1; 
Monterey,  2;  Morro,  6;  Mount  Hamilton,  1;  Portola,  6;  Posts,  1; 
San  Luis  Obispo,  2;  Santa  Maria,  1;  Santa  Monica,  2. 

SYLVILAGUS  BACHMANI  UBERICOLOR   (Miller). 

Redwood  Brush  Rabbit. 

Lepus  bachmani  iibrricolor  Miller,  Troc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Philadelphia,  October, 
1899,  pp.  383-384.  Type  from  Beaverton,  Oregon  ;  No.  if  f  f {,  U.  S.  National 
Museum ;  collected  by  A.  W.  Anthony. 

Geographic  distribution. — Mainly  humid  coast  belt  from  near 
Monterey  Bay,  California,  north  to  near  Columbia  Kiver  (Beaver- 
ton), Oregon,  and  inland  in  northern  California  to  head  of  Sacra- 
mento Valley  at  Tehama  and  Stillwater.  Vertical  range  from  sea 
level  up  to  1,000  feet  or  more  in  northern  California ;  zonal  distribu- 
tion mainly  Humid  Transition. 

General  characters. — Size  a  little  larger  than  bachmani,'  ears 
smaller;  upperparts  darker  and  more  reddish;  skull  much  heavier, 
with  smaller  bullae. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Upperparts,  including  top  of  head, 
warm,  dark  reddish  brown,  slightly  paler  along  sides  of  head  and 
body;  ears  uniform  dark  buffy  brown  with  a  slight  blackish  border 
at  tip  but  no  black  patch;  top  of  tail  similar  to  rump,  underside 
white;  nape  dark  rusty  rufous;  outside  of  fore  leg,  and  outside  of 
hind  leg  near  heel,  and  adjoining  part  of  hind  foot  dark  cinnamon- 
rufous  :  tops  of  fore  and  hind  feet  dull  grayish  tinged  with  buff}' ; 
underside  of  neck  dingy  bufly;  underside  of  head  and  body  dull 
white  or  grayish  white  with  slaty  bluish  underfur  showing  through, 
the  white  sometimes  more  or  less  strongly  shaded  with  buffy;  in 
latter  case  underside  of  neck  differs  but  little  from  rest  of  under - 
parts;  in  worn  and  faded  spring  and  summer  condition  color  of 
upperparts  becomes  duller  and  grayer. 

Skull. — Similar  in  general  style  to  that  of  bachmani,  but  decidedly 
heavier  in  general  proportions,  with  longer,  heavier,  and  less  tapering 
rostrum,  much  smaller  supraorbital  processes,  with  a  broad  notch 
anteriorly  and  the  postorbital  process  short  and  usually  extended 
out  from  the  skull  in  a  tapering  point,  so  as  to  leave  a  broad  oval 
notch  in  place  of  the  narrow  foramen  usually  present  in  bachmani ; 
braincase  proportionately  narrower  and  more  depressed  than  in 
bachmani;  jugals  and  molar  series  heavier;  in  typical  specimens  pal- 
atal bridge  broader  and  bullae  actually,  as  well  as  proportionately, 
much  smaller. 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   BACHMANI   GROUP UBERICOLOR.  251 

The  long  heavy  rostrum,  small  supraorbitals,  and  narrow  brain- 
case  give  the  entire  skull  a  much  narrower,  less  tapering  form  than 
in  bachmani. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  3G0;  tail  ver- 
tebra1, 37 ;  hind  foot,  78.6 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  49.9. 

Remarks. — This  dark  reddish  brown  form,  with  a  large  skull,  fades 
in  spring  and  summer  to  a  grayer  more  dingy  color  on  upperparts, 
but  generally  remains  darker  than  its  closest  relative,  bachmani,  at 
the  same  season.  Typical  specimens  of  ubericolor  may  be  always  dis- 
tinguished hj  the  small  ears  and  small  bullae.  Specimens  from  Ore- 
gon and  the  extreme  northwestern  part  of  California  are  the  ex- 
tremes of  the  subspecies,  with  dark  reddish  brown  upperparts,  very 
small  ears,  large  heavy  skulls,  and  small  bullae.  To  the  south  both 
ears  and  bullae  increase  in  size,  and  at  Point  Reyes  nearly  equal  those 
of  bachmani,  though  the  dark  colors  and  heavily  proportioned  skull, 
with  broad  heavy  rostrum,  remains  marked  enough  to  distinguish 
them. 

One  specimen  each  from  Stillwater  and  Tehama  at  the  north  end 
of  the  Sacramento  Valley,  while  evidently  intergrades  between  the 
representatives  of  bachmani  from  the  foothills  of  the  Sierra  Nevada 
and  the  present  form,  are  most  closely  related  to  ubericolor,  with 
which  they  closely  agree  in  their  dark  colors,  small  ears,  and  small 
bulla1,  though  the  skulls  are  proportionately  small  and  light,  with  a 
long  postorbital  process,  as  in  bachmani.  Although  ubericolor  is 
characterized  by  its  reddish  brown  color,  there  is  considerable  vari- 
ation in  the  exact  amount.  The  type  from  Beaverton,  Oregon,  at 
the  extreme  northern  point  of  its  range,  is  the  most  deeply  reddish 
example  seen,  though  occasional  specimens  from  other  parts  of  its 
range,  notably  Point  Reyes,  Berkeley,  and  the  Santa  Cruz  Moun- 
tains near  Redwood  City,  are  almost  equally  reddish.  A  number  of 
specimens  from  the  coast  in  extreme  northwestern  California  are 
more  heavily  washed  with  black  and  less  reddish  than  most  others; 
these,  however,  have  heavy  skulls,  small  ears,  and  bullae  as  in  the 
Oregon  specimens. 

The  range  of  ubericolor  in  California  appears  to  coincide  in  a 
general  way  with  that  of  the  redwoods  as  far  south  as  Monterey  Bay. 
More  material  is  needed  to  decide  whether  it  is  or  is  not  the  form 
inhabiting  the  strip  of  redwoods  south  of  Monterey  Bay,  although 
the  character  of  a  single  specimen  from  Posts  indicates  the  possi- 
bility of  ubericolor  being  found  there.  In  case  this  proves  true,  then 
bachmani  gives  way  to  ubericolor  as  the  name  of  the  form  inhabiting 
the  redwood  belt  of  this  district. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  91,  from: 

Oregon:    Beaverton,  2;  Eugene,  1;  Grande  Ronde,  1;  Portland,  1;  Rose- 
burg,  1 ;   Salem,  2. 


252  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

California:  Alton,  1;  Belmont.  2;  Berkeley,  8;  Boulder  Creek,  2;  Bridge- 
ville.  1;  Camp  Meeker,  2;  Crescent  City.  4;  Freestone,  1  :  Clen  Ellen, 
5;  Harris,  1;  Harris  Mill  (near  Sherwood  Valley),  1;  Haywards,  1; 
Humboldt  Bay,  9:  Marshall,  1;  Mount  Sanhedrim  2;  Nieasio,  8; 
Palo  Alto,  1;  Petrblia,  1;  Point  Reyes,  15;  Presidio,  4:  Redwood 
City.  2;  Rio  Dell,  1  ;  San  Francisco,  2;  Smith  River,  2;  Stillwater,  4; 
Tehama,  1 ;  Willets,  1. 

SYLVILAGUS  BACHMANI  CINERASCENS  (Allen). 

California  Brljsh  Raebit. 

Lepus  cincrasccns  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist..  N.  Y.,  Ill,  p.  159,  October, 
1S90.  Type  from  San  Fernando,  Los  Angeles  County,  California :  No. 
Iff  I.  ?  ad..  American  Museum  of  Natural  History;  collected  by  E.  C. 
Thurber,  March  22,  1890. 

Geographic  distribution. — Arid  brush-grown  slopes  of  southern 
and  western  sides  of  San  Joaquin  and  neighboring  valleys  in  Cali- 
fornia, as  far  north  as  Jolon  and  Jamesburg  and  thence  south 
throughout  southern  California  west  of  the  summit  of  the  moun- 
tains (reaching  the  coast  south  of  Santa  Monica)  and  along  the 
coast  of  Lower  California  from  northern  border  south  to  Ensenada 
and  east  to  summit  of  Laguna  Hansen  Mountains.  Vertical  range, 
from  sea  level  up  to  (>,000  feet  altitude  in  northern  Lower  California ; 
zonal  range,  through  Upper  Sonoran  Zone  up  into  Transition  (mainly 
VJpper  Sonoran). 

General  characters. — Much  like  bachmani,  but  upperparts  lighter 
grayish  brown;  underparts  grayer;  tops  of  feet  whiter  and  ears 
larger;  skull  smaller  and  lighter,  with  larger  bullae. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Upperparts,  including  top  of  head. 
dark  grayish  brown  or  dull  bufTy  brown,  a  little  paler  and  more 
grayish  on  sides  of  head  and  body;  spring  and  summer  specimens 
much  paler  and  grayer;  nape  dull  rusty  rufous;  top  of  tail  similar 
to  rump,  underside  white;  rump  like  rest  of  back,  except  in  some 
specimens,  which  showT  traces  of  a  grayish  rump  patch;  ears  rather 
lighter  grayish  brown  than  back,  wTith  a  slight  blackish  edging  about 
tip  in  some  specimens,  but  without  trace  of  black  in  many;  front 
of  fore  legs  cinnamon  buff  or  russet  on  front  and  outside  near  body 
and  shading  down  on  fore  feet  into  dull  buffy  gray;  back  and  sides 
of  hind  legs  duller  than  fore  legs  and  nearly  russet  brown,  shading 
into  dull  white  on  tops  of  hind  feet ;  underside  of  neck  like  sides 
of  body;  rest  of  underparts  clearer  white  than  in  bachmani.  but 
underlaid  with  plumbeous,  which  shows  through  and  tinges  the 
white;  lower  flanks  next  to  abdomen  grayer  and  much  less  brown 
than  in  bachmani.  In  worn  pelage  the  black  tips  of  hairs  on  back 
wear  away  and  entire  upperparts  fade  until  back  becomes  buffy 
grayish  brown,  sometimes  almost  clear  grayish  brown,  and  sides  of 
body  still  paler  gray;  in  this  condition  legs  lose  much  of  the  russet 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS    BACHMANI    GROUP CINERASCENS.  253 

or  cinnamon  tinge  and  become  more  like  back,  and  nape  fades  to 
dull  rusty  or  pale  cinnamon. 

Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  bachmani,  but  averaging  a  little  smaller 
and  lighter,  with  larger  bullae;  size  small,  proportions  light;  poste- 
riorly rather  broad ;  braincase  full  and  rounded ;  rostrum  slender 
and  tapering;  nasals  with  straight  upper  outline;  supraorbitals 
light,  slender,  and  usually  with  a  well-marked  anterior  notch ;  post- 
orbitals  slender,  and  tapering  posteriorly  to  a  point  nearly  or  quite 
touching  skull  in  adults,  as  in  bachmani/  zygomatic  arch  rather 
light,  with  or  without  a  shallow  groove  on  outer  side,  and  small  pit 
near  anterior  end ;  bulla?  proportionately  large,  but  not  much  swollen 
or  inflated  on  inner  side;  basioccipital  rather  broad  and  flattened, 
not  much  constricted  posteriorly,  about  as  in  bachmani. 

Average  measurements  (-5  adults). — Total  length,  313;  tail  verte- 
bra4, 34.6 ;  hind  foot,  71.6 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  56.5. 

Remarks. — S.  b.  cinerascens  has  commonly  been  treated  as  a  dis- 
tinct species,  but  its  proper  position  as  a  subspecies  of  bachmani  was 
indicated  by  Doctor  Merriam  in  Science,  n.  s.,  VII,  No.  158,  p.  32, 
January  7,  1898. 

Specimens  from  as  far  south  as  Santa  Ysabel,  in  San  Diego 
Count}r,  are  nearly  t}'pical,  but  those  from  Dulzura,  San  Diego,  and 
other  points  along  the  Mexican  boundary,  while  having  the  color  of 
typical  <  inerascens,  have  larger  ears  and  bullie,  and  are  intermediate 
between  cinerascens  and  exiguus.  The  belt  of  intergradation  crosses 
the  Mexican  border,  and  specimens  from  as  far  south  as  Ensenada 
and  Hansen  Laguna,  in  the  Hansen  Laguna  Mountains,  although  not 
typical,  should  be  referred  to  cinerascens. 

The  series  from  Santa  Paula,  Nordhoff,  and  other  points  not  far 
from  the  coast,  have  a  heavier  overlying  black  wash  on  the  upper- 
parts,  and  thus  are  darker  than  specimens  from  the  drier  inland  val- 
leys, especially  from  the  western  side  of  the  San  Joaquin  Valley  and 
from  the  valley  of  the  Salinas  Eiver  (Paraiso  Springs,  Jolon,  etc.). 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  96,  from : 

California:  Arroyo  Seco  (near  Pasadena),  1;  Bear  Valley  (San  P>enito 
County),  1;  Dulzura,  20;  El  Xido  Post  Office,  2:  Escondido,  1;  Fort 
Tejon,  1;  Frazier  Mountain  (Ventura  County),  1;  Heneger  Flats 
(San  Gabriel  Mountains),  1;  Jaeumba,  1:  Janiesburg,  1;  Jolon,  1: 
Laguna  (San  Diego  County),  1;  Little  Pine  Canyon,  1;  Mount  Pinos. 
1;  Nordboff,  3;  Mexican  boundary  (Pacific  Ocean),  1:  Pacheco  Pnss. 
1;  Paraiso  Springs,  1:  Pine  Valley  (Monterey  County),  4;  Piute 
Mountains  (Kern  County),  4;  Redlands,  1;  Riverside,  1;  San  Bernar- 
dino^; 20  miles  east-soutbeast  of  San  Bernardino,  1 ;  San  Bernardino 
Peak,  1;  San  Diego,  2:  San  Fernando,  5 :  San  Jacinto,  1;  San  Jacinto 
Valley,  1;  east  of  San  Luis  Obispo,  2;  San  Rafael  Mountains.  .; : 
Santa  Paula.  1  ;  Santa  Ysabel,  7;  Temploa  Mountains,  1;  Topo  Valley 
(San  Benito  County),  2;  Twin  Oaks.  4:  Wheatlands,  2;  Whitewater, 
1 ;  Witch  Creek,  2. 
Lower  California  (Mexico):    La  Huerta,  1;  Tecate  Valley.  .">. 


254  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

SYLVILAGUS  BACHMANI  EXIC-UUS  Nelson. 

Lower  California  Brush  Babbit. 

Sylvilagm  bachmani  exiguus  Nelson,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XX,  p.  84, 
July  22,  1907.  Type  from  Yubay,  central  Lower  California,  Mexico;  No. 
139007,  $  ad.,  U.  S.  National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection)  ;  col- 
lected by  E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A.  Goldman,  September  19,  1905 

Geographic  distribution. — Arid  middle  part  of  peninsula  of  Lower 
California  from  Alamo  Plain  and  Trinidad  Valley  south  to  Comondu. 
Vertical  range,  from  sea  level  at  San  Quentin  to  about  7,000  feet  on 
San  Pedro  Martir  Mountains;  zonal  range,  mainly  Upper  and  Lower 
Sonoran,  extending  into  Transition  on  mountains. 

General  characters. — Similar  in  size  and  form  to  cinerascens,  but 
with  much  longer  ears  and  larger  bullae ;  upperparts  paler  with  ground 
color  more  pinkish  buffy;  nape,  feet,  and  legs  paler  and  a  fairly 
well-marked  gray  rump  patch. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  pinkish  buff 
darkened  by  overlying  black  tips  to  hairs;  sides  of  body  and  rump 
patch  grayer  than  rest  of  back;  ears  grayer  and  less  buffy  than  back; 
nape  pale  dull  ochraceous;  fore  legs  vary  from  pale  fawn  color  to  dull 
cinnamon;  fore  feet  whitish,  washed  with  pale  fawn  color;  back  and 
sides  of  hind  legs  paler  than  in  cinerascens  and  so  slightly  shaded 
with  brown  that  they  differ  but  little  from  color  of  back;  tops  of 
hind  feet  clear  white ;  top  of  tail  like  rump,  underside  white ;  under- 
side of  neck  paler  than  in  cinerascens,  sometimes  nearly  uniform  with 
white  on  rest  of  underparts,  but  usually  like  sides  of  body  or  a  little 
paler;  underparts  whiter  and  less  heavily  underlaid  with  plumbeous 
than  in  cinerascens. 

sir  nil. — Generally  similar  to  that  of  cinerascens,  but  with  distinctly 
larger  bulla?. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  314;  tail  verte- 
brae, 31 ;  hind  foot,  72 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  G3.9. 

Remarks. — This  subspecies  belongs  to  the  most  desert  parts  of 
Lower  California.  It  intergrades  with  cinerascens  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  peninsula  from  near  San  Quentin  to  Ensenada.  Some 
specimens  from  San  Quentin  are  fairly  typical  in  color,  but  others 
are  more  like  cineraSrCens,  the  size  of  the  ears  and  bullae  alone  deter- 
mining their  relationship. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  10,  from : 

Lower  California  (Mexico):  Agua  Dulce,  1;  Alamos,  1;  30  miles  east  of 
San  Quentin,  1;  Pinon,  2;  Rancho  El  Progreso,  11;  Rancho  Santo 
Toinas,  1;  Rancho  Viejo,  3;  Rosarito,  1;  San  Andres,  3;  San  Jose,  5; 
San  Quentin,  5 ;  San  Simon,  4 ;  Santana,  1 ;  Yubay,  1. 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   BACHMANI   GROUP PENINSULARIS.  255 

SYLVILAGUS  BACHMANI  PENINSULARIS   (Allen). 

Cape  St.  Lucas  Brush  Babbit. 

Lepus  pcninsularis  Allen  (Thomas  MSS.),  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  X., 
pp.  144-145,  April  12,  1898.  Type  from  Santa  Anita,.  Lower  California, 
Mexico ;  2  ad.,  British  Museum ;  collected  by  D.  Coolidge,  July  17,  1S96 
(collector's  number  438). 

Geographic  distribution. — Southern  part  of  Lower  California  on 
both  coasts,  and  interior  from  about  Comondu  and  Loreto  south  to 
Cape  St.  Lucas.  Vertical  range  from  sea  level  up  to  about  2,000  feet 
in  region  near  Comondu ;  zonal  range  Lowrer  Sonoran  and  border  of 
Arid  Tropical  Zone. 

General  characters. — Most  like  typical  cinerascens,  including  length 
of  ears,  but  head  and  upperparts  paler  and  grayer;  ears  paler  and 
more  brownish. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head,  back,  and  tail  grayish 
brown  with  a  strong  suffusion  of  dull  buff;  sides  of  head  and  body 
paler  and  grayer  than  back;  rump  patch  obsolete;  ears  pale  buffy 
brown;  nape  patch  pale  dull  rusty,  paler  than  in  true  cinerascens; 
fore  legs  dingy  cinnamon  rufous,  deeper  than  in  cinerascens;  tops  of 
fore  feet  pale  brownish  gray ;  back  of  hind  legs  dull  rusty ;  tops  of 
hind  feet  White ;  underside  of  neck  dull  cream  buff ;  rest  of  underparts 
dingy  wThitish,  with  dull  plumbeous  underfur  showing  through. 

/Skull. — Similar  to  that  of  exiguus,  but  bullae  smaller;  size  interme- 
diate between  the  last-named  form  and  cinerascens;  compared  w7ith 
latter,  supraorbital  and  postorbital  processes  broader  (and  latter  usu- 
ally  touching  skull  posteriorly)  ;  anterior  notch  of  supraorbitals  less 
marked;  interorbital  width  greater;  nasals  averaging  shorter. 

Measurements  (1  adult). — Total  length,  325;  tail  vertebra?,  25; 
hind  foot,  TO;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  57.7. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  5,  from : 

Lower  California  (Mexico):    Cape  St.  Lucas,  4;  Santa  Anita,  1. 

SYLVILAGUS  BACHMANI  CERROSBNSIS   (Allen). 

Cekros  Island  Brush  Rabbit. 

Lcpus  ccrrosensis  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mns.  Nat.  Hist..  N.  Y.,  X,  p.  145,  April  12, 
1S9S.  Type  from  Cerros  Island,  Lower  California,  Mexico,  No.  If  Mo »  2  ad., 
American  Museum  Natural  History;  collected  by  A.  W.  Anthony.  April  17, 
1897. 

Geographic  distribution. — Cerros  Island,  Lower  California.  Ver- 
tical range  from  sea  level  up  to  an  undetermined  altitude  on  the  low 
mountains  of  the  island ;  zonal  range  Upper  Sonoran. 

General  characters. — Upperparts  nearly  uniform  grayish  browm, 
like  typical  cinerascens,  but  slightly  darker  and  more  buffy,  with 
tops  of  fore  and  hind  feet  distinctly  buffy. 


256  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

Color  in  slightly  faded  April  pelage. — Upperparts,  including  top 
of  head,  dull  grayish  brown,  with  a  dull  buffy  suffusion  ;  sides  of  body 
slightly  paler  than  back  and  becoming  more  buffy  along  lower  border 
of  flanks,  especially  near  fore  legs,  than  cinerascens ;  sides  of  fore  legs 
dull  rusty  cinnamon,  distinctly  paler  and  duller  than  in  cinerascens ; 
back  of  hind  legs  even  less  reddish  brown  than  in  latter  form  and 
differing  but  slightly  from  back;  tops  of  hind  feet  dull  buff;  fore 
feet  darker  buff;  nape  dull  cinnamon,  lighter  and  duller  than  in 
cinerascens;  sides  of  head  and  ears  a  little  grayer  than  back,  top  of 
tail  similar  to  rump;  underside  of  neck  dull  cream  buff  or  wood 
brown ;  rest  of  underparts  dull  white,  with  anal  region  and  underside 
of  tail  pure  white  in  sharp  contrast. 

Skull. — The  only  fully  adult  skull  examined  most  resembles  that 
of  cinerascens,  with  rostrum  slender  and  nasals  and  postorbital  pro- 
cesses narrower;  bulla?  smaller  than  in  exiguus  and  larger  than  in 
cinerascens /  molar  series  and  jugal  heavier  and  palatal  bridge  broader 
than  in  either  exiguus  or  cinerascens. 

Measurements  of  a  fully  adult  specimen. — Total  length,  350;  tail, 
40;  hind  foot,  75;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  59.7.  Skull:  Basilar 
length,  49.(5 ;  length  of  nasals,  2G.4 ;  breadth  of  rostrum  over  pre- 
molars. 14.7 ;  depth  of  rostrum  in  front  of  premolars,  12.2 ;  inter- 
orbital  width,  14.9;  parietal  breadth,  24;  diameter  of  bulla?,  11.5. 

Remarks. — The  type,  and  until  recently  the  only  known  specimen 
of  this  subspecies,  is  a  nearly  grown  individual,  but  so  immature  that 
(he  skull  does  not  show  the  permanent  characters.  The  colors,  how- 
ever, are  practically  like  those  of  the  adult.  Fortunately,  Mr.  W.  W. 
Brown  obtained  three  specimens  on  Cerros  Island  in  April,  1906, 
among  which  were  one  good  adult  and  one  nearly  adult.  This  added 
material,  although  too  imperfect  to  fully  decide  the  matter,  appears 
to  show  that  cerrosensis  is  a  poorly  marked  subspecies  of  bachmani, 
most  like  cinerascens. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  4,  from : 
Lower  California  (Mexico):    Cerros  Island,  4. 

SYLVILAGUS  MANSUETUS  Nelson 

San  Jose  Island  Brush  Rabbit. 

Sylrilafrus  manmetus  Nelson,  Troc  Riol.  Soe.  Washington.  XX.  pp.  83-84.  July 
22.  1907.  Type  from  San  Jose  Island.  Gulf  of  California ;  No.  79041,  $  ad., 
U.  8.  National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection)  :  collected  by  J.  E. 
McLellan,  August  2.  1895. 

Geographic  distribution. — San  Jose  Island,  Gulf  of  California. 
Vertical  range  from  sea  level  up  to  an  undetermined  altitude  on  low 
mountains:  zonal  range  Lower  Sonoran  and  upper  border  of  Arid 
Tropical  Zone. 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS    GABBI   GBOUP.  257 

General  characters. — Size  of  cinerascens;  palest  of  all  the  members 
of  this  group ;  color  much  paler  and  grayer  even  than  in  exiguus; 
ears  long,  equaling  those  of  exiguus. 

Color  of  type,  assuming  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back 
light  buffy  or  yellowish  gray,  a  little  darkened  by  unusually  short 
black  tips  to  hairs;  sides  of  body  paler  and  grayer;  ears  gray;  nape 
dull  and  rather  pale  ochraceous  buff;  fore  legs  ochraceous  clay  color, 
shading  into  dingy  white  on  fore  feet ;  back  of  hind  legs  only  slightly 
browner  than  back ;  tops  of  hind  feet  pure  white ;  underside  of  neck 
a  little  paler  than  sides  of  body ;  rest  of  underparts  white,  much  less 
strongly  underlaid  with  plumbeous  than  in  exiguus  or  true  cinerascens. 

Skull. — Proportionately  longer  and  narrower  than  in  any  of  the 
forms  of  hachmani;  nasals  very  long,  thus  accenting  the  long  slender 
appearance  of  rostrum ;  supraorbital  process  broader  and  heavier 
than  usual  in  this  group,  and  ankylosed  to  skull  anteriorly,  thus 
giving  an  unusual  interorbital  breadth;  postorbital  process  narrow 
and  tapering,  barely  touching  skull  posteriorly,  and  inclosing  large 
oval  foramen;  bulla?  large  and  round  as  in  exiguus;  basioccipital  nar- 
row and  compressed  by  bullae  into  a  shallow  trough  shape,  only 
slightly  constricted  posteriorly;  jugal  broader  and  heavier  than  in 
the  subspecies  of  hachmani. 

Measurements  (1  adult). — Total  length,  339;  tail  vertebra?,  44; 
hind  foot,  73 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  63. 

Remarks. — This  rabbit,  though  closely  related  to,  and  evidently 
derived  from,  a  subspecies  of  hachmani,  is  so  much  paler  than  any 
form  of  that  species  and  has  such  well-marked  skull  characters,  com- 
bined with  an  insular  habitat,  that  it  seems  best  to  treat  it  as  specific- 
ally distinct. 

It  is  known  from  a  single  adult  specimen,  which,  fortunately,  is  in 
good  condition,  with  a  perfect  skull. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  1,  from: 

Lower  California  (Mexico):    San  Jose  Island,  1. 

Subgenus  TAPETI  Gray. 

Tropical  Forest  Rabbits  and  Swamp  Rabbits. 

SYLVILAGUS  GABBI  Group    (Subgenus  TAPETI). 

CENTRAL  AMERICAN  FOREST   RABBITS. 

The  present  group  contains  Sylvllagus  gahhi  and  its  two  subspecies, 
incitatus  and  truei,  with  S.  insonus — all,  so  far  as  known,  limited  to 
tropical  North  America  between  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  and  middle 
Mexico  (see  fig.  17).  For  many  years  gahhi  was  treated  as  a  sub- 
species of  Lepus  [now  Sylmlagus~]  hrasiliensis,  but  the  latter  name 
S5595— No.  29—09 17 


258 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.  29. 


has  been  restricted  by  Thomas  to  a  very  distinct  species  living  near 
Rio  de  Janeiro,  Brazil.  Sylvilagus  gahhi  and  its  subspecies  are 
medium-sized,  short-eared,  dark-colored  rabbits,  with  extremely  small 
tails.  They  live  in  the  heavy  tropical  forest,  usually  near  openings, 
natural  or  artificial,  which  they  visit  at  night.  By  day  they  keep  so 
closely  hidden  in  the  forest  that  they  are  extremely  difficult  to  find. 
The  most  effective  method  of  securing  them  is  by  trapping  or  snar- 
ing them  in  their  well-worn  runways  in  the  undergrowth  at  the  bor- 
ders of  the  forest.    The  gabhi  group  is  known  from  both  sides  of  the 

continent    in    Pan- 
Costa     Rica, 


ama, 

southern  Mexico, 
and  Guatemala.  We 
have  no  proof  of 
their  occurrence  on 
the  Pacific  side  be- 
tween Guatemala 
and  Costa  Rica,  but 
this  is  no  doubt  due 
to  our  almost  com- 
plete lack  of  infor- 
mation concerning 
the  mammals  of 
that  region.  When 
that  area  is  ex- 
plored it  is  more 
than  probable  that 
gabhi  will  be  found 
wherever  conditions 
are  favorable. 

In  eastern  Costa 
Rica  S.  gabhi  ranges 
through  the  heavy 
tropical  forest  from 
the  low  coastal 
plains  up  to  at  least 
5,000  feet  on  the 
mountains;  and  in  the  similar  forests  of  eastern  Mexico  S.  g.  truei 
occupies  the  coastal  j)lains  of  Tabasco  and  thence  up  to  5,000  feet  on 
the  mountains  of  Chiapas,  and  has  a  similar  range  in  Vera  Cruz.  A 
young  and  apparently  melanistic  specimen  of  gabhi  was  collected  at 
2,000  feet  altitude  on  the  east  slope  of  the  volcano  of  Turrialba,  Costa 
Rica,  by  Robert  Ridgway,  who  informs  me  that  the  resident  natives 
assured  him  that  all  the  rabbits  in  this  locality  are  of  the  same 
color. 


Fig.  17. — Distribution  of  the  swamp  rabbits  (Sylvilagus 
palustris  group)  and  the  tropical  wood  rabbits  (Sylvilagus 
gabhi  group). 


1909.] 


SYLVILAGUS    GABBT    GROUP GABBI. 


259 


S.  insonus,  the  only  member  of  this  group  living  north  of  Tehuan- 
tepec,  on  the  "west  coast  of  Mexico,  is  restricted  to  the  pine  and  oak 
forests  in  a  limited  area  on  the  mountains  of  Guerrero. 

There  is  a  striking  double  parallelism  in  the  curious  resemblance  in 
both  form  and  color  between  the  two  representatives  of  this  group  in 
Mexico  (S.  g.  truei  and  S.  insonus)  and  the  two  swamp  rabbits  of  the 
United  States,  S.  palustris  and  S.  aquaticus.  S.  g.  truei  of  the  humid 
tropical  forests  of  southern  Mexico,  in  its  rich  dark  colors,  short  ears, 
short,  slender  hind  feet1,  and  short  tail,  is  remarkably  like  S.  palustris 
of  the  United  States.  On  the  other  hand,  S.  insonus  of  southwestern 
Mexico  bears  an  equally  close  superficial  resemblance  to  S.  aquaticus 
of  the  United  States.  The  well-marked  differences  in  the  tails,  which 
distinguish  the  two  swamp  rabbits  of  the  United  States,  are  practi- 
cally the  same  in  the  corresponding  Mexican  wood  rabbits.  With  our 
present  material  it  is  difficult  to  decide  whether  these  remarkable 
resemblances  point  to  a  common  origin,  or  merely  represent  parallel 
development.  If  the  resemblances  mean  close  relationship,  then  the 
North  American  species  of  the  subgenus  Tapeti  must  be  arranged  in 
two  groups,  one  of  which  would  include  gabbi  and  palustris  and  the 
other  insonus  and  aquaticus. 

Average  measurements  of  the  Sylvilagus  gabbi  group. 


<6 
cd 
bo 

n 
■- 
cd 

Skin. 

Skull. 

fl 

S 

d 

S3 

a 

Sri 

si 

8.2 

2  *- 

"3 

CD   S3 

So 

as 

X    S 
U    P< 

O  o 

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-a 

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CD 

■d 

8 

Origin  of  specimens 

| 

u 

ID 

Pi 

0 

■d 

a 

CD 

as 
I* 

& 

CD 

CD 

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60 

c 

CD 

u 

3 

03 

PI 

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•H  CD 

O  <-> 

P. 
n  CD 

3  > 
-d  o 

Uj,fi 

'3 
8 

03 
CD 
H 

"3 
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"3 

n 
s 

CD 

§ 

averaged. 

oS 

<s 

M 

03 

B 

H 

H 

w 

M 

n 

h-1 

a 

H 

Ph 

» 

Svlvilagus  gabbi 

1 

39.0 

55.2 

28.3 

17.0 

14.3 

15.0 

25.0 

8.5 

Type  (Costa  Rica). 

Sylvilagus  gabbi 

5|386 

20. 6 

77.0 

44.0 

54.7 

28.  2 

17.9 

13. 1'16. 4124. 2J8.9 

Panama. 

Svlvilagus  gabbi  incita- 

1420 

20.0 

80.0 

42.0 

56.0 

31.7 

20. 5 

13. 5|16. 0123.5  9.0 

San  Miguel  Island,  Tan- 

tus. 

ama. 

Sylvilagus  gabbi  truei. . . 

5382 

20.8 

77.0 

45.6 

54.4 

30.4 

18.3 

14.816.4  25.6  9.7 

Vera  Cruz,  Mexico. 

Svlvilagus  insonus 

2435 

42.5 

94.5 

GO.  9 

58.1 

31.7 

19.5 

15.517.6.27.8  9.1 

Guerrero,  Mexico. 

SYLVILAGUS  GABBI  (Allen). 

Costa  Rica  Forest  Rabbit. 

(PI.  XII,  figs.  2,  5.) 

Lcpus  orasiliensis  var.  gabbi  Allen,  Mon.  N.  Am.  Rodentia,  pp.  349-350,  August. 
1877.  Type  from  Talamanca,  Costa  Rica ;  No.  mih,  $  ad,,  U.  S.  National 
Museum ;  collected  by  Jose  C.  Zeledon. 

Lepus  gabbi  tumacus  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist,  N.  Y.,  XXIV,  p.  G40. 
October  13,  1908.  Type  from  Turna,  Nicaragua ;  No.  2S409,  $  ad.,  Ameri- 
can Museum  Natural  History ;  collected  by  W.  B.  Richardson,  December  2, 
1907. 


260  NOKTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

Geographic  distribution. — Eastern  Honduras,  Nicaragua,  Costa 
Rica,  and  Panama.  Vertical  range  from  sea  level  up  to  about  5,000 
feet  in  Costa  Rica  ;  zonal  range,  Humid  Tropical. 

General  characters. — Size,  small;  upperparts  of  body  mainly  dark 
buffy  brown,  shading  back  on  rump  and  tail  into  nearly  uniform  red- 
dish or  rusty  brown;  ears  short  and  rounded;  tail  very  short  and 
small;  general  appearance  much  like  the  Florida  swamp  rabbit  (S. 
palnstris  paludicola) . 

Color  in  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  deep  ochraceous  rufous, 
heavily  washed  with  black ;  sides  of  nose  and  broad  line  through  eye 
(forming  a  large  supra-  and  postocular  spot)  dull  grayish  buffy; 
back  varying  from  rich,  deep  ochraceous  buff  to  nearly  ochraceous 
rufous  heavily  overlaid  with  black  (in  worn  pelage  the  ground  color 
bleaches  to  dull  cream  buff)  ;  sides  of  body  paler,  more  grayish  buff 
than  back  and  much  less  heavily  washed  with  black;  rump,  top  of 
tail,  and  back  of  hind  legs  nearly  uniform  reddish  brown  (nearly 
hazel  of  Ridgway),  increasing  in  intensity  from  top  of  rump  down- 
ward to  bright  rich  cinnamon  rufous  on  tops  and  sides  of  hind  feet ; 
underside  of  tail  similar  to  but  duller  than  upperside;  nape  rusty 
rufous;  fore  feet  and  legs  similar  to  hind  feet,  but  rather  darker  or 
duller  rufous ;  underside  of  neck  like  sides  of  body ;  rest  of  under- 
pays white;  ears  dusky  brown  on  basal  part  and  blackish  on  terminal 
half  or  two-thirds.  In  faded  or  worn  pelage,  much  of  the  black 
wash  on  back  wears  off  and  ground  color  bleaches  to  dull  cream  or 
pinkish  buff;  rump  and  tail  become  dull  reddish  brown,  and  hind 
legs  deeper  more  rusty  brown,  shading  on  feet  into  pale  cinnamon 
rufous  or  deep  creamy  buff. 

Juvenal  pelage  {from  Nicaragua). — Upperparts  dark  russet  brown 
shaded  with  black  (duller  and  browner  than  the  young  of  truei). 
but  top  of  head  slightly  more  reddish  than  back ;  ears  blackish ;  nape 
dark  dingy  rusty;  tops  of  fore  and  hind  feet  slightly  rusty,  cinna- 
mon brown. 

Skull. — Proportionately  narrow ;  rostrum  heavy,  broader  at  base 
than  interorbital  width;  upper  outline  of  skull  arched  from  occiput 
to  tip  of  nasals,  but  depressed  or  somewhat  flattened  on  frontal 
region ;  top  of  rostrum  generally  strongly  arched,  especially  on  termi- 
nal third;  supraorbital  process  broadly  joined  to  frontals,  and  ante- 
rior notch  either  lacking  or  very  small ;  postorbital  process  small  and 
short,  and  posterior  end  usually  touching  a  small  process  on  skull,  thus 
inclosing  a  small  flattened-oval  foramen,  but  sometimes  united  with 
frontals  along  entire  inner  border  and  thus  closing  the  foramen ; 
braincase  rather  small  and  strongly  arched  posteriorly;  interptery- 
goid  fossa  broad  and  deep;  molar  series  heavy;  bullae  remarkably 
small  and  flattened  laterally;  basioccipital  between  bulla?  broad  and 
flattened  and  not  strongly  constricted  posteriorly   (next  condyles)  ; 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS    GABBI    GROUP INCITATUS.  261 

zygomatic  arch  heavy  and  angular,  with  no  well-defined  groove  nor 
pit  on  outer  surface,  but  usually  roughly  sculptured  on  jugal. 

Average  measurements  (S  adults). — Total  length,  386;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 20.6 ;  hind  foot,  77 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  44. 

Remarks. — Externally  manj^  adult  specimens  of  gabln  from  Pana- 
ma, and  truei  are  practically  indistinguishable,  except  that  the  top 
of  the  head  and  nape  of  gabbi  are  rather  brighter  reddish  than  in 
truei,  and  some  specimens  of  truei  have  larger  ears  than  any  speci- 
mens seen  of  gabbi.  The  young  of  gabbi  from  Honduras  and  Costa 
Rica,  compared  with  those  of  truei,  are  readily  distinguishable  by 
their  darker  and  duller  colors  and  by  the  slightly  more  woolly  char- 
acter of  the  pelage. 

The  skull  of  the  type  of  gabbi  from  Costa  Rica  has  smaller  bullae 
and  differs  in  other  characters  from  the  series  from  Panama.  These 
differences  may  be  purely  individual,  or  may  indicate  that  the 
Panama  specimens  represent  a  recognizable  form.  This  can  be  de- 
termined only  when  a  series  from  Costa  Rica  is  available  for 
comparison. 

Although  the  rabbits  of  this  species  are  not  uncommon  in  much 
of  their  range,  their  scarcity  in  collections  from  Mexico  and  Central 
America  testifies  to  their  retiring  habits.  At  the  same  time  the 
natural  exuberance  of  vegetation  in  their  haunts  aids  greatly  in 
concealing  them. 

Sylvilagus  gabbi  tumacus  Allen  is  typical  gabbi  in  rich  unworn 
pelage  with  the  characteristic  small  ears,  small  bullae,  and  small  light 
skulls. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  20,  from : 

Panama:    Panama  City,  1;  Bouqueron  (Chiriqui),  5. 

Costa  Rica:  Rancho  Juan  Vinas,  1;  Rancho  tie  Rio  Jimenez  (Irazu),  2; 

San  Jose,  2 ;  Talamanca,  3. 
Nicaragua:    Escondido  River  (50  miles  from  Bluefields),  1;  Matagalpa, 

2;  Oeotal,  1;  Tuma,  1. 
Honduras:    San  Pedro  Sula,  1. 

SYLVILAGUS  GABBI  INCITATUS  (Bangs). 

San  Miguel  Island  Rabbit. 

Lcpus  (Tapeti)  incitatus  Bangs,  Am.  Naturalist,  XXXV,  pp.  633-635,  fig.  A  in 
text,  August  22,  1901.  Type  from  San  Miguel  Island,  Bay  of  Panama, 
No.  8441,  ?  ad.,  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology  (Bangs  collection)  ;  col- 
lected by  W.  W.  Brown,  jr.,  April  30,  1900. 

Geographic  distribution. — San  Miguel  Island,  Bay  of  Panama. 
Vertical  range  near  sea  level ;  zonal  distribution  Humid  Tropical. 

General  characters. — Color  of  worn  specimens  as  in  gabbi,  but  size 
larger,  with  shorter  ears;  smaller  and  narrower  braincase  and  heavier 
rostrum. 


262  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

Color  in  worn  pelage. — Top  of  head  ochraceous  rufous  with  black 
wash;  most  of  upperparts  pale  dull  ochraceous  buff,  strongly  washed 
with  black ;  sides  of  body  with  very  little  black  wash  and  paler  and 
more  creamy  buff  than  back ;  color  of  back  shading  on  rump  into  pale 
cinnamon  rufous  or  deep  ochraceous  buff,  becoming  dull  reddish 
brown  on  tail  and  back  of  hind  legs;  ears  reddish  brown  on  basal 
half  and  blackish  on  terminal  half;  underside  of  neck  like  sides  of 
body;  rest  of  underparts  white. 

Skull. — In  general  resembles  gabbi,  but  with  interorbital  width 
and  braincase  narrower  and  rostrum  even  heavier  than  in  average 
truei;  supraorbital  process  as  in  gabbi,  but  postorbital  process  even 
shorter  and  posteriorly  touching  a  well-marked  process  on  skull,  thus 
inclosing  a  very  small  oval  foramen. 

Measurements  (1  adult). — Total  length,  420;  tail  vertebrae,  20; 
hind  foot,  80 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  42. 

Remarks. — This  rabbit  is  so  close  to  gabbi  of  the  adjacent  main- 
land that  it  seems  best,  notwithstanding  its  insular  habitat,  to  treat 
it  as  a  subspecies.  The  only  known  specimens  are  in  worn  and  faded 
pelage  and  scarcely  distinguishable  in  color  from  specimens  of  gabbi 
in  similar  condition  from  the  mainland. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  1,  from : 
Panama:    San  Miguel  Island,  1. 

SYLVILAGUS  GABBI  TRUEI    (Allen). 

Vera  Cruz  Forest  Rabbit. 

Lepus  true!  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  JIus.  Nat.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  Ill,  p.  192,  December  10, 
1890.  Type  from  Mirador,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico;  Xo.^irVs.  U-  S.  National 
Museum ;  collected  by  C.  Sartorius. 

Geographic  distribution. — Heavily  forested  mountain  slopes  and 
adjacent  coastal  plain  of  eastern  Mexico  from  eastern  Puebla,  Vera 
Cruz,  northern  Oaxaca,  Tabasco,  Campeche,  Yucatan,  interior  and 
Pacific  coast  of  Chiapas,  and  both  coasts  of  Guatemala.  Vertical 
range  from  a  little  above  sea  level  to  about  5,000  feet  in  Vera  Cruz, 
Mexico ;  zonal  range  Humid  Tropical. 

General  characters. — Size  small;  color  of  upperparts  rich  dark 
buffy  washed  with  black ;  pelage  coarse ;  ears  small ;  tail  small,  short, 
and  nearly  same  color  above  and  below.  Closely  resembles  gabbi, 
but  differs  in  having  colors  duller,  ears  larger,  skull  more  heavily 
proportioned,  and  bullae  larger;  like  gabbi,  when  in  faded  pelage, 
closely  resembles  S.  pdlustris  paludicola. 

Color  in  f resit  winter  pelage. — Top  of  head  rusty  reddish,  more  or 
less  washed  with  black;  orbital  area  and  sides  of  nose  dingy  buff 
slightly  washed  with  black;  cheeks  darker  buff  with  heavier  wash 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   GABBI   GROUP TRUEI.  263 

of  black;  nape  dark  rusty  rufous;  outside  of  ears  blackish  brdwn, 
becoming  blackish  along  anterior  border  and  about  tip;  back  and 
sides  of  body  deep  buffy,  becoming  more  or  less  dark  ochraceous  buffy 
along  back  and  paler  on  sides,  with  a  heavy  wash  of  black,  especially 
on  back ;  front  of  legs  and  tops  of  feet  dull  rusty ;  underside  of  neck 
dull  brownish  buffy;  rest  of  underparts  white. 

Juvenal  pelage. — Upperparts  very  dark,  nearly  uniform  ochraceous 
buffy,  heavily  overlaid  with  black,  but  top  of  head  a  little  more  red- 
dish and  ears  black;  nape  dull  hazel;  tops  of  hind  feet  bright  cinna- 
mon rufous;  fore  feet  nearly  the  same,  but  paler. 

Skull. — Similar  to  gabbi,  but  proportionately  broader  and  heavier, 
with  longer  nasals,  heavier  rostrum,  broader  braincase,  and  larger 
bullae;  zygomatic  arch,  especially  jugal,  usually  broader  and  more 
flattened.  It  has  a  marked  general  resemblance  in  form  and  propor- 
tions to  the  much  larger  skull  of  S.  floridanus  yucaf  aniens.  Rostrum 
broad  and  rather  flattened  posteriorly,  giving  a  massive  appearance 
to  base  of  rostrum  and  frontal  region;  nasals  depressed  toward  tip, 
giving  rostrum  a  decurved  upper  outline;  supraorbital  process  com- 
pletely ankylosed  to  skull  anteriorly,  or  with  very  small  notch ;  postor- 
bital  process  with  tip  always  joined  to  skull  posteriorly,  sometimes 
inclosing  a  flattened  oval  foramen  and  sometimes  joined  to  skull 
along  entire  length,  thus  closing  foramen;  braincase  depressed;  jugals 
broad  and  heavy  with  or  without  a  groove  and  deep  pit  at  anterior 
end ;  molars  proportionately  heavy ;  bullae  small. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  382;  tail  verte- 
brae, 20.8;  hind  foot,  77;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  45.6. 

Remarks. — This  is  a  humid  tropical  species  living  in  heavy  under- 
growth, where  it  makes  well-marked  runways.  Nor^h  of  the  Isthmus 
of  Tehuantepec  these  rabbits  inhabit  only  the  gulf  or  east  side  of  the 
continent.  South  of  the  isthmus  they  spread  across  and  occupy  suit- 
able forest  growths  on  both  coasts.  Its  close  superficial  resemblance 
to  /S.  p.  palustris  caused  the  first  specimen  of  truei  (which  afterwards 
became  the  type)  sent  from  Mirador,  Yera  Cruz,  to  be  identified  as 
that  species,  and  thus  made  an  erroneous  Mexican  record  for  the 
eastern  swamp  rabbit,  which  never  occurs  west  of  the  Mississippi 
River. 

In  fresh  pelage  the  general  colors  are  richly  shaded  with  deep 
ochraceous  buff,  but  in  worn  or  faded  condition  this  becomes  much 
paler  or  more  grayish.  The  two  most  richly  colored  specimens  in 
our  series  are  from  widely  separated  localities.  One  was  collected 
February  28,  1898,  on  the  gulf  side  of  Mexico,  at  Metlaltoyuea, 
Puebla,  and  the  other  March  2,  189G,  on  the  Pacific  coast,  at  Hue- 
huetan,  Chiapas,  near  the  border  of  Guatemala. 


264  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  15,  from  : 

Puebla  (Mexico):    Metlaltoyuca,  4. 

Vera  Cruz  (Mexico):   Buena  Vista,  1 ;  Mirador,  1;  Motzorongo,  1;  Otatit- 

lan,  3. 
Oaxaca  (Mexico):   Santo  Domingo,  2. 
Tabasco  (Mexico):    Teapa,  2. 
Chiapas  (Mexico):  Huehuetan,  2;  Ocuilapa,  1. 

SYLVILAGUS  INSONUS   (Nelson). 

Omilteme  Rabbit. 

(PI.  XII,  fig.  7.) 

Lepus  insonus  Nelson,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XVII,  pp.  103-104,  May 
18,  1904.  Type  from  Omilteme,  Guerrero,  Mexico,  No.  126S78,  9  ad.,  U.  S. 
National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection)  ;  collected  by  E.  W. 
Nelson  and  E.  A.  Goldman,  May  20,  1903. 

Geographic  distribution. — Heavily  forested  parts  of  Sierra  Madre 
del  Sur,  Guerrero.  Vertical  range  from  about  7,000  to  10,000  feet; 
zonal  range  Upper  Sonoran  and  Transition  zones. 

General  characters. — In  general  appearance  much  like  S.  aquaticus; 
upperparts  nearly  uniform  dark  buffy  brown;  ears  much  larger  and 
grayer  than  in  truei;  tail  short  and  brown ;  tops  of  feet  white. 

Color  in  rather  faded  pelage. — Top  of  head  and  back  tawny  brown, 
heavily  washed  with  black,  shading  on  sides  of  head,  body,  and 
rump  into  a  paler  or  grayer  buffy  with  a  lighter  wash  of  black; 
sides  of  nose  and  orbital  area  dull  grayish  buffy;  nape  dull  rusty 
rufous;  outside  of  ears  grizzled  blackish  brown,  becoming  blackish 
along  anterior  border  and  at  tip ;  tail  above  dull  rusty  brown,  below 
dingy  buffy;  underside  of  head  and  body  dingy  white;  underside  of 
neck  a  little  more  tawny  than  flanks ;  tops  of  fore  feet  and  underside 
of  fore  legs  dingy  grayish  white;  front  and  sides  of  fore  legs  dull 
tawny  or  tawny  ochraceous ;  front  of  hind  legs  and  tops  of  feet  dingy 
whitish;  rest  of  hind  legs  like  sides  of  body,  but  with  a  tawny 
ochraceous  wash  most  marked  on  heels  and  sides  of  feet;  soles  of 
hind  feet  smoky  brown. 

Skull. — Much  like  that  of  truei,  but  more  arched  over  posterior 
part  of  frontal  region ;  supraorbital  process  much  smaller  and  lighter, 
with  a  distinct  notch  between  anterior  end  and  skull;  postorbital 
process  small  and  light,  touching  skull  at  posterior  tip  and  inclosing 
a  small  foramen;  rostrum  heavy  and  unusually  deep  at  base;  molar 
series  lighter  than  in  truei,  and  zygomatic  arch  heavier  and  broader 
without  a  well-marked  groove,  but  with  a  shallow  pit  anteriorly; 
braincase  and  bulla?  as  in  truei;  interpterygoid  fossa  narrower. 

Average  measurments  {2  adults). — Total  length,  435;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 42.5;  hind  foot,  94.5;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  60.9. 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   PALUSTRIS   GROUP.  265 

Remarks. — Although  differing  from  gabbi  and  truei  in  its  larger 
ears  and  longer  tail,  insonus  has  the  coarse  pelage,  proportionately 
small  feet,  and  characteristic  skull  of  Tapeti.  Its  peculiar  brownish 
color  and  large  ears  give  it  a  curious  superficial  resemblance  to 
S.  aquaticus,  but  the  skull  is  more  like  that  of  S.  g.  truei.  S.  insonus, 
like  truei,  lives  in  dense  undergrowth,  makes  runways,  and  often 
occupies  burrows  under  rocks  or  similar  shelter.  So  far  as  known,  it 
is  limited  to  the  heavily  wooded  summit  of  the  Sierra  Madre  del  Sur 
in  Guerrero. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  2,  from : 

Guerrero  (Mexico):    Omilteme,  2. 

SYLVILAGUS  PALUSTRIS   Group    (Subgenus   TAPETI). 
THE  SWAMP  RABBITS. 

The  swamp  rabbits  form  a  closely  related  group  of  two  species, 
each  with  a  single  subspecies,  as  follows:  Sylvilagus  palustris  and 
8.  p.  paludicola,  with  Sylvilagus  aquaticus  and  S.  a.  littoralis.  They 
are  limited  to  damp  or  swampy  wooded  lowlands  and  marshes  of  the 
southeastern  United  States,  and  range  from  near  San  Antonio,  mid- 
dle southern  Texas,  and  middle  southern  Oklahoma  easterly  along 
the  Gulf  and  Atlantic  coasts  to  Dismal  Swamp  in  southern  Virginia, 
and  up  river  bottoms  of  the  interior  to  above  the  junction  of  the 
Ohio  and  Mississippi  (see  fig.  17).  The  members  of  this  group  pre- 
sent so  many  peculiar  characteristics  and  differ  so  much  in  habits 
from  the  other  rabbits  of  the  United  States  that  they  have  long  been 
treated  as  a  distinct  group  of  snbgeneric,  and  even  of  generic,  rank. 
It  appears,  however,  that  they  belong  to  the  same  subgeneric  group 
as  the  wood  rabbits  of  tropical  America,  which  Gray,  in  1867,  sepa- 
rated from  other  American  rabbits  under  the  generic  name  Tapeti. 
The  relations  of  the  swamp  rabbits  to  the  tropical  wood  rabbits  are 
explained  in  the  description  of  the  subgenus  Tapeti  and  in  the  re- 
marks under  the  S.  gabbi  group. 

The  relationships  of  the  single  subspecies  each  of  palustris  and 
aquaticus  to  the  typical  forms  are  curiously  alike.  S.  palustris  has 
a  smaller  and  much  darker  and  more  reddish  subspecies,  paludicola, 
inhabiting  the  coastal  lowlands  south  of  its  range,  just  as  aquaticus 
has  a  smaller  and  darker  reddish  form,  littoralis,  in  the  coastal 
marshes  south  of  its  range. 

For  many  years  the  ranges  of  Sylvilagus  palustris  and  S.  aquaticus 
have  been  given  as  overlapping  over  a  broad  area  extending  from 
Alabama  to  Texas  and  north  to  Illinois.  The  fine  series  of  both 
species  now  available  from  almost  all  parts  of  their  ranges  prove  this 
to  be  erroneous,    The  borders  of  the  ranges  of  the  two  species  have 


266 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.  29. 


been  located  along  a  narrow  belt  in  western  Georgia  and  eastern  Ala- 
bama without  the  discovery  of  a  single  locality  where  they  overlap, 
'&.  palustris  extends  along  the  Gulf  coast  to  Mobile  Bay,  Alabama, 
but  elsewhere  has  not  been  found  west  of  Georgia.  S.  aquaticus 
ranges  east  to  southwestern  Georgia.  The  uncertainty  that  has  ex- 
isted in  regard  to  the  ranges  of  these  species  is  shown  by  published 
records  for  them  from  as  far  south  as  Vera  Cruz  and  Yucatan,  Mex- 
ico, whereas  in  fact  neither  species  reaches  so  far  south  as  the  mouth 
of  the  Rio  Grande  in  Texas. 

To  the  natives  of  central  Georgia  S.  palustris  is  known  as  Pon- 
toon. It  is  a  short-legged  species  which  depends  largely  on  doubling 
and  turning  to  escape  the  dogs,  and  is  easily  run  down.  On  the 
other  hand  S.  aquaticus,  called  cane-cutter  in  Alabama  and  western 
Georgia,  has  longer  legs  and  bears  the  reputation  of  being  a  strong 
runner;  it  usually  gives  the  dogs  a  hard  run  and  often  escapes.  The 
best  accounts  of  the  extraordinary  habits  of  both  S.  palustris  and  S. 
aquaticus  are  given  by  Bachman. 

Average  measurements  of  the  Sylvflttgus  palustris  group. 


— 

it. 
r. 
M 
0) 

Skin. 

Skull. 

•5 

a 

.3  g  Lg 

Oj 

.. 

u  E 

c  a3  1  -O 

« 

a 

— 

"3 

s  s  1  a  2 

.a 

9 

Origin  of  specimens  aver- 

£ 

,d 

a 

£  a 

.g 
be 

cS 

WH 

aged. 

a 

t 
6 

a 

m 
u 
<u 

a 

2^ 

a 

H 

O  u 

p.  - 

3 

O 

o 

"3 
<u 

H 

a 

a 

'A 

H 

H 

w 

w 

M 

.-i 

« 

w 

M 

Svlvilagus  palustris 

5 

436 

33.0 

91 

52.0 

63.4 

33.3 

21.5 

16.4 

18.4 

27.0 

11.6 

Coast  of  Georgia. 

Svlvilagus  palustris  pa- 

5 

■126  39. 0 

88:44. 8 

60.030.3 

19.7 

16. 2 17. 4 

26.0 

12.0 

Kissimmee,  Florida. 

ludicola. 

| 

Svlvilagus  aquaticus 

5 

534  69. C 

106  66.7 

68. 3'36. 5 

24.318.7 

19.1 

29.3 

11.4 

Alabama. 

Sylvilagus  aquaticus  lit- 

5 

538  69.7:106  63.5 

66.5136.4 

23. 7  18. 2 

19.7 

28.6 

11.7 

Southern  Louisiana  and 

toral  is. 

1 

Mississippi. 

SYLVILAGUS  PALUSTRIS   (Bachman). 

Marsh  Rabbit. 

(PI.  XII,  figs.  3,  6.) 

Lepus  palustris  Bachman,  Jonrn.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Philadelphia,  VII,  pt,  2,  pp. 
194-199.  1837.  No  definite  type;  described  from  specimens  obtained  near 
the  coast  of  Sonth  Carolina. 

Geographic  distribution.  —  Lowlands  along  rivers  and  coast  of 
southeastern  States  from  Dismal  Swamp,  Virginia,  south  to  extreme 
northern  Florida,  and  west  through  most  of  southern  Georgia  and 
the  Gulf  coast  of  northwestern  Florida  to  east  side  of  Mobile  Bay, 
Alabama.  Vertical  range  from  sea  level  to  an  undetermined  alti- 
tude (probably  less  than  500  feet)  ;  zonal  range  Lower  Austral. 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS    PALUSTRIS    GROUP PALUSTRIS.  267 

General  diameters. — Size  smaller  than  S.  aquations  and  about 
equaling-  the  Florida  cottontail;  feet  small,  slender,  dark  reddish 
ochraceous  buff;  general  color  often  scarcely  distinguishable  from 
typical  S.  aquaticus  except  by  dingy  color  of  underside  of  tail ;  ears 
rather  short,  broad;  tail  very  small,  brown  above,  dingy  gray  or 
brownish  gray  below ;  skull  heavy,  with  supraorbitals  joined  to  skull 
along  greater  part  of  (or  entire)  length  of  anterior  and  posterior 
processes. 

Color  in  slightly  faded  winter  pelage. — Upperparts,  including  top 
of  head,  warm  dark  reddish  ochraceous  brown ;  nape  varying  from 
dull  dark  cinnamon  rufous  to  a  dull  pale  shade  of  same ;  rump  about 
base  of  tail,  upperside  of  tail,  and  back  of  hind  legs  dull  dark  rusty 
reddish,  or  chestnut  brown;  underside  of  tail  dingy  gray,  sometimes 
almost  brownish  gray,  and  never  white  as  in  aquaticus;  lower  flanks, 
sides  of  abdomen,  and  underside  of  neck  nearly  uniform  dark, 
slightly  brownish,  ochraceous  buff;  inside  of  fore  and  hind  legs  and 
a  broad  band  along  middle  of  abdomen  (covering  from  one-third  to 
two-thirds  the  width  of  abdomen)  usually  white,  clearest  on  inside 
of  legs,  but  latter  area  sometimes  strongly  buffy  similar  to  sides  of 
bod}',  and  white  area  on  abdomen  often  narrowed  or  washed  by 
extension  of  same;  underside  of  head  grayish,  due  to  the  thin  wash 
of  white  over  slaty  underfur ;  sides  of  head  dark  buffy  brown,  grayer 
or  paler  than  upperparts ;  ears  on  both  sides  nearly  uniform,  slightly 
grayish  buffy  brown,  similar  to  sides  of  head;  tip  of  ear  with  a 
narrow  blackish  border  (absent  in  some  individuals)  ;  inside  of  ear 
sometimes  narrowly  edged  with  clear  ochraceous  buff. 

In  spring  and  summer  much  of  the  overlying  black  wash  on  upper- 
parts  wears  away,  the  reddish  suffusion  largely  disappears,  and  the 
colors  fade  to  more  of  a  dull  grayish  buffy. 

Juvenal  pelage  (Carteret  County,  N.orth  Carolina,  July  5,  1894). — 
Upperparts  dull  dark  buffy  brown,  rather  duller  and  less  ochraceous 
than  in  adults;  feet  and  legs  duller  and  more  rusty  rufous;  a  smaller 
specimen  from  Dismal  Swamp,  Virginia,  June  8,  1895,  slightly  paler 
and  more  buffy  brown  than  the  one  described  above,  but  darker  and 
much  duller  colored  than  adults. 

Skull. — Heavy;  braincase  comparatively  short,  broad,  and  rounded, 
especially  when  compared  with  aquaticus;  compared  with  latter  the 
broad  braincase  and  rather  lighter,  more  tapering,  rostrum  gives 
entire  skull  a  more  pointed  form;  posterior  end  of  nasals  broad  and 
roughly  truncated,  or  separated  by  a  broad,  deep,  triangular  or  sub- 
quadrate  notch ;  supraorbital  process  with  anteorbital  and  postorbital 
processes  on  plane  with  frontal  area  and  fused  to  skull  along  most 
of  length,  though  a  small  notch  usually  present  at  extreme  front  end 
of  anterior  process,  and  a  small  narrow  slit-like  foramen  usually 
separates  middle  of  postorbital  process  from  skull;  broad  tip  of 


268  NOKTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

posterior  process  fused  to  skull  as  completely  as  in  aquaticus;  zygo- 
matic arch  very  heavy,  even  heavier  than  in  aquaticus,  with  jugal 
deeply  grooved ;  upper  outline  of  skull  a  long  arch,  the  arch  shorter 
and  more  accented  over  occipital  region  than  in  aquaticus;  molar 
series  heavy,  proportionately  about  as  in  last-named  species ;  palatal 
bridge  heavy;  postpalatal  fossa  broad;  bullae  small  and  joined  to 
broad,  heavy  basioccipital  by  a  strong  pedicel. 

The  skull  of  typical  palustris  differs  from  that  of  typical  aquaticus 
mainly  in  its  much  smaller  size,  broader,  shorter  braincase,  and  more 
rapidly  tapering  form.  In  addition,  the  postorbital  process  is  less 
completely  fused  to  the  skull  in  a  majority  of  the  individuals  exam- 
ined. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  436;  tail  verte- 
bra?, 33;  hind  foot,  91;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  52. 

Remarks. — The  close  color  resemblance  between  typical  palustris 
and  typical  aquaticus  is  remarkable  for  such  distinct  species,  though 
the  much  larger  size,  longer  ears,  white  underside  to  tail,  and  heavy 
skull  of  aquaticus  render  it  easily  recognizable.  So  far  as  the  mate- 
rial now  available  shows,  there  is  no  evidence  that  the  ranges  of  these 
two  animals  overlap.  There  is  much  greater  superficial  difference 
(aside  from  the  form  and  color  of  the  tail),  both  in  color  and  propor- 
tions, between  S.  palustris  and  S.  p.  paludicola  than  appears  at  a 
casual  glance  between  palustris  and  aquaticus,  though  close  examina- 
tion proves  these  last  to  be  absolutely  distinct  species.  Three  adults 
and  one  young  from  Dismal  Swamp,  Virginia,  are  true  palustris  in 
all  external  characters  of  size,  proportions,  and  color,  but  have  even 
heavier  skulls  than  typical  specimens  from  farther  south.  Speci- 
mens from  St.  Marys,  Ossabaw,  Cumberland  Island,  and  St.  Cather- 
ine Island  are  about  typical  in  color,  but  the  skulls  of  those  from  St. 
Marys  are  smaller  and  lighter,  with  slenderer  rostrum,  than  those 
from  the  coast.  The  marsh  rabbits  on  Anastasia  Island,  near  St. 
Augustine,  Florida,  are  intermediates,  but  are  referable  to  fxdustris, 
and  probably  mark  the  southern  limit  of  this  form  along  the  east 
coast. 

This  species  has  been  recorded  from  Alabama  and  thence  west  to 
the  Mississippi  and  north  to  Illinois.  I  have  yet  to  see  a  specimen 
of  this  species  from  as  far  west  as  Alabama,  except  on  the  Gulf  coast 
just  east  of  Mobile  Bay,  although  it  may  possibly  reach  the  eastern 
part  of  that  State.  Americus  is  the  westernmost  point  in  Georgia 
from  which  I  have  seen  specimens. 

Fall  specimens  in  fresh  pelage  from  the  Gulf  coast  at  Bon  Secour, 
Alabama,  are  not  typical  of  either  palustris  or  paludicola,  but  from 
their  size  and  general  coloration  are  nearest  palustris,  to  which  I 
have  referred  them.  Their  size  is  that  of  palustris,  but  they  are 
distinctly  more  dusky,  with  less  rusty  or  rusty  buffy  suffusion  on 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS   PALTTSTRIS    GROUP PALUDICOLA.  269 

the  upperparts,  especially  on  the  head  and  feet.  Their  ears  are 
darker  brown,  with  a  strong  black  wash,  and  the  head  on  the  side  of 
the  nose  and  between  the  base  of  the  ear  and  the  eyes  is  dull,  dark 
iron  gray — darker  and  grayer  than  in  pahmtris  and  more  dusky  even 
than  in  paludicola.  The  tops  of  the  feet  are  darker  and  less  reddish 
than  in  paludicola  and  are  sometimes  almost  dusky  brown.  Four 
out  of  five  fall  specimens  from  Abbeville,  Georgia,  are  very  similar 
to  those  from  Bon  Secour,  the  other  is  paler  and  like  typical  palustris. 
Tavo  specimens  from  Americus,  Georgia,  are  typical  palustris.  These 
dark  specimens  perhaps  represent  intergradation  between  palustris 
and  paludicola. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  54,  from : 

Virginia:    Dismal  Swamp,  4. 

North  Carolina:    Carteret  County,  1;  Fort  Macon,  5. 

South  Carolina:    Frogmore,  4;  Georgetown,  1;  Society  Hill,  1;  Summer- 

ville,  1. 
Georgia:  Abbeville,  5;  Americus,  2;  Cumberland  Island,  4;  Nashville,  1; 

Ossabow  Island,  S ;  Riceboro,  2 ;  St.  Catherine  Island,  1 ;  St.  Marys,  6 ; 

St.  Simons  Island,  1. 
Florida:  Anastasia  Island,  3;  Whitfield,  2. 
Alabama:    Bon  Secour,  2. 

SYLVILAGUS  PALUSTRIS  PALUDICOLA   (Miller  and  Bangs). 

Florida  Marsh  Rabbit. 

Lepus  paludicola  Miller  and  Bangs,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  IX,  pp.  105-10S, 
June  9,  1894.  Type  from  Fort  Island,  near  Crystal  River,  Citrus  County, 
Florida;  ?  ad.,  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology  (No.  145,  Bangs  collec- 
tion) collected  by  F.  L.  Small,  January  28,  1894. 

Geographic  distribution. — Peninsular  Florida  and  adjacent  coast 
islands,  north  along  the  east  coast  at  least  to  San  Mateo,  and  on  the 
west  side  for  an  unknown  distance  northwest  of  the  type  locality,  but 
probably  some  distance  beyond  the  Suwanee  River.  Vertical  range 
from  sea  level  up  to  about  100  feet  altitude ;  zonal  range  extreme 
Lower  Austral  and  upper  border  of  Humid  Tropical  Zone. 

General  characters. — The  smallest,  darkest,  and  most  reddish  brown 
of  the  marsh  rabbits ;  ears  very  short,  broad,  and  rounded. 

Color  in  fresh  -winter  pelage. — Upperparts,  including  top  of  head, 
dark  reddish  brown  or  dark  ochraceous  brown,  shading  on  flanks  and 
sides  of  abdomen  into  dark,  slightly  brownish,  ochraceous  buff,  vary- 
ing to  a  duller  more  brownish  buffy ;  rump  usually  more  rufous  than 
rest  of  upperparts,  and  often,  about  base  and  on  top  of  tail  and  on 
back  of  hind  legs,  becoming  almost  uniform  dark  rusty  chestnut ; 
underside  of  tail  varies  from  dingy  whitish  to  dull  buffy  or  brownish 
gray ;  sides  of  head  and  ears  slightly  paler  than  back  and  distinctly 
more  grayish;  nape  varying  from  rich  dark  cinnamon  rufous  to 


270  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  20. 

lighted  more  rusty  rufous;  top,  front,  and  sides  of  fore  feet  and  legs, 
tops  of  hind  feet,  and  outside  of  hind  legs  rich  dark  cinnamon  rufous, 
a  little  darker  than  in  palustris;  underside  of  neck  like  lower  part  of 
flanks  or  a  little  paler  buffy ;  underside  of  head  dingy  gray  or  grayish 
white;  sides  of  abdomen  dark  brownish  buff  similar  to  lower  flanks; 
middle  of  abdomen  and  inside  of  legs  usually  dull  white,  but  often 
more  or  less  covered  by  extensions  of  the  buff  area  until  in  some  speci- 
mens the  abdomen  becomes  completely  dark  buff,  only  slightly  paler 
than  flanks;  in  some  cases  a  band  of  buff  extends  across  middle  of 
abdomen,  dividing  the  white  into  two  irregular  patches. 

"Worn  spring  and  winter  specimens  bleach  to  a  dull  buffy  brown,  of 
a  paler  and  more  yellowish  shade  than  in  early  winter. 

Juvenal  pelage  (specimens  taken  March  23  to  April  14). — Entire 
upperparts,  including  sides  of  head  and  body,  ears,  and  top  of  tail 
nearly  uniform  very  dark  buffy  brown,  darker  than  the  same  pelage 
of  palustris,  and  much  darker  and  less  ochraceous  than  the  adults  of 
palitdicola;  underside  of  neck  dark  dingy  buff;  underside  of  head, 
abdomen,  and  inside  of  legs  dull  slaty  gray,  more  or  less  strongly 
washed  with  dark  buff,  similar  to  that  on  underside  of  neck. 

Stydl. — Practically  indistinguishable  from  that  of  typical  palustris, 
except  for  its  smaller  size  and  rather  large  bullae. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  426;  tail  verte- 
brae, 39 ;  hind  foot,  88 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  44.8. 

Remarks. — Specimens  from  Gainesville  and  Hibernia  are  inter- 
mediate in  size  and  length  of  ears  between  palustris  and  paludieola, 
but  their  dark  color  places  them  with  paludicola.  A  half-grown 
young  in  the  Bangs  collection  taken  in  February  at  Micco,  Florida, 
is  entirely  melanistic.  the  underfur  being  dark  slate  color  and  the 
overlying  coat  of  long  hairs  glossy  black. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  G3,  from : 

Florida:  Belleair,  4:  Canaveral,  2;  Cape  Sable,  1;  Drayton  Island,  1; 
Enterprise,  1 :  Flamingo,  1 ;  Gainesville,  6 ;  Hibernia,  1 ;  Kissiinmee, 
5 ;  Fort  Kissinimee,  5 ;  Kissiinmee  River,  1 ;  Lake  Kissiinmee,  4  ;  Lake 
Harney,  11 ;  Little  Marco,  1 ;  Micco,  7 ;  Mullet  Lake,  1 ;  San  Mateo, 
4 ;  Suwanee  River,  1 ;  Tarpon  Springs,  6. 

SYLVILAGUS  AQUATICUS   (Bachman). 
Swamp  Rabbit. 

LcpuR  aquations  Bachman,  Jour.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Philadelphia,  VII,  pt.  2,  pp. 

319-326,  pi.  XXII,  fig.  2,  1S3T.    No  definite  type;  described  from  specimens 

obtained  in  western  Alabama  by  Dr.  J.  M.  Lee. 
f  Lepiis  douglasil  Cray.  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.   (Charlesworth),  I,  p.  586,  1S3T.     Two 

cotypes  in  British  Museum,  said  to  have  been  collected  in  California  or 

Texas  by  David  Douglas. 


1000.]  SYLVILAGUS   PALUSTRIS   GROUP AQUATICUS.  271 

Lcpus  aquations  attwateri  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist,  New  York,  VII, 
Art.  X,  pp.  327-328  (author's  separates  issued  November  8,  1S95).  Type 
from  Medina  River,  18  miles  south  of  Sau  Antonio,  Texas;  No.  i]!,\, 
$  ad.,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History ;  collected  by  H.  P.  Attwater, 
May  S,  1S94. 

Lepus  telmalemonus  Elliot,  Field  Col.  Mus.,  Zool.  series,  I,  No.  15,  pp.  2S5-2S7, 
May  24,  1899.  Type  from  Washita  River,  near  Dougherty,  Indian  Terri- 
tory [Oklahoma];  in  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History;  collected  by 
T.  Surber,  April,  1899. 

Geographic  distribution. — River  bottoms  and  swampy  woods  from 
Lumpkin,  southwestern  Georgia,  west  to  Medina  River  near  San 
Antonio,  middle  Texas,  and  north  at  least  to  Hartshorne,  Oklahoma, 
and  to  wooded  bottoms  of  Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers  in  southern 
Illinois ;  but  separated  from  Gulf  coast  by  a  narrow  belt  occupied  by 
Uttoralis.  Vertical  range  from  a  little  above  sea  level  to  about  800 
feet  in  Alabama,  entirely  in  the  Lower  Austral  Zone. 

General  characters. — Size  and  proportions  similar  to  those  of 
UttoraUs,  but  color  of  upperparts  much  paler  and  more  grayish  brown, 
lacking  most  of  the  reddish  suffusion ;  back  more  conspicuously 
washed  with  black;  skull  a  little  heavier;  general  appearance  much 
like  that  of  j^alustris,  but  at  once  recognizable  by  the  longer  tail  with 
its  underside  entirely  pure  white. 

Color  of  adults  in  fresh  pelage. — Top  of  head  ochraceous  buffy 
brown ;  back  buffy  grayish  brown  with  a  more  or  less  marked  shade  of 
buffy,  often  becoming  dull,  rather  pale,  rusty  brown;  rump  and 
upperside  of  tail  and  back  of  hind  legs  varying  to  dull  ochraceous 
brown  or  sometimes  reddish  brown ;  sides  of  head,  shoulders,  flanks, 
and  sides  of  abdomen  paler  and  grayer  than  back,  owing  to  shading 
out  of  the  buffy  suffusion  and  the  less  strongly  marked  black  wash ; 
tops,  front,  and  outside  of  fore  feet  and  legs,  and  tops  and  outside  of 
hind  feet  and  legs,  cinnamon  rufous,  paler  than  in  Uttoralis,'  outside 
of  ears  more  brownish  than  sides  of  body,  and  approaching  color  of 
top  of  head;  underside  of  neck  dull  buffy  grayish  similar  to  lower 
border  of  flanks;  rest  of  lowerparts,  including  underside  of  tail  and 
inside  of  legs,  pure  white. 

Postjuvenal  pelage  (Red  Oak,  Oklahoma,  September  13,  1892). — 
Similar  to  young  of  Uttoralis  at  same  age,  but  distinctly  paler  and 
more  grayish  buffy  brown ;  sides  of  head  and  shoulders  much  grayer. 

Skull. — Averaging  a  little  larger  than  in  Uttoralis,  otherwise  the 
same. 

The  skull  of  the  type  of  attwateri  is  that  of  an  unusually  large 
old  adult,  and  is  not  equaled  in  size  by  any  other  I  have  seen. 

Average  measurements  (5  adults). — Total  length,  534;  length  of 
tail,  69 ;  hind  foot,  106 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  66.7. 

Remarks. — The  type  specimens  of  the  present  species  were  sent 
Bachman  by  Dr.  J.  M.  Lee  and  Capt.  Benjamin  Logan,  of  Alabama. 


272  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

No  definite  type  locality  is  mentioned,  but  the  context  appears  to  indi- 
cate that  these  specimens  came  from  western  Alabama,  which  may  be 
considered  the  type  region.  The  types  do  not  appear  to  have  been 
preserved,  although  Bachman,  in  Quadrupeds  of  North  America," 
mentions  a  specimen  from  the  Alabama  River  which  he  presented  to 
the  Philadelphia  Academy  of  Sciences,  but  this  is  no  longer  in  exist- 
ence. So  far  as  I  can  learn,  not  a  specimen  of  aquaticus  from  Ala- 
bama has  been  available  for  comparison  from  near  the  time  of  Bach- 
man until  the  summer  of  1908,  when  A.  H.  Howell  sent  the  Biological 
Survey  a  series  from  various  parts  of  the  State.  These  specimens, 
with  others  obtained  from  Alabama  since  Howell's  visit,  prove  to  be 
absolutely  indistinguishable  in  size  and  color  from  others  taken  in 
middle  and  northern  Mississippi  and  Louisiana,  from  southern  Illi- 
nois, the  eastern  half  of  Texas,  and  of  Oklahoma.  From  this  it 
follows  that  attwateri  and  telmalemonus  are  synonyms  of  aquaticus. 
The  darker  and  more  rufous  form,  which  has  been  considered  to 
represent  true  aquaticus  proves  to  be  an  unnamed  subspecies  not 
known  to  occur  in  Alabama  and  strictly  confined  to  a  narrow  belt 
along  the  Gulf  coast  from  Mississippi  to  Texas. 

Lepas  douglasii  Gray  was  based  on  two  specimens,  which  he  desig- 
nated var.  1  and  var.  2,  and  gave  their  doubtful  origin  as  California 
or  Texas.  The  original  description  was  entirely  inadequate  to  place 
these  animals  definitely,  though  they  appear  to  be  swamp  or  marsh 
rabbits,  and  the  statement  that  the  underside  of  the  tail  was  white 
would  refer  them  to  aquaticus.  Waterhouse,  in  his  Natural  History 
of  the  Mammalia  ('IT,  pp.  112,  119),  states  that  Bachman  examined 
the  type  of  Gray's  var.  1  and  recognized  it  as  the  same  as  his  aquati- 
cus,' Waterhouse  identifies  var.  2  as  palustris.  The  exact  status  of 
douglasii  appears  to  be  still  unsettled. 

As  in  other  rabbits,  the  present  species  shows  considerable  seasonal 
as  well  as  individual  variation  in  color.  In  fresh  pelage  the  colors 
are  dark  and  rich,  but  with  wear  and  fading  become  paler  and  grayer 
on  the  upperparts  of  the  body  and  paler  rufous  or  rusty  on  the  legs. 

Specimens  from  near  the  border  line  of  littoralis,  as  at  Columbia 
and  Sourlake,  Texas,  show  a  distinct  increase  of  rusty  on  the  entire 
upperparts.  One  of  the  two  specimens  from  Columbia  is  unmis- 
takably aquaticus,  while  the  other  is  scarcely  distinguishable  from 
littoralis. 

Three  good  specimens  in  the  Field  Museum  from  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  River  bottomlands  of  extreme  southern  Illinois  are  typi- 
cal aquaticus.  A  male  and  a  female  from  Olive  Branch,  Illinois,  col- 
lected in  November  and  in  perfect  winter  pelage,  have  the  upperparts 
pale  grayish  buffy  heavily  overlaid  with  black  and  the  rump,  top  of 
the  tail,  hind  legs,  and  feet  dull  rusty,  exactly  duplicating  the  colors 
of  specimens  in  similar  condition  from  Oklahoma,  Texas,  Louisiana, 


1909.]  SYLVILAGUS    PALUSTRIS    GROUP LITTORALIS.  273 

and  Alabama.  The  third  Illinois  specimen,  taken  at  Reevesville, 
April  17,  has  lost  most  of  the  black  wash,  and  the  upperparts  are 
pale  grayish,  a  little  more  rusty  on  rump  and  top  of  tail,  and  is 
almost  an  exact  duplicate  of  a  specimen  taken  at  Victoria,  Texas, 
April  3. 

J.  D.  Mitchell  of  Victoria,  Texas,  informs  me  that  the  nesting 
habits  of  this  swamp  rabbit  are  identical  with  those  of  the  cotton- 
tail (S.  f.  chapmani) ,  except  that  the  nest  is  considerably  larger  and 
is  placed  in  dry  places  in  river  bottoms  near  a  fallen  log,  dead  stump, 
or  pile  of  trash.  He  states  further  that  the  young,  as  in  the  case  of 
the  cottontail,  are  born  naked,  blind,  and  helpless. 

Bachman  says  that  aquaticus  usually  prefers  swampy  lowlands,  but 
sometimes  occurs  in  heavily  wooded  uplands.  E.  A.  Preble  found 
them  in  Oklahoma,  living  in  dry  bottomlands  covered  with  a  heavy 
growth  of  oaks  and  other  deciduous  trees,  where  there  was  compara- 
tively little  undergrowth. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  68,  from : 

Georgia:   Lumpkin,   1. 

Alabama:  Auburn,    6;    Castleberry,    5;    Coosa    River    (50    miles   below 

Rome),  1;  Covington,  3;  Greensboro,  1;  Huntsville,  3;  Reform,  5. 
Mississippi:   Garlandsville,  1;  Warren  County,  2. 

Louisiana:  Cartville,  2;  Clarks,  1;  Haughton,  1;  Prairie  Mer  Rouge,  4. 
Texas:  Antioch,  1;  Columbia,  2;  Cook  County,  1;  Gurley,  2;  Joaquin,  1; 

Medina  River  (18  miles  soutbwest  of  San  Antonio),  G:  Richmond,  1; 

Sourlnke,  4;  Troup,  1;  Victoria,  1. 
Oklahoma:   Hartshorne,  1 ;   Red  Oak,  3. 

Missouri:  Cushion  Lake,  1;  St.  Francis  River  (west  of  Senath),  1. 
Illinois:  Olive  Branch,  4;  Reevesville,  1/ 
Tennessee:   Samburg,  1. 

SYLVILAGUS  AQUATICUS  LITTORALIS  Subsp.  nov. 

Coast  Swamp  Rabbit. 

Type  from  Houma,  Louisiana;  No.  fffff,  9  ad.,  U.  S.  National  Museum  (Bio- 
logical Survey  collection)  ;  collected  by  Vernon  Bailey,  May  4,  1892. 

Geographic  distribution. — A  narrow  belt  of  swamps  and  marshes 
along  the  Gulf  coast,  nearly  if  not  entirely  within  upper  limits  of 
tidewater,  from  Bay  St.  Louis,  Mississippi,  west  through  Louisiana 
to  Matagorda  Bay,  Texas.  Vertical  range  below  50  feet  altitude, 
wholly  within  the  Lower  Austral  Zone. 

General  characters. — Size  about  as  in  aquaticus,  but  color  much 
darker  and  more  reddish,  especially  on  rump,  hind  legs,  and  tops  of 
all  the  feet. 

Color  in  fresh  winter  pelage. — Upperparts,  including  top  of  head, 
dark  rusty  or  reddish  brown  strongly  washed  with  black,  and  be- 
coming distinctly  more  rufous  (nearly  chestnut)  on  lower  rump, 
85595— No.  29—09 18 


274  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

top  of  tail,  and  back  of  hind  legs;  nape  dark  rich  cinnamon  rufous; 
lower  flanks  and  sides  of  abdomen  dull  ochraceous  buff,  more  brown- 
ish on  flanks  and  clearer  on  sides  of  abdomen;  underside  of  neck 
usually  like  sides  of  abdomen,  sometimes  varying  from  deep  ochra- 
ceous buif  to  bright  rich  tawny  ochraceous  of  Ridgway;  inside  of 
legs  and  broad  band  along  middle  of  abdomen  usually  white,  but  in- 
side of  legs  sometimes  ochraceous  buff  and  a  wash  of  same  over  most 
of  abdomen ;  outside  of  ears  dusky  reddish  In-own  with  a  narrow  black 
edging  about  tip ;  inside  of  ears  gray,  becoming  brown  along  poste- 
rior edges;  ocular  area  deep  rusty  buff;  sides  of  head  below  eyes 
brownish  gray,  paler  and  grayer  than  sides  of  body,  and  less  washed 
with  black  than  back;  top  of  fore  feet  and  front  and  outside  of  fore 
legs  deep  rich  cinnamon  rufous;  top  and  outside  of  hind  feet  and 
legs  similar  but  a  little  paler. 

In  spring  and  summer  the  black  wash  on  the  back  wears  away  and 
the  reddish  tinge  fades  until  the  color  of  the  upperparts  becomes 
distinctly  paler  brown,  with  a  grayer  cast  on  the  sides,  especially 
on  shoulders. 

Post  ju  venal  pelage  (Houma,  Louisiana,  May  13,  1892). — Upper- 
parts  of  body  dull  dark  buffy  brown,  much  duller  and  with  only  a 
trace  of  the  reddish  suffusion  so  characteristic  of  the  adults;  top  of 
head  nearly  as  in  adult ;  nape  dull  dark  cinnamon  rufous ;  top  of 
tail  dull  rusty  brown ;  back  of  hind  legs  similar  but  more  rusty ;  out- 
side of  hind  legs  and  tops  of  hind  feet  rusty  cinnamon;  fore  feet 
with  front  and  sides  of  fore  legs  similar  but  darker;  underside  of 
neck  buffy  brown  (near  wood  brown  of  Ridgway)  and  nearly  like 
sides  of  body. 

Skull. — Proportionately  long  and  narrow,  but  strongly,  almost 
massively,  built ;  braincase  narrow  and  drawn  out  posteriori}7 ;  ros- 
trum long  and  heavy;  nasals  separated  posteriorly  by  a  broad  deep 
roughly  triangular  or  quadrate  notch,  and  posterior  ends  usualh7 
truncated ;  supraorbitals  heavy,  with  anteorbital  and  postorbital 
processes  usually  completely  united  with  the  skull,  giving  the  frontal 
area  a  flattened  appearance;  interorbital  breadth  much  less  than 
width  of  rostrum  at  base,  thus  helping  give  skull  its  oblong  and  but 
slightly  tapering  form ;  zygomatic  arch  heavy  and  compressed  along 
side  of  skull;  jugal  heavy  and  deeply  grooved,  but  without  a  well- 
marked  pit  anteriorly;  upper  outline  of  skull  a  long  curve,  only 
slightly  more  strongly  decurved  over  occiput  than  over  rostrum ; 
molar  series  broad  and  heavy ;  palatal  bridge  broad ;  postpalatal 
fossa  broad  and  deep;  bullae  small  and  connected  with  broad  heavy 
basioccipital  by  a  broad  pedicel;  underside  of  skull  strong  and 
massive. 

Measurements  of  type. — Total  length,  523;  tail  vertebra3,  70;  hind 
foot,  107 ;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  63. 


1909.]  GENUS    BRACHYLAGUS.  275 

Average  measurements  (o  adults). — Total  length,  538;  tail  ver- 
tebrae, 69.7;  hind  foot,  10G;  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin,  03.5. 

Remarks. — As  already  stated  under  the  notes  on  aquaticus,  the 
present  form  has  long  been  erroneously  supposed  to  be  true  aquati- 
cus. It  has  a  very  restricted  range  and  appears  to  be  typical  only 
along  a  narrow  coast  belt.  Specimens  from  so  small  a  distance  inland 
as  Covington,  Louisiana,  and  Sourlake  and  Richmond,  Texas, 
although  evidently  intergrades,  are  nearer  true  aquaticus  from  the 
interior.  Specimens  from  Perry,  Louisiana,  also  are  intermediate, 
but  are  nearer  littoralis.  The  two  forms  intergrade  only  in  a  narrow 
belt  just  above  the  upper  border  of  tidewater,  and  outside  this  the 
differentiation  is  strongly  marked.  The  amount  of  differentiation 
between  the  two  forms  is  remarkable,  considering  the  small  apparent 
difference  in  character  of  their  ranges  in  southern  Louisiana. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  36,  from : 

Louisiana:   Belair,  1;  Burbridge,  4;  Gibson,  4;  Hackberry,  3;  Houma.  2; 

Lake  Catherine.  4;  New  Orleans,  1;  Perry,  2;  Powhatan  Place  (near 

Gibson),  7;  Pointe  Aux  Loups  Springs,  2. 
Mississippi:    Bay  St.  Louis,  2. 
Texas:    Austin  Bayou,  1;  Bernard  Creek,  2;  Matagorda,  1. 

Genus  BRACHYLAGUS  Miller. 

BRACHYLAGUS  IDAHOENSIS    (Merriam). 

Idaho  Pygmy  Rabbit. 

(PI.  XIII,  figs.  4,  5,  6.) 

Lepus  idahoensis  Merriam,  X.  A.  Fauna  No.  5,  pp.  75-78,  2  figs,  in  text,  July 
30,  1891.  Type  from  Pahsimeroi  Valley,  Custer  County.  Idaho;  No.  MffT 
$  ad.,  U.  S.  National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection)  ;  collected 
by  V.  Bailey  and  B.  H.  Dutcher,  September  16,  1S90. 

Geographic  distribution. — Sagebrush  plains  of  southern  Idaho, 
southeastern  Oregon,  extreme  northeastern  California,  and  northern 
and  central  Nevada  (see  fig.  18).  Vertical  range  from  about  4.500 
to  over  7,000  feet  altitude  in  Nevada ;  zonal  range  mainly  Upper  So- 
noran,  but  extending  into  the  lower  border  of  Transition  Zone. 

General  characters. — Very  small  (total  length  about  300  mm.)  ; 
ears  short,  broad,  and  woolly;  tail  very  short  and  nearly  unicolor; 
postjuvenal  pelage  in  summer,  brownish  gray  much  like  young  speci- 
mens of  Sylvilagus  nuttalli;  adults  in  fall  drab  or  pinkish  drab; 
feet  ochraceous;  skull  short,  very  broad  posteriorly;  bullae  very  large; 
rostrum  short,  pointed. 

Color  of  adults  in  fresh  winter  pelage  (3  September  specimens 
examined). — Upperparts,  including  top  of  head,  covered  with  ex- 
tremely  abundant,   long,   soft,   almost   silky,   pelage   varying   from 


276 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.  29. 


pinkish  drab  to  ecru  drab  of  Ridgway.  unlike  the  color  of  any  other 
American  rabbit;  sides  of  head  and  body  slightly  grayer  than  back; 
the  black  wash  on  upperparts  slight,  much  less  marked  than  usual 
in  other  species;  posterior  half  of  ears  and  nape  cinnamon  buff, 
anterior  half  of  ears  similar  to  top  of  head,  but  near  tip  narrowly 
edged  with  black;  inside  of  ears  covered  with  long  dingy  whitish 
hairs  and  narrowly  edged  with  dull  buffy;  top  and  sides  of  fore  feet 
and  legs  deep  cinnamon  buff,  slightly  paler  on  top  of  feet;  top  and 
sides  of  hind  feet  similar  to  fore  feet,  but  rather  paler  and  sometimes 
becoming  buffy  whitish  on  top;  upperside  of  tail  similar  to  back, 
underside   a    little  grayer   and   sometimes   slightly   more   brownish ; 

underside  of  neck  buff; 
rest  of  underparts 
white. 

Worn  spring  pelage 
of  adults. — In  spring 
and  summer,  overlying 
parts  of  pelage  much 
worn  and  faded,  partly 
exposing  underf  ur  ; 
general  color  of  upper- 
parts  dull  browmish 
gray;  long  soft  hairs 
of  the  ears  nearly  gone, 
front  half  of  ears  then 
varying  from  pale  gray 
to  dusky  according  to 
amount  of  wear,  and 
the  feet  and  fore  legs 
paler,  more  buffy.  In 
this  condition  not  dif- 
fering much  in  color 
from  several  species  of 
small  cottontails  in 
worn  pelage,  but  to  be  at  once  distinguished  by  the  very  small  nearly 
unicolored  tail. 

Juvenal  pelage  (12  specimens  examined,  all  collected  between  May 
14  and  August  16). — Upperparts,  including  head  and  sides  of  body, 
nearly  uniform  dark  brownish  gray,  sometimes  rather  light  and 
sometimes  darker,  always  with  a  slight  suffusion  of  buffiness;  feet 
and  legs  dark  buffy ;  underside  of  body  whitish,  often  washed  with 
pale  buffy ;  tail  brownish  on  both  sides ;  ears  with  long  hairs  on  inside 
and  with  a  whitish  border ;  nape  clingy  buff  or  dull  cinnamon ;  in  this 
pelage  color  much  like  that  of  young  S.  nuttalli. 


18. — Distribution  of  the  Idaho  pigmy  rabbit    (Bra- 
chylagus  idahoensis). 


1909.]  GENUS   BRACHYLAGUS.  277 

Fresh  postjuvenal  pelage  (6  specimens  examined,  June  27  to 
August  1). — Upperparts  including  top  of  head  dark,  slightly  buffy 
brownish  gray;  sides  of  head  and  body  slightly  paler;  nape  ochra- 
ceous  buff ;  top  and  outside  of  hind  feet  and  along  front  line  of  hind 
legs,  also  top  and  front  of  fore  feet  and  legs,  ochraceous  buff;  the 
buffy  paler  on  hind  feet  and  darker  on  fore  feet  and  legs;  both  sides 
of  tail  buffy  or  rusty  brownish  contrasting  with  back;  underside  of 
neck  buffy;  rest  of  underparts  white  sometimes  shaded  with  buff; 
posterior  half  of  ears  similar  to  but  duller  than  nape,  especially  near 
tip,  anterior  half  of  ears  dark  gray  more  or  less  washed  with  dusky. 

/Skull. — Short,  broad  posteriorly,  pointed,  and  sloping  anteriorly, 
thus  giving  a  strong  superficial  resemblance  to  the  skulls  of  very 
young  jack  rabbits;  braincase  very  broad  and  rounded,  with  enor- 
mous rounded  bullae,  which  add  to  apparent  size  of  braincase;  ros- 
trum short,  with  base  broad,  deep,  and  tapering  rapidly  to  the  small 
pointed  muzzle ;  interorbital  breadth  proportionately  narrow ;  supra- 
orbitals small  and  delicate,  the  anteorbital  process  usually  present  in 
adults,  but  sometimes  completely  lacking,  leaving  a  shallow  open 
concavit}^  in  front  of  base  of  supraorbital ;  postorbital  process  slender 
and  rod  like,  usually  free  from  skull  (but  rarely  attached  to  skull 
along  base) ,  with  the  posterior  tip  free,  except  in  old  individuals,  when 
it  often  touches  the  skull ;  in  such  specimens  a  rod-like  anteorbital  pro- 
cess almost  equal  in  size  and  length  to  the  postorbital  extends  for- 
ward and  touches  the  skull,  thus  giving  completely  closed  anteorbital 
and  postorbital  slit-like  foramina  of  about  same  size ;  in  young  skulls 
supraorbitals  much  smaller  and  processes  shorter  and  slenderer  than 
in  the  adults;  jugals  in  adults  proportionately  heavy  with  no  well- 
marked  groove  or  pit ;  upper  outline  of  skull  high  arched  over  front 
of  braincase  and  curving  down  abruptly  over  occiput ;  anteriorly  the 
slightly  curved  slope  descends  rapidly  from  frontal  region  to  tip  of 
rostrum;  basioccipital  small,  narrow,  and  trough-shaped;  palatal 
bridge  rather  narrow,  and  interpterygoid  fossa  unusually  broad  and 
deep ;  lower  outline  of  rami  of  lower  jaw  strongly  convex,  thus 
raising  anterior  end  of  rami  free  from  plane  on  which  jaw  rests. 

Average  measurements  of  5  adults  from  Idaho  and  northern 
Nevada. — Total  length,  291;  tail,  18.8;  hind  foot,  71;  ear  from  notch, 
41.3.  Skull:  Basilar  length,  39.5;  length  of  nasals,  19.2;  breadth 
of  rostrum  above  premolars,  14.2 ;  depth  of  rostrum  in  front  of  pre- 
molars, 10.9;  interorbital  breadth,  12.3;  parietal  breadth,  23.4; 
diameter  of  bulla?,  11.7. 

Remarks. — The  present  species,  when  in  young  or  adult  summer 
pelage,  is  not  very  different  in  general  appearance  from  several  of  the 
small  gray  cottontails,  though  the  short,  broad  ears  lined  with  con- 
spicuously long  gray  hairs  and  the  short  nearly  unicolored  tail  render 


278  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

them  easily  separable.  The  summer  pelage  is  covered  with  a  decid- 
edly heavier  wash  of  black  than  appears  in  the  winter  pelage.  In  the 
winter  pelage,  however,  the  strange  drab  color  of  the  upperparts  with 
the  broad  woolly  ears  and  ochraceous  feet  make  a  combination  strik- 
ingly unlike  any  other  American  species.  The  type  appears  to  be  a 
young  of  the  year  changing  into  the  adult  winter  pelage,  but  with  the 
front  part  of  the  shoulders  and  top  of  the  head  still  in  the  summer 
pelage. 

The  skulls  from  Idaho,  Oregon,  and  northeastern  California  appear 
to  be  alike  and  differ  from  Nevada  specimens  in  being  slightly  smaller. 
This  difference  is  not  strongly  marked,  and  the  lack  of  a  proper 
series  of  adults  from  both  areas  renders  it  impossible  to  decide 
whether  this  difference  is  individual  or  geographic.  This  species  is 
one  of  the  rarest  and  least  known  of  American  rabbits,  and  much  re- 
mains to  be  learned  concerning  its  distribution  and  habits.  Vernon 
Bailey  has  ascertained  that  it  often  digs  its  own  burrows.  It  is  the 
only  American  species  known  to  do  this.  It  has  two  annual  molts  like 
members  of  the  subgenus  Lepiis. 

The  type  and  one  other  Idaho  specimen  collected  respectively 
September  16  and  22,  1890,  are  in  winter  pelage  which  has  just  been 
assumed  and  is  not  quite  completed  in  the  type.  Two  specimens  col- 
lected at  Paradise,  Nevada,  January  16  and  28, 1909,  are  in  faded  win- 
ter pelage.  A  series  of  ten  specimens  collected  at  Paradise,  Nevada, 
from  March  1  to  9,  1908,  are  in  full  summer  pelage  as  are  others 
from  Nevada  collected  in  August.  From  the  foregoing  dates  it 
appears  that  the  winter  pelage  is  assumed  in  September  and  lost  not 
later  than  some  time  in  February,  while  the  summer  pelage  is  assumed 
the  last  of  February  and  is  lost  early  in  September,  the  winter  pelage 
thus  lasting  about  five  and  the  summer  pelage  seven  months.  The 
winter  pelage  is  lost  at  an  earlier  date  than  in  any  other  American 
species  of  rabbit  which  has  two  annual  molts. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  44,  from : 

Idaho:   Big  Lost  River  Valley.  1 ;  Birch  Creek,  1 ;  Junction,  1 ;  Lost  River 

Mountains,  1 :  Pahsimeroi  Valley,  2. 
Oregon:    Catalow  Valley,  2. 
California:    Goose  Lake,  1. 
Nevada:    Halleck.  10;  lone  Valley,  5;  Monitor  Valley,  2;  Paradise,  12; 

Reese  River  (lat.  39°  N.),  4;  Skelton,  2. 


1909.] 


GENUS  ROMEROLAGTJS NELSONI. 


279 


I    CP 


/' 


0°     ' 


< 


Genus  ROMEROLAGTJS  Merriam. 

ROMEROLAGUS  NELSONI  Merriam. 

Mexican  Pygmy  Rabbit. 

(PI.  XIII,  figs.  1,  2,  3.) 

Romerolagus  nclsoni  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  X,  pp.  173-174,  fig. 
33  in  text,  December  29,  1896.  Type  from  11,000  feet  altitude  on  north- 
west slope  Mount  Popocatepetl,  State  of  Mexico,  Mexico ;  No.  57949,  $  ad., 
U.  S.  National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection)  ;  collected  by  E.  W. 
Nelson  and  E.  A.  Goldman,  January  6,  1894. 

Geographic  distribution. — Middle  slopes  of  Popocatepetl  and  Iztac- 
cihuatl,  mainly  on  north  and  west  sides,  fronting  Valley  of  Mexico 
(see  fig.  19).  Vertical  range  from  about  10,000  to  12.000  feet;  zonal 
range  Canadian. 

General  characters. — 
Size  very  small;  next 
to  B.  idahoensis  small- 
est of  American  rab- 
bits; upperparts  dark 
brown ;  pelage  soft  and 
abundant ;  ears  short 
and  rounded ;  hind 
feet  small  and  short: 
tail  absent. 

Color  in  fresh  winter 
pelage. — Entire  upper- 
parts,  including  ears, 
legs,  sides  of  head  and 
bod}^,  nearly  uniform 
dark  grizzled  buffy 
brown  or  dull  cinna- 
mon brown ;  feet,  sides 
of  nose,  and  orbital 
areas  grayer ;  nape  Isabella  color ;  underside  of  neck  brownish  gray ; 
rest  of  underparts  paler,  dingy  gray. 

Measurements — Type. — Total  length,  311;  tail  rudimentary;  hind 
foot,  53.  Averages  of  3  adults :  Total  length,  303 ;  tail  rudimentary ; 
hind  foot,  52.3;  length  of  ear  from  notch  in  dried  skin  averages  3G, 
and  from  base  29  to  43. 

Skull. — Has  a  general  resemblance  in  form  to  typical  Sylvilagus 
but  approaches  Ochotona  in  form  of  interorbital  area  and  in  the 
backward  extension  of  jugal.  Skull  heavily  ossified ;  rostrum  rather 
long  and  pointed  with  straight  outlines;  zygomatic  arch  heavy,  with 
posterior  end  of  jugal  extended  nearly  as  in  Ochotona;  supraorbital 
processes  broadly  attached  to  f rontals  and  much  reduced  in  width ; 
no  anterior  notch ;  postorbital  process  very  small,  short,  and  divergent, 


I        —\  K     *    'Win,.       -■''    S    C 


Fig.  19. — Distribution  of  the  Mount  Popocatepetl  pigmy 
rabbit    (Romerolagus    nclsoni). 


280 


NOKTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.  29. 


inclosing  a  shallow  open  notch;  bony  palate  very  long;  interparietal 
distinct;  bullae  proportionately  large. 

Skull  measurements. 


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Type  No.  67949  (5639) 

45.8 

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10.9 

Remarks. — In  its  short  round  ears  and  absence  of  tail  this  curious 
little  rabbit  bears  an  interesting  external  resemblance  to  the  pikas 
(Ochotona).  From  its  similarity  in  form,  color,  and  texture  of 
pelage,  however,  it  ap  :>ears  even  more  like  a  gigantic  short-bodied 
field  mouse  (Microtus) .  The  resemblance  to  the  latter  is  heightened 
by  the  mode  of  progression  and  the  use  of  well-defined  runways  and 
tunnels,  which  form  a  network  of  roads  among  the  dense  growth  of 
grass  where  the  animals  live.  They  are  limited  to  a  very  restricted 
territory  on  the  slopes  of  the  two  great  volcanoes  which  rise  side  by 
side  on  the  eastern  border  of  the  Valley  of  Mexico,  and  even  there 
occur  only  in  areas  where  a  heavy  growth  of  coarse  sacaton  grass 
affords  shelter.  Like  field  mice,  they  are  mainly  crepuscular  and 
nocturnal,  but  sometimes  move  about  in  runways  by  day,  especially 
in  cloudy  weather. 

Total  number  of  specimens  examined  6,  from: 
Mexico  (Mexico):    Mount  Popocatepetl,  6. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

The  first  American  rabbit  known  to  science  was  described  by 
Erxleben  in  1777,  under  the  name  Lepus  americanus.  At  intervals 
thereafter  a  few  others  were  described,  but  no  general  paper  on  the 
group  was  published  until  1837,  when  Bachman  recognized  7  species 
from  North  America.0  This  was  followed  two  years  later  by  a  much 
more  important  paper  from  the  same  author,  in  which  14  species 
were  ascribed  to  this  continent,  though  one  of  these,  L.  longicaudatus. 
afterwards  proved  to  be  from  Africa.6  In  1818  Waterhouse  recog- 
nized 13  species,0  and  a  little  latsr  this  number  was  reduced  to  12  by 
Audubon  and  Bachman.d 

By  far  the  best  account  of  the  several  species  and  their  relation- 
ships published  up  to  that  date  was  by  Baird  in  1857,  when  he  recog- 

«  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Philadelphia.  VII,  pp.  282-361,  1S37. 

6  Ibid.,  VIII,  pp.  75-101.  1S30. 

c  Nat.  Hist.  Mamm.,  II,  pp.  101-145,  1848. 

d  Quadrupeds  of  North  America.  I,  II,  III,  1846-1S54. 


1909.] 


BIBLIOGRAPHY. 


281 


nized  13  species  and  gave  notes  on  various  others.*  Baird  was  the 
first  to  separate  the  rabbits  of  North  America  into  sections  or  groups, 
of  which  he  recognized  five,  designating  them  by  letter. 

In  1867  Gray  subdivided  the  genus  Lepus  into  seven  genera,  of 
which  three,  Hydrolagus,  Sylvilagas,  and  Tapeti,  are  peculiar  to 
America,  and  the  original  genus  Lepus  is  circumpolar.6 

Ten  years  later  Doctor  Allen  published  his  elaborate  monograph 
of  the  North  American  Leporidse,  in  which  the  number  of  species 
and  varieties  was  raised  to  18. 

For  a  period  of  some  years  after  the  publication  of  the  Allen  and 
Coues  monographs  of  North  American  Rodentia  in  1877,  American 
naturalists  seemed  to  think  that  little  was  left  to  learn  about  Amer- 
ican mammals,  and  I  find  only  a  single  title  to  cite  in  the  bibliography 
given  below  between  1877  and  1890.  Toward  the  end  of  the  eighties, 
however,  the  surprising  results  obtained  by  Doctor  Merriam  in  the 
recently  organized  work  of  the  Division  of  Economic  Ornithology 
and  Mammalogy,  afterwards  the  Biological  Survey,  awakened  nat- 
uralists to  the  remarkable  possibilities  in  what  proved  to  be  the 
almost  unknown  field  of  American  mammalogy.  The  important  titles 
bearing  on  the  Leporidae  of  North  America  increased  from  1  in  the 
thirteen  }7ears  from  1877  to  1889,  inclusive,  to  66  in  the  nineteen  years 
between  1890  and  1908,  inclusive.  The  number  of  recognized  species 
and  subspecies  increased  in  the  same  period  from  13  to  97. 

The  following  tabular  arrangement  shows  the  species  and  sub- 
species recognized  by  the  principal  authors  up  to  1877 : 

List  of  species  of  American  rabbits  recognized  in  general  papers  on  the  group 

up    to    1877. 


Bachman,  1839. 
14  species. 

Waterhouse,  1848. 
12  species. 

Aud.  &  Bach., 

1851-1854. 
12  species. 

Baird,  1857. 
13  species. 

Allen,   1S77. 
18  species  and  va- 
rieties. 

L.  glacialis 

glacialis 

glacialis 

glacialis 

var.  arcticus 

L.  amerieanus 

amerieanus 

amerieanus 

amerieanus 

amerieanus 

L.  campestris 

campestris 

campestris 

campestris 

L.  townsendii 

townsendii 

L.  californicus 

californicus 

californicus 

californicus 

californicus 

L.  richardsonii 

L.  nigricaudatus 

callotis 

callotis    ' 

callotis 

var.  callotis 

L.  longicaudatus 

L.  aquaticua 

aquaticus 

aquaticus 

aquaticus 

aquaticus 

L.  palustris 

palustris 

palustris 

palustris 

palustris 

L.  sylvaticus 

sylvaticus 

sylvaticus 

sylvaticus 

sylvaticus 

L.  nuttallii 

nuttallii 

nuttallii 

nuttalli 

L.  artemisia 

artemisiEe 

artemisia 

artemisia 

L.  bachmani 

bachmani 

bachmani 

bachmani 

texianus 

texianus 

trowbridgii 

audubonii 

washingtonii 

var.  texianus 
trowbridgei 
var.  auduboni 
var.  washingtoni 
var.  bairdi 
var.  virginianus 
graysoni 
var.  gabbi 
var.  arizonee 

a  Mammals  of  North  America,  pp.  572-617,  1857. 

6  Ann.  and  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  ser.  3,  XX,  pp.  221-225,  1SG7. 


282  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

In  Doctor  Allen's  Monograph  of  the  Rodentia,  cited  below,  ap- 
pears a  resume  of  the  important  literature  bearing  on  this  group  up 
to  and  including  1875.  I  have  brought  up  this  bibliography  from 
that  time  to  include  1908,  merely  listing  the  most  important  papers. 

1ST".  Allen,  J.  A.  Monographs  of  North  American  Rodentia,  II.  Leporidw, 
pp.  207-378.  Lepus  sylvatieiis  var.  nrizonce,  L.  brasiliensis  var.  gabbi, 
and  L.  gruysoni  are  first  described  here.  Pages  277  to  281  contain  a 
bibliographic  resume,  extending  from  1766  to  1875. 

1884.  Merriam,  C.  Hart.  Mammals  of  the  Adirondacks,  pp.  305-311,  Septem- 
ber. Both  Lepus  americanus  and  L.  a.  virginianus  are  considered 
residents  of  the  Adirondacks,  the  former  limited  to  the  higher  ele- 
vations. 

1890.  Mearns,  E.  A.  Descriptions  of  Supposed  New  Species  and  Subspecies  of 
Mammals  from  Arizona.  <Bull.  Am.  Mua  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  pp.  277-307, 
February.  Contains  original  descriptions  of  Lepus  alleni  and  L. 
melcmotis. 

1890.  Thomas,  Oldfield.  On  a  Collection  of  Mammals  from  Central  Vera 
Cruz,  Mexico.  <Proc.  Zool.  Soc.  London,  pp.  71-76,  2  pis.,  June  1. 
Contains  the  original  description  of  Lepus  verwerucis  (=Sylvilagus 
cu  n  ten  hi  rius  Waterh. ) . 

1890.  Merriam,  C.  Hart.  Mammals  of  the  San  Francisco  Mountain  Region. 
<N.  A.  Fauna  No.  3,  pp.  76-78,  September  11.  The  characters  distin- 
guishing the  Arizona  cottontail  from  the  eastern  or  Sylvaticus  group 
of  cottontails  are  set  forth  with  figures  of  its  head  and  skull. 

1890.  Allen,  J.  A.     Descriptions  of  a  New  Species  and  a  New  Subspecies  of 

the  Genus  Lepus.  <Bull.  Am.  Mils.  Nat.  Hist.,  Ill,  pp.  159-160, 
October.  Original  descriptions  of  Lepus  ciuerascens  and  Lepus  s. 
floridanus. 
1S90.  Allen,  J.  A.  Notes  on  Collections  of  Mammals  made  in  Central  and 
Southern  Mexico,  by  Dr.  Audley  C.  Buller,  with  Descriptions  of  New 
Species  of  the  Genera  Yespertilio,  Sciurus,  and  Lepus.  <Bull.  Am. 
Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  Ill,  pp.  175-194,  December.  Original  descriptions  of 
Lepus  insolitus  and  Lepus  truci. 

1891.  Merriam.  C.  Hart.     Mammals  of  Idaho.     <N.  A.  Fauna  No.  5,  pp.  75-78, 

July  30.  Contains  original  description  of  Lepus  idahoensis  with  notes 
on  its  habits. 

1893.  Merriam,    C.    Hart.     Preliminary    Description    of    Four    New    Mammals 

from  Southern  Mexico,  collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.  <Proc.  Biol.  Soc. 
Washington,  VIII,  pp.  143-144,  December  29.  Contains  original  de- 
scription of  Lepus  orizaboB. 

1894.  Allen,   J.  A.     On  the   Seasonal   Changes  in   the  Varying  Hare    (Lepus 

americanus  Erxl.).  <Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist,  VI,  pp.  107-128, 
May  7.  A  detailed  account  showing  that  the  changes  in  color  of 
pelage  in  this  species  are  due  entirely  to  molts  which  occur  in  spring 
and  fall. 

1S94.  Allen.  J.  A.  On  the  Mammals  of  Aransas  County,  Texas,  with  De- 
scriptions of  New  Forms  of  Lepus  and  Oryzomys.  <Bull.  Am.  Mus. 
Nat.  Hist,  VI,  pp.  165-198  (authors  separates  published  May  31). 
Contains  original  description  of  Lepus  sylvaticus  mearnsi. 

1894.  Miller,  Gerrit  S..  Jr..  and  Bangs,  Outram.  A  New  Rabbit  from  Western 
Florida.  <Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  IX,  pp.  105-108,  June  9.  The 
original  description  of  Lepus  puludicola. 


19091  BIBLIOGRAPHY.  283 

1894.  Allen,    J.    A.     Descriptions    of    Five    New    North    American    Mammals. 

<Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist,  VI,  pp.  347-350  (author's  separates  pub- 
lished December  7).  Contains  original  descriptions  of  Lcpus  texi- 
anus eremicus  and  Lcpus  sylvaticus  pinetis. 
1S95.  Bangs,  Outram.  The  Geographical  Distribution  of  the  Eastern  Races  of 
the  Cotton-tail  (Lcpus  sylvaticus  Bach.)  with  a  description  of  a  New- 
Subspecies,  and  with  Notes  on  the  Distribution  of  the  Northern  Hare 
(Lepus  americanus  Erxl.)  in  the  East.  <  Proc.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist, 
for  1S94,  XXVI,  pp.  404^114,  1895.  Contains  the  original  description 
of  Lepus  sylvaticus  transitional  is  (=Sylvilagus  transit  ionalis)  and 
interesting  notes  on  distribution  and  habits. 

1895.  Rhoads,    Samuel  N.     Notes  on  the  Varying  Hares  of  Washington  and 

British  Columbia  with  Description  of  a  New  Subspecies.  <Proc. 
Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Philadelphia,  pp.  241-243,  June.  Contains  original  de- 
scription of  Lcpus  americanus  cohtmbicnsis. 
1S95.  Allen,  J.  A.  List  of  Mammals  Collected  in  the  Black  Hills  Region  of 
South  Dakota  and  in  Western  Kansas  by  Mr.  Walter  W.  Granger,  with 
Field  Notes  by  the  Collector.  <Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  VII,  pp. 
259-274,  August  21.  Contains  original  description  of  Lcpus  sylvaticus 
yrangeri. 

1595.  Allen,    J.   A.     Descriptions   of   New   American    Mammals.     <Bull.   Am. 

Mus.  Nat.  Hist,  VII,  pp.  327-340  (author's  separates  published  Novem- 
ber 8).     Contains  original  description  of  Lepus  aquaticus  attwateri. 

1896.  Palmer,  T.    S.     The  Jack   Rabbits  of  the  United   States.     Bull.   No.   8r 

Division  of  Ornithology  and  Mammalogy,   U.    S.  Dept.  Agri.,   pp.   84,. 
6  pis.,  2  text  figs.,  February.     An  account  of  the  habits  and  distribu 
tioii  of  the  jack  rabbits  in  relation  to  agriculture,  including  notes  on 
rabbit  drives. 

1896.  Rhoads,  Samuel  N.  The  Polar  Hares  of  Eastern  North  America,  with 
Descriptions  of  New  Forms.  <American  Naturalist,  XXX,  pp.  234- 
239,  March.  Original  descriptions  of  Lepus  arcticus  bangsii  and  L. 
grwnlandicus. 

1896.  Mearns,  Edgar  A.  Preliminary  Diagnosis  of  New  Mammals  from  the 
Mexican  Boundary  of  the  United  States.  Proc.  U.  S.  National  Museum, 
XVIII,  pp.  443-447  (advance  sheets  published  March  25,  1896).  Con- 
tains original  description  of  Lepus  merriami. 

1596.  Mearns,  Edgar  A.     Preliminary  Description  of  a  New  Subgenus  and  Six 

New  Species  and  Subspecies  of  Hares  from  the  Mexican  Border  of  the 
United  States.  <Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  XVIII,  No.  10S1,  pp.  551-565, 
June  24.  Contains  original  descriptions  of  the  subgenus  Macrotolagus 
and  of  Lcpus  sylvaticus  holzncri,  L.  arizonw  major,  L.  arizonw  minor, 
L.  gaillardi,  L.  texianus  griseus,  and  L.  texianus  deserticola. 

1896.  Rhoads,  Samuel  N.  Synopsis  of  the  Polar  Hares  of  North  America. 
<Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Philadelphia,  pp.  351-376,  5  pis.,  August  4. 
A  monographic  revision  of  the  American  polar  hares. 

1896.  Bangs,  Outram.  Some  New  Mammals  from  Indian  Territory  and  Mis- 
souri. <  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  X,  pp.  135-138,  December  28. 
Original  description  of  Lcpus  sylvaticus  alaccr. 

1896.  Merriam,  C.  Hart.  Romerolagus  nelsoni,  a  New  Genus  and  Species  of 
Rabbit  from  Mount  Popocatepetl,  Mexico.  <  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washing- 
ton, X,  pp.  169-174.  December  29.  The  first  account  of  this  curious 
mammal,  with  notes  on  its  habits. 


284  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  29. 

1897.  Mearns,  Edgar  A.  A  New  Subgeneric  Name  for  the  Water  Hares  (Hydro- 
lagus  Gray).  <  Science,  N.  S.,  V,  No.  114,  p.  393,  March  5.  Limnolagus 
is  proposed  to  replace  the  preoccupied  Hydrolagus. 

1897.  Editorial.  A  Remarkable  Rodent.  <  Natural  Science  (London),  X,  No. 
61,  p.  151,  March.  A  review  of  the  original  account  of  Romerolagus 
nelsoni,  which  claims  it  is  the  "  same  as  the  Lepus  diazi  in  the  cata- 
log of  the  Mexican  exhibit  at  the  Chicago  World's  Fair.'' 

1897.  Merriam,  C.  Hart.  Lepus  bailey  i,  a  New  Cottontail  Rabbit  from  Wyo- 
ming.    <  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XI,  pp.  147-148,  June  9. 

1897.  Trouessart,    E.    L.      Catalogus    Mamma lium    tarn    viventium    quam    fos- 

silium.  New  edition,  October.  The  new  subgenus  Microlagus,  based 
on  Lepus  cinerascens  Allen,  is  first  named  here  (p.  660).  and  53  species 
and  subspecies  of  North  American  rabbits  are  listed  and  ranges  given. 

1898.  Thomas,  Oldfield.     On  New  Mammals  from  Western  Mexico  and  Lower 

California.  <  Ann.  and  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  ser.  7,  I.  No.  1,  pp.  40-46, 
January  1.     Original  description  of  Lepus  californieus  xanti. 

1898.  Merriam,  C.  Hart.  Science,  N.  S.,  VII,  No.  158,  pp.  30-33,  January  7. 
A  review  of  a  new  edition  of  the  Catalogus  Mamma  lium,  Trouessart, 
Farts  II  and  III.  The  fact  that  Lepus  cinerascens  is  probably  a  sub- 
species of  L.  troicbridgeii  (—bachmani)   is  first  stated  in  this  review. 

1S98.  Bangs,  Outram.  The  Eastern  Races  of  the  American  Varying  Hare,  with 
a  description  of  a  New  Subspecies  from  Nova  Scotia.  <  Proc.  Biol. 
Soc.  Washington,  XII,  pp.  77-82,  March  24,  contains  original  descrip- 
tion of  L.  americanus  struthopus. 

189S.  Allen,  J.  A.  Descriptions  of  New  Mammals  from  Western  Mexico  and 
Lower  California.  <Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist,  X,  pp.  143-158, 
April  12.  Contains  original  descriptions  of  Lepus  pen insul oris,  Lepus 
cerrosensis,  and  Lepus  arizonas  eonflnis. 

1898.  Thomas,  Oldfield.     Notes  on  Various  American  Mammals.     <Ann.  and 

Mag.  Nat.  Hist,  ser.  7.  II.  pp.  31S-320,  October  1.  The  name  Lepus 
nuttalli  is  erroneously  applied  to  the  cottontails  of  the  eastern  United 
States,  and  Lepus  nuttalli  mallurus  is  proposed  to  replace  L.  sylvaticus 
Bach.,  1S37,  which  latter  is  preoccupied  by  L.  borealis  sylvaticus 
Nilsson,  1832.  Lepus  bachmani,  by  examination  of  the  type  in  the 
British  Museum,  is  correctly  identified  as  the  Californian  species  com- 
monly known  as  L.  troicbridgci,  thus  reducing  the  latter  name  to 
synonymy. 

1598.  Herrera,    Alfonso   L.     Notas   Criticas  acerca   del   Romerolagus   nelsoni. 

<La  Naturaleza  (Mexico),  ser.  2,  III,  Nos.  1  and  2,  pp.  34-37.  The 
author  attempts  to  prove  that  the  characters  of  Romerolagus  are 
identical  with  those  of  Lagomys. 

1899.  Allen,  J.  A.     Descriptions  of  Five  New  American  Rodents.     <Bull.  Am. 

Mus.  Nat.  Hist..  XII,  pp.  11-17,  March  4.  Contains  original  descrip- 
tions of  Lepus  bishopi,  Lepus  americanus  phceonotus,  and  Lepus  flori- 
danus  chapmani. 

1599.  Elliot,  D.  G.     Description  of  Apparently  New  Species  and  Subspecies  of 

Mammals  from  the  Indian  Territory.  < Field  Columbian  Mus.  Publ., 
Zool.  ser.,  I.  pp.  2S5-2S8,  May  24.  Original  description  of  Lepus  tel- 
malemonus. 
1899.  Miller,  Gerrit  S..  Jr.  A  New  Polar  Hare  from  Labrador.  <Proc.  Biol. 
Soc.  Washington.  XIII.  pp.  39-40,  May  29.  The  original  description  of 
Lepus  labradorius. 


1909.]  BIBLIOGRAPHY.  285 

1899.  Miller,  Gerrit  S.,  Jr.  Descriptions  of  Six  New  American  Rabbits. 
<Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Philadelphia,  pp.  380-390,  October  5.  Contains 
original  descriptions  of  Lcpus  asellus,  L.  bachmani  uberlcolor,  L.  flori- 
danus  yucatanicus,  L.  fioridanus  subcinctits,  L.  foridanus  caniclunis, 
L.  fioridanus  sanctidiegi. 

1899.  Merriam,    C.    Hart.     Mammals   of    Shasta.     <N.   A.    Fauna   No   16,    pp. 

100-101,  October  28.  Contains  original  description  of  Lepus  klama- 
thensis. 
1S99.  Forsyth  Major,  C.  I.  On  Fossil  and  Recent  Lagomorpha.  <Trans. 
Linnean  Soc,  ser.  2,  VII,  Zool.,  pp.  433-520,  with  plates.  A  general 
paper,  in  which  the  author  recognizes  the  generic  rank  of  Romerolagus 
and  discusses  its  relationships. 

1900.  Bangs,    Outram.     A   New   Jack   Rabbit    from    Western    Mexico.     <New 

England  Zoological  Club,  I,  pp.  S5-S6,  February  23.  Original  descrip- 
tion of  Lepus  allcni  palitans. 

1900.  Merriam,  C.  Hart.  Descriptions  of  Twenty-six  New  Mammals  from 
Alaska  and  British  North  America.  <Proc.  Washington  Academy  of 
Sciences,  II,  pp.  13-30.  March  14.  Contains  original  descriptions  of 
Lapus  otJrus,  L.  poadromus,  L.  americanus  dalli,  and  L.  a.  macfarlani. 

1900.  Miller,  Gerrit  S.,  Jr.  A  New  Subgenus  for  Lepus  idahoensis.  <Proc. 
Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XIII,  p.  157,  June  13.  The  original  publication 
of  the  subgenus  Braclnjlagus. 

1900.  Osgood,  Wilfred  H.  Mammals  of  the  Yukon  Region.  <N.  A.  Fauna  No. 
19,  Biological  Survey,  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  pp.  21-45, 4  pis.,  October  6.  Con- 
tains the  original  description  of  Lcpus  saliens. 

1900.  Stone,  Witmer.    Descriptions  of  a  New  Rabbit  from  the  Liu  Kiu  Islands 

and  a  New  Flying  Squirrel  from  Borneo.  <Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phil- 
adelphia, 1900,  pp.  4G0-463.  Directs  attention  to  resemblance  between 
Romerolagus  and  Caprolagws  Blyth,  and  recognizes  3  genera  in  the 
Leporidre,  viz,  Lcpus,  Caprolagus,  and  Romerolagus. 

1901.  Elliot,  Daniel  Giratjd.     A  Synopsis  of  the  Mammals  of  North  America 

and  the  Adjacent  Seas.  Field  Col.  Mus.  Publ.,  Zool.  ser.,  II,  pp.  I-XV, 
1-522,  with  numerous  plates  and  cuts.  This  is  the  first  general  work 
on  North  American  mammals  subsequent  to  the  Allen  and  Coues  mono- 
graphs in  1877,  and  recognizes  56  species  and  subspecies  of  rabbits 
north  of  the  Mexican  boundary. 
1901.  Bangs,  Outram.  The  Mammals  Collected  in  San  Miguel  Island,  Panama, 
by  W.  W.  Brown,  jr.  < American  Naturalist,  XXXV,  pp.  633-635,  fig. 
a  in  text,  August  22.  Contains  original  description  of  Lepus  (Tapeti) 
incitatus. 

1901.  Nelson,  E.  W.     Note  on  the  Relationship  of  Romerolagus  nelsoni,  Mer- 

riam. <Sociedad  Cientifica  "Antonio  Alzate "  Revista  Cientifica  y 
Bibliografica,  Mexico,  November  13.  Extract  from  letter  written  to 
Prof.  A.  L.  Herrera,  skulls  of  Lepus  f.  mallurus,  Lagomys  schisticeps, 
and  Romerolagus  nelsoni  figured. 

1902.  Miller,   Gerrit  S.,  Jr.     A  New  Rabbit  from   Southern  Texas.      <Proc. 

Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XV,  pp.  81-82,  April  25.  The  original  descrip- 
tion of  Lepus  simplicicanus. 

1903.  Elliot,  D.  G.     A  List  of  a  Collection  of  Mexican  Mammals,  with  Descrip- 

tions of  Some  Apparently  New  Forms.  <  Field  Columbian  Mus.  Publ., 
Zool.  ser.,  Ill,  pp.  141-149,  March.  Original  description  of  Lepus  f. 
persultator, 


286  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  I™.  29. 

1903.  Allen,  J.  A.  List  of  Mammals  Collected  by  Mr.  J.  II.  Batty  in  New 
Mexico  and  Durango,  with  Descriptions  of  New  Species  and  Subspecies. 
<Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIX,  pp.  587-612,  November  12.  Con- 
tains original  descriptions  of  Lepus  texianus  micropus,  Lepus  gaillardi 
battyi,  and  Lepv.s  durangoe. 

1903.  Elliot,  D.  G.    Descriptions  of  Twenty-seven  Apparently  New  Species  and 

Subspecies  of  Mammals.  <Field  Columbian  Mus.  Publ.,  Zool.  ser.,  Ill, 
No.  14,  pp.  239-2G1,  December.  Contains  original  descriptions  of  Lepus 
laticlnctus,  L.  laticinctus  rufbpes,  and  L.  Daticinctus  perplicatus. 

1904.  Allen,  J.  A.     Mammals  from   Soutbern  Mexico  and  Central  and  South 

America.  <Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  XX,  pp.  29-80,  February  29. 
Contains  original  descriptions  of  Lepus  russatus  and  Lepus  parvulus. 

1904.  Nelson,  E.  W.  Descriptions  of  Seven  New  Rabbits  from  Mexico.  <Proc. 
Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XVII,  pp.  103-110,  May  18.  Contains  the  orig- 
inal descriptions  of  Lepus  insonus,  Lepus  verwerueis  pacificus,  Lepus 
fioridcmue  connectens,  Lepus  floridanus  chiapensis,  Lepus  arizonce 
gold/mam,  Lepus  fcstinus,  Lepus  merriami  altamirw. 

1904.  Lyon,  Marcus  Ward,  Jr.  Classification  of  the  Hares  and  Their  Allies. 
<Smithsonian  Miscellaneous  Collections  (Quarterly  Issue),  XLV,  No. 
145G,  pp.  321-447,  with  plates,  June  15.  This  excellent  paper  includes 
a  comprehensive  account  of  the  genera  and  subgenera  of  the  North 
American  rabbits  with  plates  and  descriptions  of  their  osteological 
characters.  Five  genera  and  three  additional  subgenera  from  North 
America  are  recognized,  one  of  which,  Paecilolagus,  is  first  described 
here,  and  Braehijhigus  is  raised  from  subgeneric  to  generic  rank. 
These  groups  are  as  follows :  1.  Genus  Lepus,  including  the  subgenera 
Lepus,  Mdcrotolagus,  and  Pcecilolagus ;  2.  Genus  Sylvilagus,  including 
the  subgenera  Sylvilagus  and  Microlagus ;  and  the  genera,  3,  Limnola- 
gus;  4.  Bracliyiagus;  5.  Romerolagus. 

1904.  Merriam,  C.  Hart.  Jack  Rabbits  of  the  Lepus  campestris  group. 
<Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XVII,  pp.  131-133,  July  14.  A  revision 
of  this  group  in  which  L.  toicnsendi  is  reinstated  as  distinct  from 
campestris  and  a  new  subspecies,  L.  c.  sierrcc,  is  described. 

1904.  Merriam,  C.  Hart.  Unrecognized  Jack  Rabbits  of  the  Lepus  texianus 
group.  <Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XVII,  pp.  135-138,  July  14. 
Original  descriptions  of  Lepus  tularensie  and  Lepus  texianus  walla- 
icalla.  The  name  Lepus  richardsoni  Bachman  is  revived  for  certain 
jack  rabbits  about  the  borders  of  the  San  Joaquin  Valley,  California. 

1904.  Elliot,  Daniel  Giraud.    The  Land  and  Sea  Mammals  of  Middle  America 

and  the  West  Indies.  Field  Col.  Mus.  Publ.,  Zool.  ser.,  IV,  pt.  1,  pp. 
i-xxi,  1^139,  i-xlix,  with  numerous  plates  and  cuts.  This  work  recog- 
nized 44  species  and  subspecies  of  rabbits  in  the  region  between 
Panama  and  the  southern  border  of  the  United  States,  25  of  which 
are  additional  to  the  56  recognized  by  the  same  author  from  the 
region  north  of  Mexico  in  his  Synopsis  of  the  Mammals  of  North 
America,  thus  making  a  total  of  81  species  and  subspecies  of  rabbits 
between  Panama  and  tbe  Arctic  regions. 

1905.  Bailey,  Vernon.     Biological  Survey  of  Texas.     <North  American  Fauna 

No.  25,  pp.  151-161,  October  24.  Contains  original  description  of  Lepus 
robust l/a  and  extended  notes  on  distribution  and  habits  of  10  species 
and  subspecies  of  rabbits  in  Texas. 


1909-1  BIBLIOGRAPHY.  287 

1907.  Osgood,  Wilfred  H.  Some  Unrecognized  and  Misapplied  Names  of  Amer- 
ican Mammals.  <Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  AVashington,  XX,  pp.  43-52,  April 
18.  Lepus  cunicularius  Waterhouse,  by  examination  of  the  type, 
proved  to  be  the  same  as  L.  vercecrucis  Thomas,  which  it  antedates. 

1907.  Nelson,  E.  W.  Descriptions  of  New  American  Rabbits.  <Proc.  Biol. 
Soc.  Washington,  XX,  pp.  81-84,  July  22.  Contains  original  descrip- 
tions of  Lepus  californicus  magdalence,  Sylvilagus  cognatus,  8.  ftori- 
danus  similis,  8.  floridanus  restrictus,  8.  auduboni  vallicola,  S.  audu- 
boni cedrophilus,  S.  auduboni  neomexicanus,  8.  auduboni  warreni, 
Sylvilagus  mansuetus,  8.  bachmani  exiguus. 

1907.  Nelson,  E.  W.     Descriptions  of  two  New  Subspecies  of  North  American 

Mammals.  <Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XX,  p.  S7,  December  11. 
Contains  the  original  description  of  Lepus  bairdi  cascadensis. 

1908.  Lantz,  D.  E.    The  Rabbit  as  a  Farm  and  Orchard  Pest.     Yearbook  U.  S. 

Department  of  Agriculture  for  1907,  pp.  329-342,  published  July  27, 
1908.  A  general  account  of  the  relations  of  rabbits  to  agriculture  in 
the  United  States  based  on  data  gathered  by  the  Biological  Survey. 
Reprinted  and  issued  as  a  separate. 

1908.  Allen,  Dr.  J.  A.  Mammals  from  Nicaragua.  <Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat. 
Hist.,  N.  Y.,  XXIV,  pp.  647-670,  October  13,  1908.  Contains  original 
description  of  Lepus  gabbi  tumacus  [=  Sylvilagus  gabbi]  and  the  first 
record  of  Sylvilagus  floridanus  chiapensis  from  Nicaragua. 

1908.  Preble,  E.  A.  A  Biological  Investigation  of  the  Athabaska-Mackenzie 
Region.  North  American  Fauna  No.  27,  pp.  199-20S,  October  2S.  Con- 
tains good  accounts  of  the  distribution  and  habits  of  the  Varying  and 
Arctic  hares  with  a  specially  valuable  contribution  to  the  life  history 
of  L.  a.  americanus. 

1908.  Fleming,  J.  H.  The  Cottontail  Rabbit  in  Ontario.  <  The  Ottawa  Natu- 
ralist, XXII,  pp.  15S,  159  (map).  November  2.  Gives  notes  on  recent 
extensions  of  range. 


PLATE  II. 

(Natural  size.) 

Fig.  1.  Lepus   americanus   virginianus    Harlan.      $    ad.      Gold,    Pennsylvania. 
(No.  898,  Carnegie  Mus.) 

2.  Lepus    americuitiiH    virginianus    Harlan.       $    ad.      Gold,    Pennsylvania. 

(No.  899,  Carnegie  Mus.) 

3.  Lepus    americanus    virginianus    Harlan.       $    ad.      Gold,    Pennsylvania. 

(No.  900,  Carnegie  Mus.) 
2SS 


North  American  Fauna  No.  29,  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.      Biological  Survey. 


Plate  II. 


1,  2,  3.    Skulls  of  Lepus  americanus  virginianus  showing  Individual  Variation. 
85595— No.  29—09 19 


PLATE    III. 

Fig.  1.  Lepus  californicus  xantl  Thomas.     S  ad.     Cape  St.  Lucas,  Lower  Cali- 
fornia, Mexico.     (No.  146579,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
2.  Lepus   insularis  Bryant.      S    ad.     Espiritu    Santo   Island,   Lower   Cali- 
fornia, Mexico.     (No.  147061,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
290 


North  American  Fauna  No.  29,  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.     Biological  Survey. 


Plate  III. 


1.  Skin  of  Lepus  californicus  xanti;  2.  L.  insularis. 


PLATE  IV. 

(Natural  size  i 

Fig.  1.  Lepus  grcerilandicus  Rhoads.     6    ad.     Ellesniere  Land,  April  24,  1901. 
(No.  126169,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

2.  Lepus  arcticus  Ross.     Ad.     Fort  Chimo,  Ungaya,  Canada..    (No.  23132, 

U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.;  type  of  L.  a.  labradorius  Miller.) 

3.  Lepus  campestris  Baekm.     Ad.     Fort  Meade,  North  Dakota,  June  1,  1894. 

i  No.  87450,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
292 


North  American  Fauna  No.  29,  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.     Biological  Survey. 


Plate  IV. 


Skulls  of  Lepus  (subgenus  Lepus). 

1.  L.  grcenlandicus;  2.  L.  arcticus;  3.  L.  eampestris. 


PLATE  V. 

(Natural  size. ) 

Fig.  1.  Lepus  grcenlandicus  Rhoads.      S    ad.     Ellesruere  Land,  April  24,  1901. 
(No.  126169,  U.  S.  Nat.  Muss.) 

2.  Lepus  arcticus  Ross.     Ad.     Fort  Cninio,  Ungava,  Canada.      (No.  23132, 

U.  S.  Nat.  Mus. ;  type  of  L.  a.  labradorius  Miller.) 

3.  Lepus   campestris   Bachm.     Ad.      Fort    Meade,    North   Dakota,   June  1, 

1894.     (No.  S7450,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
294 


North  American  Fauna  No.  29,  U.  S.  Dept  Agr.     Biological  Survey. 


Plate  V. 


Skulls  of  Lepus  (.subgenus  Lepus). 

1.  L.  grcenlandicus;  2.  L.  arcticus;  3.  L.  campestris. 


PLATE  VI. 

(Natural  size.) 

Figs.  1, 4.  Lepus    americanus    Erxleben.       S     ad.      Fort    Chipewyan,    Alberta, 
Canada,  May  29,  1901.      (No.   116268,  U.   S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological 
Survey  Coll.) 
2, 5.  Lepus   washingtoni   Baird.     Ad.      Neah    Bay,    Washington,    May   29, 
1897.     (No.  88722.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
3.  Lepus    biiinli   Hayden.      $    ad.      Lake   Fork,    Wyoming,   August   23, 
1893.      (No.  55834,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
296 


North  American  Fauna  No.  29,  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.     Biological  Survey. 


Plate  VI. 


Skulls  of  Lepus  (subgenus  Lepus). 

1,  4.  L.  americanus;  2,  5.  L.  washingtoni;  3.  L.  bairdi. 


PLATE  VII. 

( Natural  size. ) 

Fig.  1.  Lepus  californicus  Gray.     $  art.     Marysville  Buttes,  California,  Decem- 
ber 18,  1904.     (No.  135410,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

2.  Lepus  californicus  richardsoni  Bachman.     2  art.     Aliia,  California.  Octo- 

ber 25,  1900.     (No.  126334,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

3.  Lepus  callotis  Wagler.     2  ad.     Cuernavaca,  Morelos,  Mexico,  January  9, 

1893.     (No.  51119,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

4.  Lepus  (ilhiu   Mearns.     Art.     La   Osa,   Pima   County,  Arizona,  December 

26,  1893.     i  No.  59226,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 
29S 


North  American  Fauna  No.  29,  U.  S.  Dept  Agr,     Biological  Survey. 


Plate  VII 


Skulls  of  Lepus  (subgenus  Macrotolagus). 

1.  L.  californicus;  2.  L.  c.  richardsoni;  3.  L.  callotis;  4.  L.  alleni. 


PLATE  VIII. 

(Natural  size.) 

Fig.  1.  Lepus  californicus  Gray.     $   ad.     Marysville  Buttes,  California,  Decem- 
ber 18,  1904.     (No.  135410,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

2.  Lepus  californicus  richardsoni  BaeJhman.     2  ad.     Alila,  California,  Octo- 

ber 25,  1900.     (No.  126334,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

3.  Lepus   callotis   Wagler.      $  ad.     Cuernavaca,   Morelos,  Mexico,   January 

9,  1893.     (No.  51119,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus..  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

4.  Lepus  alien i   Mearns.     Ad.     La   Osa,   Pima   County,  Arizona,  December 

26,  1893.     (No.  59226,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 
300 


North  American  Fauna  No.  29,  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.     Biological  Survey. 


Plate  VIII. 


Skulls  of  Lepus  (subgenus  Macrotolagus). 
1.  Lepus  californicus;  2.  L.  c.  riehardsoni;  3.  L.  eallotis;  4.  L.  alleni. 


PLATE  IX. 

(Natural  size.  > 

Fig.  1.  Sylvilagus    transitionalis    Bangs.     £     ad.     Wilmington,    Massachusetts, 
March  23,  1896.     (No.  77104,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

2. 5.  8.    floridanus    Allen.       $  ad.     Fort    Kissimmee,    Florida,    February    19, 

1894.      (No.  (54044,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological   Survey  Coll.) 
3.  8.  floridanus  chapmani  Allen.     ?  ad.     Corpus  Christi,  Texas,  August  21, 
1902.     (No.  120196,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

4.6.  8.  floridanus  yucatanicus  Miller.      9    ad.     Progreso,   Yucatan,  Mexico, 

February  24,  1901.      (No.  108185,  U.   S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey 
Coll.) 
302 


North  American  Fauna  No.  29,  U.  S.  Dept  Agr.     Biological  Survey. 


Plate  IX. 


Skulls  of  Sylvilagus  (subgenus  Sylvilagus). 

1.  S.  transitionalis;  '1,  5.  S.  floridanus;  3.  S.  f.  chapmani;  4,  6.  S.  f.  yucatanicus. 


PLATE  X. 

(Natural  size.) 

Figs.  1,4.  Sylvilagus  floridanus   Jiolzneri   Mearns.     Ad.     Huachuca   Mountains, 
Arizona.     (No.  58937,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus. ;  type.) 
2.  8.  nuttalli  pinetis  Allen.     9  ad.     Hualpai  Mountains,  Arizona,  July  7, 
1902.     (No.  1174!).").  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus..  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
3,5.  S.  nuttalli  Bachm.     $  ad.     Touchet,  Washington,  September  11,1890. 

(No.  31113,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus..  Biological   Survey  Coll.) 
6,7.  /S.  bachmani  Waterhouse.     San  Luis  Obispo,  California,  January  22, 
1892.     (No.  44410,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
304 


North  American  Fauna  No.  29,  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.     Biological  Survey. 


Plate  X. 


Skulls  of  Sylvilagus  (subgenus  Sylvilagus). 

1,  4.  S.  floridanus  holzneri;  2.  S.  nuttalli  pinetis;  3,  5.  S.  nuttalli;  6,  7.  S.  bachniiini. 
85595— No.  29—09 20 


PLATE  XI. 

i  Natural  size.) 

Figs.  1,  5.  Sylvilagus   auduhoni   Baird.     $    ad.     Chico,   California,   August   7, 
1904.     (No.  133402,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

2.  S.  auduhoni  arisonw  Allen.      $   ad.     Beals  Spring,  Arizona,  July  9, 

1902.     (No.  117487,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 

3.  8.  auduhoni  parr ul us  Allen.      9    ail.     Irolo.  Hidalgo,  Mexico,  April 

4,  1893.     (No.  53316,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
4,  6.  S.  auduhoni  haihui  Merriam.      $    ad.     Wamsutter,  Wyoming,  July 
31,  1907.     (No.  150437,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
306 


North  American  Fauna  No.  29,  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.     Biological  Survey. 


Plate  XI. 


Skulls  of  Sylvilagus  (subgenus  Sylvilagus). 

1,  5.  S.  auduboni;  2.  S.  a.  arizonse;  3.  S.  a.  parvulus;  4,  6.  S.  a.  baileyi. 


PLATE  XII. 

(Natural  size.) 

Figs.  1,  4.  Sylvilagus  minensis  Thomas.     Ad.     Chapada,  Matto  Grosso,  Brazil. 
May.  1883.      (No.  113.482,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

2,  5.  8.   gabU   Allen.     Ad.     Talamanca,    Costa    Rica.      (No.  Hlfi.    u-    s- 

Nat.  Mus.:  type.) 

3,  6.  8.  palustris  Bachru.      2  ad.     Riceboro,  Georgia,  April  8,  1S92.     (No. 

45502,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus..  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
7.  8.    insonus   Nelson.      2    ad.     Omilteme,   Guerrero,    Mexico,   May   20, 
1903.     (No.  126S78,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll. ;  type.) 
30S 


North  American  Fauna  No.  29,  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.     Biological  Survey. 


Plate  XII 


Skulls  of  Sylvilagus  (subgenus  Tapeti). 

1,  4.  S.  minensis;  2,  5.  S.  gabbi;  3,  6.  S.  palustris;  7.  S.  insonus. 


PLATE  XIII. 

(Natural  size.) 

Figs.  1,  2,  3.  RomcroJagus    nelsoni    Merriain.       £     ad.      Mount    Popocatepetl, 
Mexico,  January  6,  1894.     (No.  57952,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biolog- 
ical Survey  Coll.) 
4,  5,  G.  Brachylagus  idahoensis  Merriam.     $   ad.     Halleck,  Nevada,  June 
30,  1S93.     (No.  54511.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.) 
7,  8.  Sylvilagus  cunicularius   (Waterhouse).     $   ad.    Las  Vigas,  Vera 
Cruz,  Mexico,  June  9,  1893.     (No.  54208,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Bio- 
logical Survey  Coll.) 
310 


North  American  Fauna  No.  29,  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.     Biological  Survey. 


Plate  XIII. 


Skulls  of  Romerolagus,  Brachylagus,  and  Sylvilagus. 

1, 2, 3.  Romerolagus  nelsoni;  4, 5,  6.  Brachylagus  idahoensis;  7,  8.  Sylvilagus  eunicularius. 


INDEX 


[New  names  in  bold-face  typo;  synonyms  in  italics.'] 


A.. 


Agriculture,   relations   of   rabbits,    11-13. 
alaci  r,  l.i  pus,  174. 

Sylvilagus,    174-176. 
Albinism,     26. 
alleni,  Lepus,  117-118. 
altamirae,   Lepus,  124-125. 
americanus,  Lepus,  S7-89. 
aquaticus,  Lepus,  270. 

Sylvilagus,  44,  270-273. 
Arctic   hares,   38,  39,  .",0-72. 
arcticus,    Lepus,    61-64. 
arisonw,  Lepus,  222. 

Sylvilagus,   222-223. 
artemisia,  Lepus,  201. 
asellus,  Lepus,   150-151. 
attwateri,  Lepus,  271. 
auduboni,  Lepus,  214. 

Sylvilagus,   214-216. 
aztecus,  Lepus,  187. 

Sylvilagus,  187-188. 

B. 

bachmani,  Lepus,  247. 

Sylvilagus,  247-250. 
baileyi,  Lepus,  232. 

Sylvilagus.    232-234. 
bairdi,   Lepus,   100-112. 
bangsi,  Lepus.  64-65. 
battyi,  Lepus,  121-122. 

Macrotolagus,  121. 
benuetti,   Lepus,   136-137. 
Bibliography,  280-287. 
bishopi,   Lepus,  97-98. 
boreal  is,  Lepus,  92. 
Brachylagus,   genus,  37,  46.  275-278. 
Erachylagus  idahoensis,  275-278. 
brasiliensis,  Lepus,  45,  259. 

Sylvilagus,  44.  45,  257. 
Brush  rabbits,  41,  42,  243-257. 

C. 

californica,  Lepus,  129. 
californicus,  Lepus,  129-132. 
callotis,  Lepus,   122-124. 
eampestris,  Lepus,  74-78. 
caniclunis,  Lepus,  176. 
canus,  Lepus,  65-67. 
Caprolagus,  15. 
cascadensis,   Lepus,   112-114. 


cedrophilus,  Sylvilagus,  220-230. 
cerrosensis,  Lepus,  255. 

Sylvilagus,    255-256. 
ehapmani,  Lepus,  176. 

Sylvilagus.    14,  176-178. 
chia/pensis,  Lepus,   189. 

Sylvilagus,    189-190. 
cmerascens,  Lepus,  252. 

Sylvilagus.    252-253. 
cognatus,  Lepus,  191. 

Sylvilagus.    101-103. 
Color  distribution,  24-26. 
columbiensis,  Lepus,   102-104. 
eon  fin  is,  Lepus,  220. 

Sylvilagus.  220-221. 

ecitiieetiiis,  Lepus,  185. 

Sylvilagus,  185-186. 
Cottontails,  41,  42,  150-245. 

eastern,  150-109. 

Mexican.  238—245, 

Rocky   Mountain.    109-211. 

western,  211-237. 
cunicularius,  Lepus,  230. 

Sylvilagus.    230-241. 
eiiuieulus,  Lepus,  13. 

Oryctolagus.  13. 

r>. 

dalli,  Lepus,  100-102. 
deserticola,  Lepus,  137-140. 
Diehromatism,  26. 
Diseases,  23. 
Distribution,  15-21. 
douglasii,  Lepus,  270. 
durangw,  Lepus,  178. 

Sylvilagus,  178. 

E. 

edicardsi,  Lepus,  157. 
Epidemics,  23-24. 
eremicus,   Lepus,  140-141. 
exiguus,  Sylvilagus,  254. 

IF1. 

festinus,  Lepus,  151-152. 
flavigularis,  Lepus,  125-126. 
floridanus,  Sylvilagus,  164-165. 


gabbi,  Lepus,  250. 

Sylvilagus,  259-261. 


85595 — No.  20— 09- 


-21 


ill 


312 


IN!)  E  X . 


gaillardi,    Lepus,  120-121. 
Genera,    15,    37. 
i  leographic  distribution,   15-21. 
variation,  -'14  -::7. 
lalis,  Lepus,  61. 
f/nldm-ani,  T.cpits,  225. 

Sylvilagus,  225-226. 
<n  atigeri,  Lepus,  204. 

Sylvilagus,  15,  204-2t>7. 
graysoni,  Lepus,  24  f. 

Sylvilagus,  244-245. 
griseus,   Lepus,  142. 
grcenlandicus,  Lepus,  67-69. 

H. 

Iinl.iis.   2L 

Hare  and  rabbit,  use  of  names.  1.".. 

holsneri,  Lepus,  178. 

Sylvilagus,  178-180. 
hudsonius,   Lepus,  87. 
Hydrolagus,  44. 

I. 

idahoensis,  Brachylagps,  275-27S. 

Lepus,  27.". 
Idaho  pygmy  ratjbit,  46,  275-278. 
incitatus,  LepUs,  261. 

Sylvilagus,  201-202. 

Tapeti,2Ql. 
insolitus,  Lepus,  243. 

Sylvilagus.  243-244. 
insonus,  Lepus,  204. 

Sylvilagus,  204-265. 
insularis,  Lepus,  156—158. 

J. 

Jack  rabbits,  38,  72-84,  115-158. 

black-tailed,  40.  115-158. 
gray-sided.  41.  126-158. 
white-sided.  41.  115-120. 
white-tailed,  .".0.  72-84. 

Tv. 

Keys   to  species  and  subspecies,   49-59i 
klamathensis.   Lepus,  107-109. 


labradorius,  Lepus,  61. 
laticinctus,  Lepus,  222. 
Lepus,  genus,  37.  38  41,  59-158. 

subgenus,  ::7.  39-40,  50-114. 
Lepus  alacer,  174. 

alleui.    117    1  is. 

altamirse,  124-125. 

americanus,  87-89. 

americanus  group,  S4-114. 

arcticus,   61—64. 

arcticus  group.  50-72. 

arizonw,  222. 

artemisia-,    201. 

asellus,  150-  151. 

attwateri,  271. 


Lepus  auduboni,  214. 
aetecus,  187. 
bachmani,  247. 
baileyi,  232. 
bairdl,   109-112. 
bangsi,  04-65. 
battyi,   121    122. 
bennetti,  136-137. 
bishopi,  97-98. 
borealis,  02. 
brasiliensls,  45,  259. 
californicus,    129-132. 
californicus  group.    126-158. 
callotis.  122-124. 
callotis  group.  115—126. 
campestris,    20,   21,   74-78. 
campestris  group,  72-84. 
caniclunis,  170. 
cauus.   05-07. 
cascadensis,  112-114. 
cei'rosensis,  255. 
chapmani,  176. 
chiapensis,  189. 
cinerascens,  252. 
co  gnat  us,  101. 
columbiensis,  102-104. 
confinis,  220. 
connectena,  185. 
cunicularius,   239. 
cuniculus,  13. 
dalli,  100-102. 
deserticola,   137-140. 
douglasii,  270. 
durangw,  178. 
cdirardsi,  157. 
eremicus,   140-141. 
test  inns.    151-152. 
Bavlgularis,   125-126. 
floridanus,  164. 
gabbi,  259. 
gaillardi,   120-121. 
glacialis,  61 
goldmani,  225. 
grangeri,  204. 
graysoni,  244. 
griseus,  142. 
grrenlandieus,  07-69. 
holsneri,  178. 
liudsonius,  87. 
idahoensis,  275. 
incitatus,  2(51 . 
insolitus,  24.".. 
in  ton  its,   264. 
insularis,  156-158. 
klamathensis.   107-109. 
labradorius,  61. 
laticinctus,  222. 
macfarlani,   98-100. 
magdalense,    154-155. 
major.  222. 
mall  ur us,  166. 
martirensis,  152-154. 
mi  unisi.    109. 
melanotis,  140-1 4s. 
merriami.   148-150. 
niriiriintlK,    122. 


IXDEX. 


313 


Lepus  micropus,    142. 
minor,  226. 

nan ii-s.  ST. 
nigricaudfatus,   122. 
nuttallii,  201. 
orizabw,  183. 
othus,   69-70. 

padflCUS,    242. 

palitans,   118-119. 

paludicola,  269. 

palustris.  200. 

parvulus,  236. 

peninsularis,   255. 

perplicatus,  204. 

pi  / sultuior,  183. 

phaeonotus,  95-96. 

pinetis,   207. 

poadromus,  71-72. 

richardsoni,  133-136. 

rigid  us,   178. 

rohustus,  194. 

ntxxtititx,  186. 

sul i at*.  98. 

sanctidiegi,  218. 

sierra?,   S2-84. 

simplicicanus,  176. 

struthopus,    90-92. 

subeiuctus,  180. 

sj/lratieiis,   166. 

tupeti,  45. 

telmalemonus,  271. 

texianus,   142-146. 

timidus,  13,  38. 

townsendi,   78-82. 

transitionalis,  195. 

troichridi/ei,  247. 

*r»e/,  262. 

tularcnsis,  134. 

tumacus,  259. 

uoericolor,  250. 

reraerueis,  239. 

virginianus,   92-95. 

wallawalla,    132-133. 

wardii,   92. 

washingtoni,    105-107. 

xanti,    155-156. 

yucat  aniens,   190. 
Limnolagus,  37,  44. 
littoralis,  Sjlvilasus,  273-275. 

macfarlani,  Lepus,  98-100. 

Macrotolagus,  subgenus,  37,  40-41.  115-158. 

Macrotolagus  baityi,   121. 

micropus,   142. 

palitaus,    118. 
magdalenae,   Lepus.   154-155. 
major,  Lepus,  222. 
mallurus,  Lepus,  166. 

Sylvilagus,    15,41,  166-169. 
mansuetus,   Sylvilagus.  256-257.     . 
martirensis.  Lepus,   152-154. 
meurnsi,  Lepus,  169. 

Sylvilagus.    109-172.      ' 
Melanism.  26. 
uielanotis,  Lepus,  146-148. 


merriami,  Lepus.  148-150. 
mexicanus,  Lepus,  122. 
Microlagus,  ->7,  42. 
micropus,  Lepus,   1 42. 

Macrotolagus,  142. 
minor,  Lepus,  226. 

Sylvilagus.    226-  229. 
Molts.  29-32. 

1ST. 

nanus,  Lepus,  87. 

nelsoni,    Romerolagus,   279—280. 

neoinexicanus,   Sylvilagus,   234-236. 

Nesolagus,    15. 

nigricaudatus,  Lepus,  122. 

nuttalli.    Sylvilagus.    201-204. 

nuttallii,  Lepus,  201. 

O. 

Oryctolagus,  15. 

cuniculus,  13. 
orizabw,  Lepus,  183. 

Sylvilagus,    183-185. 
othus,   Lepus,   69-70. 


pacifteus,  Lepus,  242. 

Sylvilagus.    242. 
palitans,  Lepus,   118-119. 

MacnitaliKjiis.    lis. 
paludicola,  Lepus,  269. 

Sylvilagus,  269-270. 
pains tris,  Lepus,  266. 

Sylvilagus,   22.   266-269. 
parvulus,  Lepus,  230. 

Sylvilagus,  236-237. 
Pelage,  character.    27-2!). 

differences  due  to  age.   28. 

molts    and    other    seasonal    changes, 

29-32. 
p< -niiisularis,  Lepus,  255. 

Sylvilagus,    255. 
Pentalagus,    15. 
/u  i  jilieatus,    Lepus.    204. 
persultator.    Lepus.    183. 
phaeonotus,  Lepus,  95-0G. 
pinetis.  Lepus.  207. 

Sylvilagus,  207-211. 
poadromus,  Lepus,  71-72. 
P&cilolagus,  :\7.  30. 
I'opocatepetl   rabbit,   46,   279-2S0. 
Pronolagus,    15. 


R. 


Rabbit,  use  of  names  hare  and,   13. 
restrictus,  Sylvilagus,   181-183. 
richardsoni,  Lepus,  133-136. 
rigidus,   Lepus,   178. 
i',j,iistiis.  Lepus,  194. 

Sylvilagus,  104-195. 
Romerolagus,  genus,  37.  40-47.  279-280. 
Romerolagus  nelsoni,  279-280. 

rnssatlls.  Lepus,  186. 

Sylvilagus.   186-187. 


314 


[ND  i ; x: . 


s. 


saliens,   Lepus,  98. 
sanctidiegi,  Lepus,  218. 

Sylvilagus,  218-220. 
sierra?,    Lepus,    82  8 1. 
similis,  Sylvilagus,  172-174. 
simplicicanus,  Lepus,  170. 
Skull  characters  and  variation,  33. 
Snowshoe  rabbits,  84-114. 
struthopus,  Lepus,  90-92. 
subcinctus,  Lepus,  180. 

Sylvilagus,  180-181. 
Subgenera,   37. 

Swamp  rabbits,  41,  44,  257,  265-275. 
sylvaticus,  Lepus,  166. 
Sylvilagus,  genus,  57.  41-46.  159—275. 

subgenus,  37.  42-44.  159-257, 
Sylvilagus   alacer,    174-176. 

aquations,  44.  270—273. 

arizonse,  222-225. 

auduboni,    214-216. 

auduboni   group,   211-237. 

aztecup,  187-188. 

bacbmani,  247—250. 

bachmani  group,  245-257. 

baileyi,   252-254. 

brasiliensis,  44,  45,  257. 

cedrophilus,  229  230. 

cerrosensis,    255-256. 

chapmani.    14,    176-178. 

chiapensis,    189-100. 

cinerascens,  252-253. 

eognatus,   191-193. 

confinis,  220-221. 

connectens,   185-186. 

cunicularius,    239-241. 

cunicularius  group.   238-24." 

durangw,   178. 

exiguus.   254. 

floridanus,    164-165. 

floridanus  group,   159-199. 

gabbi,  259-261. 

gabbi  group,  257-265. 

goldmani,  225-226. 

grangeri,  15,  204-207. 

graysoni,  244-245. 

holzneri,    178-180. 

incitatus,    261-262. 

insolitus,   243-244. 

insonus,    264-205. 

lit  (oral  is,  273—275; 

inallurus,   15.  41.  166-169. 

mansuetus,   256-257. 

mearnsi,   15,  160-172. 

minensis,    45. 

minor,   226  220. 

neomexicanus,    234-236. 

nuttalli,    201-204. 

nuttalli  gnmp,   109-211. 

orizabae,  183-185. 

pacificus,  242. 

paludicola,   260-270. 

palustris,   22,   266-269. 

palustris  group,  265-275. 


Sylvilagus  parvulus,  236-237. 
peninsularis,    255. 
pinetis,   207-211. 
restrictus,    lsl-183. 
robustus,   194    195. 
russatus,    186-187. 
sanctidiegi,  2IB-220. 
similis,   172-174. 
subcinctus,   180-181. 
transitionalis,  15,  20,  105-199. 
truei,  262-264. 
ubericolor,  250-252. 
vallicola,  216-218. 
warreni,  231-232. 
yucatanicus,  190-191. 

rr. 

Tapeti,  subgenus*  22,  44-46,  257-275. 
Tapeti   incitatus,   261. 
tapeti,   Lepus,   45. 
telmalemonus,  LeiJiix,  271. 
texianus,    Lepus,    142-146. 
limidus.    Lepus.    13.    38. 
townsendi,  Lepus.   78—82. 
transitionalis,  Lepus;    195. 

Sylvilagus,   15,  20.  105-100. 
trowbridgei,  Lepus,  247. 
trui  i.  I, i  pu8,  262. 

Sylvilagus,    202-264. 
tularensis,  Lepus,  134. 
tuma'cus,   L<i>tts,  259. 
Type   localities,   4  7. 

TJ. 

ubericolor,  Lepus,  250. 

Sylvilagus.   250-252. 

A'. 

vallicola,  Sylvilagus.  216-218. 
Variation,  geographic,  34-37. 

individual,    32. 

sexual,  32. 

skull,  33. 
Varying  hares.  38.  30,  84-114. 
vertBcrucis,  Lepus,  239; 
virginianus,  Lepus,   02-05. 

W. 

wallawalla.  Lepus,  132-133. 
wardU,    Lepus,   02. 
warreni.    Sylvilagus,    251-232. 
wasbingtoni,  Lepus.   105-107. 
Whit.'  rabbits,  84-114. 


xanti,    Lepus.    155-150. 

Y. 

Young  at  birth,  condition,  14. 
yucatanicus,  Lepus,  190. 

Sylvilagus,  190-191. 


o 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE 

BUREAU  OF  BIOLOGICAL  SURVEY 


NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA 


No.   30 


[Actual  date  of  publication,  October  7,  19091 


BIOLOGICAL  INVESTIGATIONS  IN  ALASKA 
AND  YUKON  TERRITORY 

1.  EAST  CENTRAL  ALASKA 
II.  THE  OGILVIE  RANGE,  YUKON 
III.  THE  MACMILLAN  RIVER,  YUKON 

BY 
WILFRED    H.    OSGOOD 

ASSISTANT,    BIOLOGICAL    SURVEY 


Prepared  under- the  direction  of 
Dr.    C.   HART   MERRIAM 

CHIEF   OF    BUREAU    OF    BIOLOGICAL   SURVEY 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT    PRINTING    OFFICE 

1909 


North  American  Fauna  No.  30,  U.  S.  Dept  Agr.     Biological  Survey. 


Plate 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE 

BUREAU  OF  BIOLOGICAL  SURVEY 


NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA 

No.  30 

[Actual  date  of  publication,  October  7,  1909] 


BIOLOGICAL  INVESTIGATIONS  IN  ALASKA 
AND  YUKON  TERRITORY 

I.  EAST  CENTRAL  ALASKA 
II.  THE  OGILVIE  RANGE,  YUKON 
III.  THE  MACMILLAN  RIVER,  YUKON 

BY 
WILFRED    H.    OSGOOD 

ASSISTANT,    BIOLOGICAL.    SURVEY 


Prepared  under  the  direction  of 
Dr.   C.   HART    MERRIAM 

CHIEF   OF   BUREAU    OF    BIOLOGICAL.   SURVEY 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT    PRINTING    OFFICE 

1909 


^^v'vVy 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL. 


U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture, 

Bureau  of  Biological  Survey, 

Washington,  D.  C,  June  2,  1909. 
Sir:  I  have  the  honor  to  submit  herewith  for  publication  as 
North  American  Fauna  No.  30  a  report  on  biological  investigations 
made  in  the  interior  of  Alaska  and  the  Yukon  territory  in  1903  and 
1904  by  Wilfred  H.  Osgood.  It  consists  of  separate  reports  on  three 
distinct  areas,  the  close  relationships  of  which  from  a  biological  stand- 
point make  it  desirable  to  publish  them  together.  The  physiography 
of  these  areas  is  described,  and  detailed  accounts  are  given  of  the 
animal  life  of  the  region,  especially  the  abundance,  ranges,  and  general 
habits  of  the  game  and  fur-bearing  animals.  Among  the  present 
assets  of  the  territory  game  and  fur-bearing  animals  occupy  a  prom- 
inent place.  Under  proper  regulations  the  fur  bearers  should  increase, 
and  the  game  animals  of  Alaska  should  continue  indefinitely  a  source 
of  food  and  profit  to  the  territory. 

Respectfully,  C.  Hart  Merriam, 

Chief,  Biological  Survey. 
Hon.  James  Wilson, 

Secretary  of  Agriculture. 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 

I.  Eas t  central  Alaska 7 

Introduction 7 

General  account 7 

Yukon  River,  Eagle  to  Circle 7 

Glacier  Mountain 9 

Mammals 13 

Birds 33 

II.  The  Ogilvie  Range,  Yukon  Territory 45 

Introduction 45 

Itinerary 45 

General  account 46 

Mammals 49 

Birds 58 

III.  The  Macmillan  River,  Yukon  Territory 66 

Introduction 66 

Itinerary 67 

General  account 67 

The  Pelly  River 68 

The  Macmillan  River 69 

The  Russell  Mountains 70 

Plateau  Mountain 71 

Mammals 72 

Birds 84 

Index 93 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PLATES. 


Plate  I.  Map  of  Alaska  and  adjacent  parts  of  Canada Frontispiece. 

II.  Fig.  1. — Yukon  River  looking  downstream  from  Eagle,  Alaska 46 

Fig.  2. — Mountains  at  head  of  Coal  Creek,  Yukon 46 

III.  Fig.  1. — Near  timberline  on  Plateau  Mountain;  subalpine  firs  in  fore- 
ground    66 

Fig.  2. — Plateau  Mountain  from  Macmillan  River 66 

IV.  Fig.  1. — Characteristic  meadow  in  upper  Macmillan  Valley 68 

Fig.  2. — Bank  of  upper  Macmillan  River 68 

V.  Fig.  1. — Beaver  lodge  in  bank  of  upper  Macmillan  River  near  Russell 

Creek 70 

Fig.  2. — Beaver  dams  near  upper  Macmillan  River 70 

TEXT    FIGURES. 

Fig  .  1 .  Map  of  Glacier  Mountain  and  vicinity  of  Eagle,  Alaska 10 

2.  Map  of  Macmillan  River  region 66 

5 


No.  30.  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.        October,  1909. 


BIOLOGICAL  INVESTIGATIONS  IN  ALASKA  AND  YUKON 

TERRITORY. 


I.  EAST  CENTRAL  ALASKA. 

INTRODUCTION. 

The  principal  work  of  the  Biological  Survey  in  Alaska  in  1903  was 
done  along  the  middle  Yukon  River  between  Eagle  and  Circle  and 
in  the  mountains  west  of  Eagle  near  the  sources  of  Mission  Creek. 
For  convenience,  this  region  is  designated  "East  Central  Alaska." 
With  N.  Hollister,  of  the  Biological  Survey,  as  my  colleague  for  the 
season,  I  entered  the  Yukon  region  via  Lynn  Canal  and  White  Pass, 
and  reached  Eagle  June  16,  this  being  the  date  of  the  arrival  of  the 
first  through  steamboat  of  the  season.  A  small  rowboat  was  secured 
immediately,  and  the  next  day  we  started  down  the  river  from  Eagle. 
Several  camps  were  made  along  the  river  between  Eagle  and  Circle, 
the  most  important  being  near  the  mouth  of  a  stream  called  Charlie 
Creek,  and  one  about  20  miles  above  Circle.  Circle  was  reached  July  5, 
and  since  no  steamboat  arrived  to  take  us  back  to  Eagle  until  July  23, 
we  worked  in  the  vicinity  of  Circle  until  that  time.  We  returned  to 
Eagle  July  25,  and,  after  some  delay  in  securing  pack  horses,  started 
July  29  for  Glacier  Mountain,  at  the  head  of  Seward  Creek,  a  tributary 
of  Mission  Creek.  Camp  was  made  July  31  at  timberline  on  Seward 
Creek,  immediately  under  the  brow  of  Glacier  Mountain.  This  being 
a  typical  mountain  region,  and  the  first  in  the  interior  of  Alaska  to  be 
visited  by  naturalists,  it  was  decided  to  devote  considerable  time  to 
the  vicinity.  Accordingly  the  entire  month  of  August  was  spent  at 
this  camp  and  in  the  surrounding  country.  Camp  was  struck  Sep- 
tember 3  and  the  work  in  this  part  of  Alaska  closed.  September  8 
we  left  Eagle  and  returned  to  the  coast  via  White  Pass. 

GENERAL  ACCOUNT. 
YUKON    RIVER,    EAGLE    TO    CIRCLE. 

The  distance  from  Eagle  to  Circle  via  the  Yukon  is  about  125 
miles.  For  the  greater  part  of  the  way  the  river  flows  with  a  strong, 
even  current  of  from  4  to  6  miles  per  hour,  winding  from  side  to  side, 
and  usually  having  high  bluff -like  or  mountainous  banks  on  the  long 

7 


8  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

sides  of  the  curves  and  low  flats  on  the  short  sides.  Throughout  the 
distance,  however,  the  right  bank  is  more  mountainous  and  is  charac- 
terized by  many  rocky  bluffs,  while  the  left  bank  is  lower  and  more 
generally  flat  and  swampy,  with  low  benches  and  hills  a  short  distance 
back.  Exposed  rocky  bluffs  are  interspersed  at  short  intervals  nearly 
all  the  way  from  Eagle  to  the  beginning  of  the  Yukon  Flats,  about  4 
miles  above  Circle.  They  consist  of  crumbling  rock,  rising  abruptly 
from  the  river  or  sloping  back  in  series  of  ragged  pinnacles  or  conical 
caps  surrounded  by  green  forest.  At  other  places  the  exposures  of 
rock  are  slight,  but  the  soil  is  unproductive  and  vegetation  is  limited 
to  a  few  hardy  grasses  and  shrubs,  so  at  a  short  distance  the  slopes 
appear  quite  barren. 

The  low  banks  are  fairly  well  wooded,  but  their  most  common 
condition  is  what  may  be  called  semitundra — a  line  of  fair-sized  trees 
bordering  the  river,  and  inland  on  more  or  less  level  ground  moss  and 
small  shrubs,  with  a  few  scattered  trees  and  many  small  ponds.  A 
few  islands  appear  here  and  there,  becoming  larger  and  more  numer- 
ous as  Circle  is  approached.  They  are  flat  and  heavily  timbered  and 
rarely  more  than  a  mile  in  length.  In  many  places  the  banks  of 
these  islands  have  been  undermined  by  the  rapidly  shifting  current, 
and  hundreds  of  green  trees  may  be  seen  prostrate  in  the  water  with 
their  branches  swishing  in  the  current.  The  falling  of  these  under- 
mined banks  and  the  trees  upon  them  had  occasioned  the  destruction 
of  many  nests  of  birds  and  small  mammals. 

Several  medium-sized  tributaries  enter  the  Yukon  between  Eagle 
and  Circle,  but  small  creeks  or  brooks  appear  to  be  rare,  at  least 
in  midsummer.  The  most  important  streams  entering  from  the  south- 
west are  Seventy  Mile  Creek  and  Charlie  River.  Those  that  come 
from  the  northeast  are  known  on  maps  as  the  Tatonduc,  Tahkondit, 
and  Kandik  rivers,  respective^,  but  these  names  are  practically  un- 
known locally,  the  Tatonduc  being  known  as  Sheep  Creek,  the 
Tahkandit  as  Nation  Creek,  and  the  Kandik  as  Charlie  Creek,  the 
last  being  distinguished  from  the  stream  which  enters  on  the  other 
side  a  short  distance  below  by  the  name  creek  instead  of  river. 

The  region  as  a  whole  is  not  heavily  timbered,  and  deciduous  trees 
greatly  outnumber  the  conifers.  The  most  abundant  trees  are  pop- 
lars (P.  tremuloides  and  P.  balsamifera) .  The  white  and  black 
spruces  (Picea  canadensis  and  P.  mariana)  occur,  but  neither  attains 
large  size,  usually  being  from  6  to  10  inches  in  diameter.  They  grow 
in  small  clumps  on  the  central  parts  of  the  islands,  in  protected  places 
on  the  hillsides,  in  long  fringes  on  the  low  banks  of  the  river,  and 
rather  scatteringly  throughout  the  more  or  less  level  country.  The 
paper  birch  (Betula  alaslcana)  is  mixed  with  'the  poplars,  but  is 
neither  large  nor  abundant.  The  dwarf  juniper  (Juniperus  nana)  is 
common  in  dry  gulches  and  occasionally  occurs  on  open  hillsides. 


1909.]  EAST   CENTRAL   ALASKA.  9 

Other  woody  plants  worthy  of  mention  are  as  follows:  Alders 
(Alnus) :  Very  abundant,  chiefly  in  damp  situations  on  level  or  nearly 
level  ground;  sometimes  in  dense  and  very  extensive  thickets  grow- 
ing in  swamps  to  the  exclusion  of  almost  all  other  trees  and  shrubs. 
Willows  (Salix) :  Several  species  occur,  mostly  about  the  borders 
of  the  islands  and  wherever  the  river  banks  are  low  and  sandy. 
In  July  many  were  covered  with  ripe  catkins,  from  which  seeds  were 
blown  by  every  current  of  air.  Dwarf  birch  (Betula  glandulosa) : 
Very  abundant  in  damp  situations  where  semitundra  conditions  pre- 
vail. Buffalo  berry  (Lepargyrea  canadensis):  Found  sparingly  all 
along  the  route.  High-bush  cranberry  (Viburnum  pauciflorum) : 
Quite  abundant  in  many  localities;  in  full  bloom  about  July  1. 
Wild  rose  (Rosa  acicularis):  Very  common,  particularly  on  com- 
paratively dry  ground  near  the  edge  of  spruce  woods;  blooming  pro- 
fusely early  in  July.  Arctic  sagebrush  (Artemisia  frigida) :  Abun- 
dant on  dry  sandy  hillsides  with  southern  exposure,  where  it  grows 
to  the  exclusion  of  almost  all  other  plants.  Labrador  tea  (Ledum) : 
Rampant  in  suitable  places,  always  so  in  semitundra,  and  very  con- 
spicuous on  account  of  its  striking  starry  white  flowers.  Dwarf 
laurel  (Kalmia  glauca):  Abundant  in  swamps.  Andromeda  (An- 
dromeda) :  Occasionally  found  in  swamps  in  great  abundance.  Bear- 
berry  (Arctostaphylos  uvaursi):  Fairly  common,  but  much  scattered. 

GLACIER    MOUNTAIN. 

Glacier  Mountain  is  an  elongated,  rocky,  and  somewhat  isolated 
peak  lying  about  15  miles  in  air-line  distance  due  west  from  Eagle. 
By  a  rough  trail  which  we  followed  along  the  south  side  of  Mission 
Creek,  crossing  successively  the  smaller  streams,  American,  Wolf, 
and  Colorado  creeks,  and  thence  up  Seward  to  its  source  at  the  east 
base  of  the  mountain,  the  distance  may  be  between  30  and  40  miles. 
From  Eagle  to  American  Creek  the  country  is  comparatively  dry, 
the  ground  hard,  and  occupied  chiefly  by  poplars,  through  which 
travel  is  easy.  From  American  to  Colorado,  along  the  south  side  of 
Mission  Creek,  is  a  gentle  and  rather  swampy  slope  toward  the  creek. 
The  ground  is  thickly  covered  with  wet  moss  and  a  dense  growth  of 
small  black  spruce  (Picea  mariana) ,  making  travel  with  horses  rather 
difficult,  particularly  during  a  wet  season.  Occasional  knolls  of 
higher  ground  clothed  with  poplar  and  birch  are  more  free  from 
moisture,  but  these  are  offset  by  nearly  level  swamps  almost  without 
timber  and  covered  with  the  well-known  bunches  of  grass  and  other 
low  vegetation  known  locally  as  'niggerheads,'  through  which  horses 
and  men  flounder  with  great  difficulty.  This  low  country  does  not 
extend  beyond  the  mouth  of  Colorado  Creek,  however,  and  thence- 
forward Mission  Creek  is  bounded  on  both  sides  by  rather  steep,  well- 


10 


NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  30. 


timbered  mountains.  From  the  mouth  of  Colorado  Creek,  Glacier 
Mountain  may  be  reached  by  a  direct  route  up  the  steep  side  of  one 
of  these  mountains  and  thence  along  the  top  of  the  ridge  stretching 
on  the  north  side  of  Seward  Creek;  or,  when  the  water  is  not  high, 
horses  may  be  taken  up  the  bed  of  Mission  Creek  to  the  mouth  of 
Seward  and  thence  at  least  halfway  up  Seward;  from  there  impass- 
able gulches  make  it  necessaiy  to  ascend  to  the  top  of  one  of  the 


(Hi  A'^y 


id 


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o 


ior  Cr 


Crt 


reefc 


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ft'lt* 


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[EAGLE 


64°40' 


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Fig.  1.— Map  of  Glacier  Mountain  and  vicinity  of  Eagle,  Alaska. 

ridges  and  follow  on  to  come  down  into  the  basins  at  the  head  of  the 
creek. 

Glacier  Mountain  is  in  the  center  of  a  considerable  drainage  system, 
contributing  to  the  three  principal  streams  of  the  region,  Fortymile, 
Seventymile,  and  Mission  creeks.  Trickling  streams  emanating 
from  small  snowbanks  on  its  sides  flow  in  various  directions  to  add 
to  the  volume  of  these  three  important  tributaries  of  the  Yukon. 
On  the  east  Excelsior,  Seward,  and  Utah  creeks  flow  into  Mission 
Creek;  on  the  north  are  Bryant  and  Mogul  creeks,  both  flowing  into 
Seventymile;  and  on  the  south  and  west  Comet  Creek  and  others 
start  toward  Fortymile.     The  mountain  itself  is  a  mass  of  granite 


1909.]  EAST   CENTRAL  ALASKA.  11 

stretching  northeast  by  southwest  for  some  4  miles,  with  a  general 
elevation  above  sea  level  of  from  5,000  to  6,000  feet.  On  the  east 
side  is  a  smaller  mass  or  spur  scarcely  distinct  from  the  main  body, 
being  separated  only  by  a  narrow  pass  but  little  lower  than  the  rest. 
The  main  ridge  is  narrow  and  broken  into  jagged  pinnacles,  on  each 
side  of  which  the  declivities  are  very  steep  and  covered  with  broken 
granite.  At  the  ends,  the  top  of  the  mountain  is  wider,  with  more 
or  less  level  areas  strewn  with  huge  blocks  of  granite.  The  southern 
spur  also  is  rather  broad,  and,  although  very  irregular,  not  distinctly 
ridged  nor  pinnacled  on  top.  Below  these  rocky  masses  are  mountain 
basins  or  meadows  traversed  by  small  streams,  which  rapidly  gain  in 
volume  as  they  descend  into  the  timbered  region.  Timber  of  fair 
size  straggles  up  southern  slopes  to  an  altitude  approximating  3,000 
feet.  Along  the  streams  at  2,000  feet  to  3,000  feet  it  is  scattered  in 
clumps,  and  is  more  or  less  well  grown  according  as  soil  and  exposure 
are  favorable  or  not.  Long,  gently  sloping  ridges,  with  broad  saddles 
alternating  with  rounded  domes,  stretch  away  from  the  main  moun- 
tains and  bound  the  canyons  of  the  principal  streams.  These  ridges 
for  several  miles  from  the  mountain  maintain  an  elevation  of  3,000 
feet  or  more,  and  are  mostly  treeless.  They  are  well  grown,  however, 
to  moss,  grasses,  and  small  shrubs.  By  means  of  these  ridges  it  is 
possible  to  travel  for  quite  long  distances  with  considerable  ease. 

The  trees,  shrubs,  and  general  plant  life  are  much  the  same  as 
throughout  the  Hudsonian  and  Arctic- Alpine  zones  elsewhere  in  the 
northwest.     Among  those  worthy  of  mention  are  the  following: 

Picea  canadensis  (White  Spruce). — The  most  abundant  conifer; 
occurs  in  scattered  clumps  near  timberline  and  in  more  or  less  con- 
tinuous forest  on  the  lower  slopes  of  the  mountain  and  on  compara- 
tively dry  ground  lower  down.  The  trees  along  Mission  Creek  are 
not  very  large,  being  about  8  inches  in  diameter  and  from  30  to  50 
feet  high.  A  few  groves  of  larger  ones  were  seen  on  Comet  Creek, 
some  being  18  inches  or  more  in  diameter  and  about  60  feet  high. 

Picea  mariana  (BlacJc  Spruce). — Common  in  moist  places  on  high 
exposed  ridges  and  saddles,  as  well  as  in  swampy  flats  lower  down. 

Populus  tremuloides  (Aspen). — Common  on  dry  knolls  and  low 
ridges  near  Eagle  and  scattering  along  Mission  and  Seward  creeks. 

Populus  balsamifera  (Balsam  Poplar). — Common,  probably  more 
so  than  P.  tremuloides.  In  many  places  along  Mission  Creek  it  stands 
in  large  groves,  many  trees  of  which  are  60  to  70  feet  high.  It  is  cut 
for  fuel  in  considerable  quantities  wherever  easily  accessible,  being 
preferred  to  the  other  timber  of  the  region. 

Salix  (Willow). — Several  undetermined  species  of  willow  occur 
along  the  streams.  The  two  species  following  grow  above  timberline: 
Salix  reticulata  (Net-veined  Willow). — Found  sparingly  in  the  matted 
vegetation  high  above  timberline.     Salix  phlebophylla. — One  small 


12  NORTH  AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

colony  of  several  plants  was  observed  on  a  rocky  flat  near  Glacier 
Mountain.  Specimens  were  preserved,  and  have  been  identified  by 
Frederick  V.  Coville. 

Alnus  sinuata  (Alder). — Much  less  common  than  in  mountains  near 
Cook  Inlet  and  other  points  on  the  Alaska  coast.  It  does  not  form 
extensive  thickets  on  the  open  mountain  sides  nor  even  in  the  draws 
above  timberline,  but  is  confined  chiefly  to  the  borders  of  streams 
below  timberline. 

Betula  alaskana  (Paper  Birch). — Along  Mission  Creek  beautiful 
groves  of  birch  are  frequently  seen.  In  such  places  there  is  little 
underbrush,  and  the  ground  is  covered  luxuriantly  with  grass  (Agros- 
tis).  A  few  birches  are  scattered  indiscriminately  throughout  the 
spruce  forest.  Along  Seward  Creek  a  few  small  trees  occur  not  far 
below  timberline. 

Betula  glandulosa  (Dwarf  Birch). — Excessively  abundant;  by  far 
the  most  common  shrub  on  the  upper  slopes  of  the  mountains,  chiefly 
above  timberline,  in  many  places  growing  in  thickets  covering  5  to  10 
acres.  According  to  situation  and  possibly  soil,  these  thickets  may 
be  of  very  low  almost  prostrate  shrubs  not  exceeding  8  inches  in 
height,  or  they  may  be  good-sized  bushes  2  to  4  feet  high. 

Empetrum  nigrum  (Crowberry). — Common,  but  not  growing  in 
great  masses  to  the  exclusion  of  other  plants,  as  is  often  the  case. 

Lepargyrea  canadensis  (Buffalo  Berry). — Grows  sparingly  in  the 
vicinity  of  Eagle  and  for  a  short  distance  up  Mission  Creek. 

Ledum (Labrador  Tea). — Abundant,  but  not  in  large  uni- 
form patches  except  in  swampy  flats  near  the  Yukon. 

Cassiope  tetragona  (Four-angled  Cassiope). — Very  common,  grow- 
ing in  large  quantities  on  rocky  hillsides  in  all  the  available  soil 
among  the  rocks. 

Arctous  alpina  (Alpine  Bearberry) . — Very  abundant. 

Vaccinium  vitisidaea  (Mountain  Cranberry). — Very  abundant. 

Vaccinium. — Several  species  not  identified  are  common. 

Chamaecistus  procumbens  (Trailing  Azalea). — Fairly  common. 

Viburnum  pauciflorum  (High-bush  Cranberry). — Common  locally 
throughout  the  region  from  the  Yukon  nearly  to  timberline. 

Ribes  triste  (Red  Currant). — Common  along  streams  and  in  shady 
gulches ;  grows  along  Mission  Creek  and  up  Seward  Creek  to  timber- 
line. 

Rosa  acicularis  ( Wild  Rose). — Abundant. 

Rubus  chamaemorus  (Salmon  Berry). — Very  abundant. 

Rubus  strigosus  (Red  Raspberry). — One  small  patch  noted  near 
junction  of  Colorado  and  Mission  creeks. 

Spiraea  betulaefolia  (Birch-leaved  Spiraea). — Scatteringly  distrib- 
uted on  the  mountain  sides  near  Seward  Creek. 


1909.]  MAMMALS EAST   CENTRAL  ALASKA.  13 

MAMMALS  OF  EAST  CENTRAL  ALASKA. 

Rangifer  arcticus  stonei  Allen.     Stone  Caribou. 

Large  numbers  of  caribou  range  over  the  region  south  and  west  of 
the  Yukon  in  east  central  Alaska.  Koughly  speaking,  the  area  fre- 
quented by  them  includes  practically  all  the  mountains  and  much  of 
the  lower  ground  between  the  Yukon  and  the  Tanana  and  between 
Fortymile  and  Birch  creeks.  Within  these  limits  a  very  large  herd 
is  seen  almost  every  year.  It  seems  likely  that  this  herd  is  recruited 
from  various  parts  of  the  area.  Its  former  range  was  probably  much 
wider,  and  its  present  one  may  extend  far  beyond  these  limits,  as 
most  of  the  region  is  uninhabited  and  definite  information  is  difficult 
to  obtain.  It  is  particularly  hard  to  learn  whether  or  not  its  range 
overlaps  that  of  some  other  herd.  To  the  southward  it  may  reach  to 
the  drainage  of  the  Sushitna,  where  caribou  are  known  to  occur,  and 
thence  to  the  Kenai  Peninsula.  At  present  caribou  cross  the  Yukon 
very  rarely  on  account  of  the  amount  of  traffic  there,  but  in  former 
times  large  numbers  did  so,  possibly  the  entire  fall  herd.a  As  re- 
cently as  September,  1900,  a  caribou,  swimming  in  the  Yukon  about 
3  miles  below  the  Alaska-Canada  boundary,  was  killed  by  James 
Hudson,  of  Eagle.  The  older  Indians  say  the  old  crossing  was  near 
this  place. 

Doubtless  the  present  herds  are  comparatively  small,  but  they  are 
still  large  enough  to  be  well  worth  seeing.  The  main  herd  does  not 
assemble  until  late  in  September  and  October,  and  it  was  not  our 
privilege  to  see  it;  but  the  scattering  bands  which  in  August  passed 
near  our  camp  on  Seward  Creek  caused  us  to  give  a  large  measure  of 
credence  to  reports  of  the  size  of  the  main  herd.  If  the  most  con- 
servative reports  be  reduced  50  per  cent,  it  is  safe  to  say  that  single 
herds  of  as  many  as  3,000  caribou  have  been  seen  in  the  region  be- 
tween the  Yukon  and  the  Ketchumstock  Hills  more  than  once  since 
1900.  Local  hunters  and  prospectors  who  have  seen  the  large  herd 
have  seldom  tried  to  estimate  carefully  its  numbers.  They  report 
simply  that  the  hills  were  fairly  covered  with  caribou  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  distinguish.  In  the  latter  part  of  August,  1903,  a  herd 
estimated  to  contain  about  3,000  was  seen  by  several  different  parties 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  Goodpasture  River,  a  tributary  of  the  Tanana. 

In  spring  and  summer  the  animals  are  scattered  in  bands  of  from 
2  to  20,  while  many  of  the  old  bulls  wander  entirely  alone.  Many  of 
these  small  herds  appear  to  be  isolated  and  widely  separated,  while 
others  seem  to  circulate  within  a  limited  area,  keeping  only  a  few 
miles  apart  throughout  the  summer.  Thus,  during  the  summer  of 
1903,  according  to  report,  small  bands  were  scattered  over  a  large 

a  According  to  newspaper  reports,  immense  numbers  crossed  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Tanana  in  the  winter  of  1907-8. 


14  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  »). 

area  about  the  head  of  Goodpasture  River,  and  parties  camped  there 
were  always  able  to  find  some  of  them  within  a  few  hours'  walk. 
The  Ketchumstock  Hills  also  are  said  to  be  much  frequented  by  them 
in  spring  and  summer.  A  general  movement,  involving  all  or  nearly 
all  the  caribou  of  the  region,  undoubtedly  takes  place  every  fall. 
Just  how  far  this  movement  partakes  of  the  character  of  a  migration, 
rather  than  a  wandering,  is  difficult  to  determine.  Apparently  the 
animals  do  not  entirely  forsake  their  summer  range  in  the  fall,  but 
regularly  enter  certain  areas  also  which  they  visit  rarely  or  not  at  all 
in  summer.  The  small  bands  seen  by  us  were  mostly  moving  north- 
erly, and  though  individuals  remained  in  the  vicinity  for  several  days, 
the  vast  majority  kept  moving  forward  in  a  definite  manner.  Al- 
though a  few  appeared  to  come  into  our  vicinity  from  the  north,  they 
departed  in  the  same  direction,  or  at  least  were  not  observed  to  go 
out  to  the  south.  Practically  all  of  them  came  up  from  Comet  Creek, 
crossed  the  divide  to  the  basin  at  the  head  of  Seward,  and  then  worked 
out  toward  Excelsior,  Bryant,  and  Mogul  creeks.  Nevertheless,  only 
a  short  distance  north  of  us,  caribou  in  numbers  were  seen  two  weeks 
earlier  than  any  appeared  in  our  vicinity.  Mr.  L.  M.  Prindle  informs 
me  that  his  party  of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey  noted  a  few 
caribou  near  the  head  of  Mogul  Creek  August  3;  August  13  they  saw 
about  40  on  the  upper  part  of  Seventymile,  the  next  day  many,  and 
thence  to  Birch  Creek  caribou  were  abundant  all  the  way. 

At  our  camp  on  Seward  Creek  the  first  to  appear  were  in  twos  and 
threes  on  August  18.  On  that  day  we  saw  about  40.  These  may 
have  wandered  back  from  the  herds  seen  earlier  to  the  northward 
by  Prindle  or,  as  is  perhaps  more  probable,  they  may  have  been  on 
their  way  from  the  south  to  join  those  herds.  August  19  we  made 
no  effort  to  look  for  more  caribou,  since  the  weather  was  bad  and 
we  were  occupied  in  preparing  the  animals  killed  on  the  previous 
day,  but  our  camp  man,  while  wandering  in  a  heavy  fog,  encoun- 
tered a  herd  of  28.  On  the  20th  heavy  rain  and  bad  weather  con- 
tinued, and  we  remained  in  camp  at  work  on  caribou  skins,  but 
during  the  day  two  herds  of  about  15  each,  apparently  oblivious  of 
us,  crossed  about  75  yards  from  the  tent,  which  was  within  sight, 
although  pitched  in  a  clump  of  timberline  trees.  These  herds 
came  apparently  from  Utah  Creek,  and  first  appeared  on  a  low 
ridge  opposite  camp,  whence  they  descended,  forded  the  swollen 
creek,  and  went  on  up  the  ridges  to  the  northward,  keeping  closely 
bunched  and  jostling  each  other  in  brushy  places,  the  heads  and 
necks  of  those  in  the  rear  often  extending  over  the  hind  quarters  of 
those  in  front.  The  herds  included  both  sexes  and  various  ages, 
but,  though  some  of  the  bulls  carried  fair  heads,  no  very  large  ones 
were  noted.  Leadership  was  not  particularly  evident  in  any  of  the 
herds,  but  most  frequently  old  cows  were  seen  in  advance.     August 


1909.]  MAMMALS EAST   CENTRAL   ALASKA.  15 

21  the  largest  single  herd  observed,  numbering  about  50  head, 
appeared  on  the  slope  a  half  mile  northwest  from  camp,  and  during 
the  day  scattered  individuals  were  seen  on  various  parts  of  the 
amphitheater  of  mountain  slopes  surrounding  us.  On  the  22d  sev- 
eral bands,  aggregating  about  50  animals,  were  seen  near  camp. 
On  the  23d  a  trip  was  made  to  some  small  basins  on  the  side  of  Gla- 
cier Mountain,  but  no  caribou  were  observed,  and  we  thought  the 
movement  in  our  vicinity  had  ceased;  but  on  the  day  following, 
while  hunting  sheep  in  the  highest  parts  of  Glacier  Mountain  and 
its  spurs,  we  saw  more.  Once,  at  a  very  high  elevation,  a  solitary 
young  bull  was  surprised  in  a  little  grassy  pocket,  where  he  was 
quietly  resting.  Later,  from  a  high  peak,  a  view  was  obtained  across 
a  big  basin,  and  two  bands  of  caribou  of  6  and  13,  respectively,  were 
seen  to  come  up  to  a  low  saddle,  in  which  were  lying  several  car- 
casses, on  winding  which  they  ran  wildly  away.  On  the  next  day, 
the  25th,  in  the  course  of  a  long  trip  down  Comet  Creek  to  timber, 
64  caribou  were  noted,  including  one  band  of  28.  Thus  within  eight 
days  we  saw  approximately  300  caribou,  practically  all  of  which 
passed  within  sight  of  our  camp. 

Our  experience  indicates  that  caribou  are  not  keen  sighted,  but 
are  warned  of  danger  almost  entirely  by  scent.  At  least  they  seldom 
notice  a  man,  and  when  they  do  the  sight  seems  to  have  no  terrors 
for  them.  This  was  corroborated  almost  daily.  In  hunting  up 
wind,  if  one  moved  slowly,  but  little  effort  at  concealment  was  nec- 
essary for  a  successful  stalk.  On  one  occasion  two  of  us  were  cross- 
ing the  divide  between  Seward  and  Comet  creeks  when  we  saw  a 
good-sized  band  of  caribou  coming  with  the  wind  up  Comet  Creek 
toward  us.  The  region  was  entirely  above  timberline  and  absolutely 
open.  As  the  caribou  were  some  distance  below,  we  sat  down  and 
ate  lunch  while  waiting  for  them.  They  came  up  slowly,  feeding 
and  leisurely  weaving  about,  and  passed  us  at  a  distance  of  about 
75  yards.  When  opposite,  a  few  turned  their  heads  to  look  at  us, 
but  soon  resumed  their  course  unconcernedly.  Among  them  were 
many  cows  with  calves,  the  actions  of  the  latter  reminding  us  very 
much  of  domestic  calves,  especially  the  vigor  and  gusto  they  dis- 
played in  assaulting  the  maternal  font.  Their  serenity  was  sud- 
denly broken,  however,  when  they  had  proceeded  far  enough  beyond 
to  catch  our  wind.  Up  went  their  heads  and  away  they  ran  over 
the  nearest  ridge. 

At  another  time,  seeing  a  small  band  directly  approaching  us,  we 
concealed  ourselves  behind  a  bowlder,  and  in  a  few  minutes  caribou 
were  all  around  us,  many  of  them  not  20  feet  away.  Just  as  they 
arrived,  however,  we  sighted  some  sheep  on  a  near-by  cliff,  and  as 
these  were  more  important  game  we  jumped  up  and  hurried  through 
the  startled  caribou.     But  they  ran  only  to  the  top  of  the  nearest 


16  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

ridge,  where  they  turned  and  watched  us.  An  hour  or  two  later, 
when  we  returned,  they  were  still  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the 
place  where  we  met  them. 

Four  young  bulls  paid  us  a  visit  on  a  high  divide  one  evening  in  late 
twilight  as  we  were  skinning  a  caribou  killed  that  day.  They  came 
up  rather  gingerly,  sniffing  and  sidestepping  until  within  about  50 
yards,  when  they  set  their  fore  legs  and  stood  in  a  row  looking  at  us. 
Then  they  wheeled  and  started  to  run  by,  but  encountered  the  scent 
of  another  carcass,  and  with  a  few  wild  snorts  dashed  out  of  sight  in 
the  opposite  direction.  Soon  they  appeared  again,  and  we  shouted 
at  them,  but  this  seemed  only  to  increase  their  curiosity,  and  they 
remained  in  the  vicinity  for  some  time.  Three  men  at  work  on  a 
carcass  in  semidarkness  must  have  presented  an  unusual  sight,  and  if 
we  looked  as  grotesque  to  the  caribou  as  they  did  to  us,  their  curi- 
osity was  justified. 

From  August  26  to  September  3,  when  we  broke  camp,  we  saw  no 
more  caribou,  but  a  few  still  remained  in  the  vicinity,  as  we  learned 
from  other  sources.  Late  on  the  evening  of  September  1  we  heard 
a  rapid  succession  of  shots  near  camp,  and  on  investigating  found 
two  Indians  by  their  camp  fire  only  a  few  hundred  yards  away. 
They  were  boys  about  18  years  of  age,  who  had  killed  two  caribou 
on  Comet  Creek  and  were  returning  to  Eagle  greatly  intoxicated 
with  their  success.  They  had  one  small  ham  with  them,  represent- 
ing all  that  was  to  be  utilized  of  the  two  animals  killed.  They  were 
so  excited  they  could  scarcely  talk,  and  in  reply  to  all  questions 
answered,  "Me  kill  um.  Two;  me  kill  urn."  I  asked  why  they 
had  fired  the  shots  of  a  few  minutes  before,  and  the  only  variation 
was,  "Feel  heap  good!  Caribou!  Two!  Me  kill  um."  It  was 
evidently  their  first  kill  and  seemed  to  indicate  an  uncontrollable 
tendency  to  slaughter.  Doubtless,  if  it  had  been  possible,  they 
would  have  killed  up  to  the  limit  of  their  ammunition,  although  they 
could  carry  away  only  a  few  pounds  of  meat.  The  number  of 
Indians,  however,  is  now  so  small  that  it  is  scarcely  possible  for 
them  to  effect  any  serious  diminution  of  the  game.  In  former  years, 
with  poorer  facilities  but  greater  numbers,  they  may  have  killed 
as  many  as  now,  perhaps  more.  Extensive  caribou  drives  were 
formerly  conducted  by  the  Indians  of  this  region.  According  to 
report,  remains  of  the  fences  used  in  these  drives  are  still  to  be  seen 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  Ketchumstock  Hills. 

Owing  to  the  proximity  of  these  caribou  to  the  town  of  Eagle  and 
to  the  military  garrison  of  Fort  Egbert,  where  domestic  meats  are 
high  priced,  white  hunters  kill  as  many  as  do  the  Indians,  if  not 
more.  The  annual  increase  in  such  a  number  of  caribou  must  be 
very  large  and,  as  the  losses  from  wolves  and  other  natural  enemies 
are  perhaps  not  very  great,  the  annual  killing  of  a  reasonable  number 


1909.]  MAMMALS EAST   CENTRAL   ALASKA.  17 

for  food  would  scarcely  endanger  the  existence  of  the  species  in  the 
region.  But  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  same  herd  may  be 
successively  attacked  by  hunters  from  Forty  Mile,  Eagle,  Circle,  and 
all  the  outlying  camps,  as  well  as  by  those  from  the  Tanana  region, 
including  Fairbanks,  which  is  now  nearly  or  quite  the  largest  town 
in  Alaska;  hence  the  total  number  of  animals  killed  annually  may  be 
large.  Under  liberal  regulations,  backed  by  good  local  sentiment,  the 
caribou  might  be  preserved  indefinitely.  Without  proper  local  senti- 
ment, little  can  be  accomplished.  Before  any  restrictions  were 
attempted,  unnecessary  and  wasteful  slaughter  took  place.  It  is 
reported  that  in  the  fall  of  1901  a  white  man  killed  62  caribou  in  one 
day,  and  immediately  thereafter  a  party  of  Indians  killed  42.  A 
hunter  who  went  out  the  day  after  the  slaughter  of  62  killed  7,  all  of 
them  cripples.  He  then  followed  the  trail  of  the  main  herd  for  some 
5  miles  and  found  it  bloody  all  the  way.  Small  mining  camps  have 
often  been  able  to  obtain  enough  caribou  to  supply  them  with  meat 
for  many  months.  Many  prospectors  have  a  large  meat  cache  near 
their  cabins,  which  is  usually  well  stocked  with  selected  caribou 
meat.  One  such  near  a  deserted  cabin  on  Comet  Creek  contained  a 
great  quantity  of  dry  bones,  the  remains  of  many  animals.  At  a 
camp  on  Mosquito  Creek  near  the  south  fork  of  Forty  Mile  Creek 
extensive  facilities  are  said  to  have  been  arranged  for  keeping  quan- 
tities of  caribou  meat  in  cold  storage  all  the  year  around. 

So  few  specimens  of  typical  Rangifer  stonei  from  the  Kenai  Penin- 
sula have  been  preserved  that  conclusions  as  to  its  distinguishing 
characters  are  difficult  to  form.  The  horns  of  our  Glacier  Mountain 
specimens  are  in  velvet  and  are  therefore  not  suitable  for  comparison 
with  horns  in  perfect  condition.  However,  I  was  able  to  examine 
and  photograph  several  pairs  of  antlers  in  Eagle  and  Circle.  One  of 
these,  a  very  good  head,  the  property  of  Mr.  Bert  Bryant,  of  Eagle, 
appears  from  the  photographs  to  agree  in  general  features  with  the 
type  of  stonei.  By  exclusion,  also,  our  specimens  are  referable  to 
stonei,  for  they  are  too  large  and  have  the  antlers  too  much  branched 
to  be  called  arcticus.  They  appear  to  be  intermediate  in  character 
as  well  as  in  range  between  stonei  and  specimens  from  east  of  the 
Yukon  referred  to  arcticus  (see  p.  49).  Therefore,  stonei  is  treated 
as  a  subspecies  of  arcticus.  That  stonei  may  intergrade  to  the  south- 
ward with  the  so-called  woodland  form  osborni  is  very  probable,  as 
caribou  are  known  to  inhabit  practically  all  suitable  parts  of  the 
country  intervening  between  the  localities  from  which  the  two  forms 
are  now  known.  Moreover,  the  differences  between  the  two  are  all 
relative,  excessively  variable,  and  rather  intangible.  Our  specimens 
are  chiefly  in  the  dark  summer  pelage,  and  agree  with  specimens  of 
arcticus  in  the  same  pelage  from  the  Ogilvie  Range  and  from  Hudson 

89992— No.  30—09 2 


18 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


Uio.  30. 


Bay  except  in  the  paleness  on  the  hind  side  of  the  legs, 
measurements  a  of  the  series  are  as  follows : 


The  field 


Sex. 

Total 
length. 

Tail 
vertebrae. 

Hind 
foot. 

Height  at 
shoulder. 

&  ad 

t?  im 

S  im 

<?  im.... 

<?  juv 

S  juv.... 
9  ad 
9  ad 
9  ad 

2,000 
1,900 
1,830 
1,730 
1,290 
1,350 
1,880 
1,860 
1,770 

180 
180 
180 
155 
135 
135 
100 
175 
140 

590 
580 
580 
565 
450 
470 
560 
540 
560 

1,220 

1,090 

1,090 

1,060 

860 

920 

1,020 

1,050 

'      1,050 

Alces  americanus  gigas  Miller.     Alaska  Moose. 

Moose  are  very  abundant  in  several  more  or  less  restricted  locali- 
ties near  the  Yukon  between  Eagle  and  Circle.  Judging  from  report, 
they  live  near  the  river  throughout  the  summer,  visiting  with  con- 
siderable regularity  certain  ponds  and  sloughs  to  drink  or  to  wallow 
when  mosquitoes  are  abundant.  In  some  places,  when  the  water 
from  very  shallow  ponds  has  evaporated,  a  slightly  alkaline  residuum 
is  produced,  which  hardens  in  a  thin  layer  over  the  bed  of  the  pond. 
These  places  are  said  to  be  much  frequented  by  moose  and  are  called 
moose  licks.  The  Indians  and  many  of  the  white  hunters  seem  to 
be  able  to  go  to  such  places  and  kill  a  moose  whenever  they  want  it. 
One  method,  which  is  said  to  be  quite  successful,  is  for  the  hunter  to 
conceal  himself  on  a  scaffold  in  a  tree  overlooking  the  pond  frequented 
by  the  moose.  The  only  requirement  for  success  is  patience,  since 
it  is  light  enough  to  shoot  at  short  range  at  any  hour  of  the  night, 
and  since  the  man  is  so  higli  that  moose  can  approach  from  any 
direction  without  getting  the  scent.  The  chief  limitation  on  the 
killing  of  moose  is  distance  from  a  means  of  transportation  other 
than  that  furnished  by  a  man's  shoulders.  On  this  account  the 
hunting  is  confined  to  the  region  within  2  or  3  miles  of  the  Yukon. 
The  vast  region  back  from  the  big  river,  nearly  all  of  which  is  good 
moose  range,  is  practically  untouched,  and  from  the  nature  of  the 
conditions  will  remain  so  for  years  to  come.  While  moose  may 
become  scarce  near  the  river  settlements,  it  is  hardly  possible  that 
they  can  be  much  reduced  in  other  parts  of  their  range  while  present 
conditions  continue.  The  hunting  near  the  river  is  carried  on  in  an 
unsystematic  and  wasteful  manner.  The  Indians  are  very  slovenly 
in  caring  for  meat,  and  often  spoil  much  of  a  carcass  by  poor  butch- 
ering and  by  lack  of  cleanliness.  A  favorite  place  for  market  hunters 
is  the  vicinity  of  the  mouth  of  the  Tatonduc  River,  or  Sheep  Creek, 
as  it  is  called.  A  reliable  man  who  lived  at  the  mouth  of  this  stream 
during  1902  and  1903  informed  me  that  he  had  recorded  the  killing 

°A11  measurements  are  in  millimeters  unless  otherwise  stated. 


1909. 


MAMMALS EAST   CENTRAL  ALASKA.  19 


of  over  80  moose  within  15  miles  of  his  cabin  during  a  period  of 
eighteen  months.  Most  of  these  were  marketed  in  Eagle  or  in  Circle, 
but  it  is  safe  to  say  that  not  more  than  one-third  of  the  meat  was 
utilized,  and  doubtless  very  few  if  any  of  the  skins  and  antlers  were 
preserved.  Many  calves  and  young  animals  are  killed,  for  moose 
veal  sells  more  readily  and  for  a  better  price  than  the  meat  of  full- 
grown  animals.  The  meat  is  regularly  used  in  Eagle  and  Circle,  and 
is  usually  obtainable  at  about  50  cents  per  pound.  We  were  in 
Eagle  several  times  and  boarded  in  Circle  for  three  weeks,  and  neither 
town  was  at  any  time  out  of  moose  meat  for  more  than  forty-eight 
hours.  Four  carcasses  or  parts  were  brought  into  Circle  while  we 
were  there,  and  one  had  been  received  a  few  days  before  our  arrival. 
The  proprietor  of  one  of  the  small  restaurants  there  told  me  that 
from  time  to  time  in  the  summer  of  1902  he  bought  27  moose  from 
the  Indians  and  other  hunters.  This  number  by  no  means  repre- 
sents the  entire  kill;  nor  does  it  indicate  that  27  entire  dressed  ani- 
mals were  consumed,  for  in  many  cases  the  hunters  brought  in  only 
a  small  part  of  a  carcass,  and  in  others  much  of  the  meat  spoiled 
before  it  could  be  used. 

Our  own  experience  with  moose  was  rather  limited.  Along  the 
river  we  saw  no  fresh  signs  except  in  a  small  slough  20  miles  above 
Circle,  where  Hollister  found  tracks  in  abundance.  Also,  we  found 
only  few  signs  of  them  in  the  mountains  near  Eagle,  and  prospectors 
who  have  traveled  many  times  over  the  region  from  the  head  of 
Forty  Mile  Creek  to  the  head  of  Mission  Creek  and  thence  to  Seventy 
Mile  Creek  and  Charlie  River  say  this  is  a  poor  moose  country, 
though  in  certain  localities  a  few  are  nearly  alwa}Ts  to  be  found. 
We  saw  no  tracks  whatever  on  Seward  Creek  and  only  a  very  few  on 
Mission  Creek.  The  mountains  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Yukon, 
according  to  report,  contain  moose  in  much  greater  abundance.  A 
small  party  of  prospectors  went  up  Nation  Creek  some  30  miles  in 
July,  1903,  and  reported  that  moose  were  very  numerous  there  and 
quite  undisturbed.  They  are  said  to  be  common  also  on  Sheep 
Creek. 

Signs  of  moose  were  found  on  the  top  of  Glacier  Mountain.  While 
following  a  sheep  trail  along  the  rocky  ridge  of  the  almost  inaccessi- 
ble pinnacles  just  above  the  head  of  Seward  Creek,  at  an  altitude  of 
about  6,000  feet,  I  suddenly  came  upon  a  quantity  of  old  moose 
dung.  Although  prepared  to  find  signs  of  moose  in  the  mountain 
passes  far  above  timberline,  I  had  hardly  expected  them  in  these 
barren  rocks  among  jagged  pinnacles  through  which  a  man  could 
travel  only  with  great  difficulty.  A  little  farther  on  were  more  signs, 
and  as  I  proceeded  the  trail  became  literally  strewn  with  the  unmis- 
takable elliptical  pellets.  Nearly  half  a  mile  beyond,  the  mystery 
was  cleared  up  by  a  few  scattered  bones,  then  a  few  more  at  inter- 


20  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

vals,  and  finally  a  bleached  skull,  nearly  perfect,  and  bearing  the 
antlers  of  a  large  old  bull.  Signs  of  wolves  were  found  near  by,  but 
that  they  were  contemporaneous  with  the  bones  could  not  be 
ascertained. 

Ovis  dalli  Nelson.     Dall  Sheep. 

As  indicated  by  many  well-worn  trails,  Glacier  Mountain  has  been 
a  resort  of  mountain  sheep  for  many  years.  Probably  no  great  num- 
ber ever  lived  there  continuously,  for  the  suitable  range  is  limited, 
and  a  sheep  might  traverse  practically  all  of  it  in  a  day.  Glacier 
Mountain  and  a  few  of  its  more  important  spurs  are  separated  from 
any  equally  good  sheep  range  by  long  stretches  of  timbered  county, 
through  which  sheep  would  pass  only  under  stress  of  circumstances. 
Therefore  it  is  probable  that  the  colony  inhabiting  this  range  has 
long  been  isolated  and  subject  to  the  limitations  of  the  food  supply 
afforded  by  such  a  relatively  small  area.  The  few  sheep  now  there 
will  doubtless  be  extirpated  within  a  few  years.  The  largest  number 
seen  by  us  at  any  one  time  was  five,  and  our  experience  led  us  to 
believe  that  the  entire  number  in  the  region  was  little,  if  any,  more 
than  this. 

The  original  specimens  of  Ovis  dalli  were  received  by  Nelson  from 
the  fur  trader  Jack  McQuesten,  whose  headquarters  were  at  old  Fort 
Reliance,  some  7  miles  below  Dawson.  McQuesten  reported  that  he 
obtained  them  from  Indians,  who  had  killed  them  in  the  fall  of  the 
year  and  left  the  skins  cached  until  winter.  Mr.  Nelson  understood 
from  McQuesten  that  the  specimens  were  secured  on  the  west  side  of 
the  Yukon  and  approximately  "200  miles  southwest  of  Fort  Yukon." 
It  therefore  seems  probable  that  the  type  locality  of  Ovis  dalli  is  the 
vicinity  of  Glacier  Mountain,  or  at  no  great  distance  from  it,  possibly 
somewhere  along  Forty  Mile  Creek,  near  which  a  few  sheep  are  still 
to  be  found.  Realizing  that  specimens  from  this  region  would  have 
a  special  value,  we  made  particular  efforts  to  secure  sheep  on  Glacier 
Mountain,  but  did  not  succeed,  for  the  sheep  were  so  few  and  so  wild 
that  it  was  difficult  even  to  sight  them.  Only  once  did  I  get  a  fair 
shot  at  one,  and  then  my  gun  misfired.  At  another  time  the  camp 
man  while  hunting  with  me  opened  fire  on  some  sheep  at  about  600 
yards,  and  spoiled  a  promising  chance  for  a  shot  at  shorter  range. 
After  that  I  hunted  alone.  Evidently  they  had  been  hunted  before, 
for  not  only  did  they  run  at  the  slightest  indication  of  danger,  but 
they  were  fairly  frantic  at  sight  of  a  man  and  kept  running  wildly 
until  at  least  one  high  ridge  was  between  them  and  the  cause  of  their 
terror.  Although  eventually  they  sought  the  heights  after  being  sur- 
prised, yet  they  invariably  ran  down  at  first.  They  never  ran  to  the 
top  of  the  hill  or  ridge  on  which  they  wTere  discovered,  but  instead 
made  for  the  bottom,  crossed  the  intervening  valley  or  canyon,  and 
then  swiftly  ascended  to  the  fastnesses  of  the  highest  peak  on  the 


1909.]  MAMMALS EAST   CENTRAL  ALASKA.  21 

other  side.  Their  trails  lead  along  every  ridge,  with  lateral  branches 
here  and  there  and  meanderings  over  occasional  high  flats.  When 
surprised  into  running,  they  may  start  regardless  of  trails,  but  they 
soon  strike  into  a  beaten  way  and  thence  do  not  leave  ground  every 
step  of  which  is  familiar.  These  trails  sometimes  traverse  rather 
rough  country,  but  I  have  never  seen  one  that  could  not  be  followed 
easily  by  a  man  of  ordinary  experience  in  mountain  climbing.  On 
one  of  the  highest  parts  of  Glacier  Mountain  a  sheep  trail  follows  up 
a  ridge  at  the  end  of  which  is  a  large  rock.  The  trail  leads  over  the 
top  of  this  rock  and  at  the  end  is  a  sheer  drop  of  about  8  feet,  appar- 
ently sometimes  taken  at  one  leap  by  the  sheep,  but  they  alight  easily 
on  fine  loose  rock.  The  sheep  of  Glacier  Mountain  move  over  their 
trails  with  considerable  regularity,  seeming  to  follow  a  circuit  encom- 
passing their  entire  range.  When  seen,  they  were  usually  traveling 
from  one  part  of  the  range  to  another.  No  doubt,  however,  they 
remain  in  one  restricted  locality  for  short  periods.  Thus  five  of  them 
appeared  one  morning  on  a  high  grassy  slope  within  sight  of  our  camp, 
where  none  had  been  seen  for  several  weeks.  They  remained  there 
for  two  days,  alternately  feeding  and  basking  in  the  sun,  and  then 
left  for  some  other  part  of  the  range.  They  were  absolutely  undis- 
turbed, and  apparently  had  no  knowledge  of  our  proximity.  Occa- 
sionally they  cross  from  one  mountain  to  another  where  there  are 
no  high  connecting  saddles  or  ridges,  and  then,  as  shown  by  their 
tracks,  they  descend  into  the  timber,  sometimes  for  considerable  dis- 
tances. No  large  rams  were  seen.  A  trio  consisting  of  an  old  ewe 
with  a  very  small  lamb  and  a  young  ram,  probably  a  3-year-old,  was 
observed  several  times.  The  party  of  five  seen  near  camp  apparently 
included  these  three  and  two  additional  old  ewes. 

Although  we  failed  to  collect  any  specimens  ourselves,  we  secured 
by  purchase  in  Eagle  a  very  fine  complete  skin  and  skull  of  an  adult 
male  killed  on  Glacier  Mountain  in  the  winter  of  1902.  Its  pelage  is 
very  full  and  long,  almost  perfect,  and  exhibits  an  amount  of  black 
mixture  not  previously  supposed  to  exist  in  typical  dalli.  Almost 
the  entire  upperparts  except  the  head  and  neck  have  a  fine  and  spar- 
ingly but  evenly  distributed  mixture  of  blackish  hairs.  The  effect  of 
this  at  a  distance  of  a  few  feet  is  that  of  a  very  pale  grayish  blanket 
well  distinguished  from  the  pure  white  of  the  head  and  neck,  while  at 
a  considerable  distance  the  animal  appears  to  be  entirely  white.  A 
similar  slight  mixture  of  blackish  is  found  on  the  front  of  the  legs, 
and  the  upper  side  of  the  tail  is  more  than  half  blackish  brown.  The 
specimen  is  perhaps  the  best  representative  of  typical  dalli  now  in 
any  collection,  for  its  pelage  is  more  nearly  perfect  than  that  of  the 
original  cotypes.  In  them  the  tail  is  distinctly  brownish,  but  the 
remainder  of  the  animal  is  practically  pure  white,  although  careful 
search  reveals  a  few  brownish  hairs  along  the  back. 


22  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

Sciuropterus  yukonensis  Osgood.     Yukon  Flying  Squirrel. 

This  fine  flying  squirrel  doubtless  inhabits  the  region  in  which  we 
worked.  It  is  very  difficult  to  obtain  in  summer,  chiefly  because 
traps  set  for  it  are  almost  invariably  sprung  by  red  squirrels  in  the 
daytime  before  they  can  be  reached  by  the  nocturnal  flying  squirrels. 
The  type  of  S.  yukonensis  was  collected  at  Camp  Davidson  on  the 
Alaska-Canada  boundary  only  a  few  miles  above  the  present  site  of 
Eagle,  Alaska. 

Sciurus  hudsonicus  Erxleben.     Hudsonian  Red  Squirrel. 

Moderately  common  along  the  river,  but  apparently  less  numerous 
than  in  regions  of  heavy  spruce  timber.  They  were  often  seen  in  pop- 
lars and  birches,  but  their  burrows,  trails,  and  signs  of  permanent 
abode  were  found  only  in  the  vicinity  of  spruces.  On  one  occasion  a 
red  squirrel  was  seen  running  over  loose  rocks  on  a  bare  open  hillside, 
nearly  half  a  mile  from  trees  of  any  sort.  In  the  mountains  just  be- 
low timberline  the  spruces  are  gathered  in  clumps  covering  areas  of 
an  acre  or  more.  Each  separate  clump  of  these  trees  harbors  at  least 
one  family  of  red  squirrels,  which  is  nearly  always  to  be  found  at  home. 

Citellus  osgoodi  Merriam.     Yukon  Ground  Squirrel. 

On  our  way  down  the  river  from  Eagle  we  kept  a  careful  lookout 
for  signs  of  ground  squirrels,  but  did  not  find  them  until  we  reached  a 
point  about  25  miles  above  Circle.  This  is  practically  the  uppermost 
limit  of  their  distribution  along  the  river.  From  this  point  on,  they 
are  abundant,  but  they  are  confined  almost  entirely  to  the  right-hand 
or  northern  bank  of  the  river.  One  specimen  secured  by  Hollister 
near  Circle  was  the  only  one  seen  on  the  southern  side. 

Many  of  their  burrows  are  made  in  the  sandy  banks  of  the  river, 
often  only  3  or  4  feet  above  high-water  mark,  and  usually  open  under 
the  overhanging  turfs  of  the  bank  or  among  the  exposed  roots  of  trees 
and  shrubs.  Higher  up  they  are  variously  situated  on  the  hillsides, 
where  the  little  boreal  sagebrush  (Artemisia  frigida)  flourishes.  As  a 
rule,  however,  the  hillside  burrows  are  not  in  exposed  places,  but  are 
more  or  less  sheltered  by  small  bushes  near  the  edge  of  the  timber. 
The  animals  were  rather  quiet,  and  seldom  gave  their  clicking  cry 
except  when  alarmed.  They  fought  viciously  when  being  taken  from 
traps,  often  lunging  at  us  with  mouth  open  and  claws  spread.  Several 
were  seen  at  the  water's  edge,  and  tracks  were  abundant  on  the 
damp  sand,  but  whether  or  not  they  drink  there  was  not  ascertained. 
Nearly  all  the  females  taken  had  the  mammae  distended  with  milk. 
Apparently  most  of  the  young  were  too  small  to  leave  the  burrows. 
At  one  place  5  little  squirrels  all  of  a  size  and  evidently  from  the  same 
mother  were  caught  in  rapid  succession.  Of  these,  4  were  normal  in 
color  and  the  fifth  was  in  the  black  phase.  Among  adults  the  black 
phase  was  found  in  about  the  same  proportion.     Our  entire  series 


1909.]  MAMMALS EAST   CENTRAL   ALASKA.  23 

numbers  53  specimens — 10  black  and  43  normal.  Some  of  those  in 
the  black  phase  are  entirely  black,  but  usually,  if  held  at  a  certain 
angle,  show  the  spotted  color  pattern  of  the  normal  individual. 
Others  are  chiefly  black,  but  have  distinct  chestnut  patches  on  the 
nose  and  many  gray  or  buffy  tipped  hairs  along  the  sides.  One  is 
nearly  covered  with  buffy  gray  spots  on  a  black  background. 

Flesh  measurements  are  as  follows:  Average  of  10  adult  males: 
Total  length  456  (441-475);  tail  vertebrae  141  (131-153);  hind  foot 
62.7  (60-64).  Of  10  adult  females:  433  (420-462);  136  (126-147); 
60.3  (57-63) .  Weights  of  males  run  from  1 |  to  2 \  pounds,  the  average 
being  about  If  pounds;  of  females  from  1}  to  1J  pounds,  with  an 
average  of  lh  pounds. 

Marmota  caligata  (Eschscholtz) .     Hoary  Marmot. 

Conditions  in  the  region  about  the  head  of  Seward  Creek  are  ideal 
for  the  hoary  marmot  or  whistler,  but  it  appears  to  be  quite  rare  there. 
During  our  entire  stay  we  heard  only  two  and  saw  but  one.  The  lat- 
ter was  sunning  himself  on  a  large  flat  rock  in  front  of  his  den  one 
morning,  when  a  charge  of  buckshot  struck  him,  whereupon  a  series 
of  convulsions  ensued,  and  he  disappeared  into  the  foul-smelling  den. 
A  party  of  prospectors  returning  from  the  vicinity  of  the  head  of 
Charlie  River  brought  us  a  specimen  of  this  marmot,  and  reported 
them  quite  common  in  that  locality. 

Castor  canadensis  Kuhl.     Beaver. 

Until  recently  a  small  colony  of  beavers  lived  on  the  Yukon  Flats 
only  a  few  miles  from  Circle,  but  within  a  few  years  it  has  been  extir- 
pated. One  of  the  two  important  fur  traders  secured  60  beaver  skins 
from  trappers  in  1903,  and  this  he  considered  a  large  business,  as  it 
exceeded  that  of  the  several  preceding  years.  Most  of  these  skins 
were  secured  at  some  distance  from  Circle.  From  this  it  appears 
that  these  animals  are  becoming  scarce  in  this  region. 

Evotomys  dawsoni  Merriam.     Dawson  Red-backed  Mouse. 

Common  at  nearly  all  points.  Two  specimens  of  about  half-grown 
young,  with  blackish  dorsal  stripes,  were  taken  near  Charlie  Creek. 
These  exactly  correspond  to  the  fusco-dorsalis  phase  well  known  in 
E.  gapperi,  but  not  previously  noted  in  any  of  the  western  species  of 
this  genus.  Specimens  in  normal  color  were  taken  wherever  collect- 
ing was  done. 

Microtus  operarius  endcecus  subsp.  nov.     Interior  Vole. 

Type  from  mouth  of  Charlie  Creek,  Yukon  River,  about  50  miles 
above  Circle,  Alaska.  No.  128327,  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Collection.      $  ad.     June  21,  1903.     W.  H.  Osgood. 

General  characters. — Size  and  color  about  as  in  M.  operarius;  skull 
slightly  larger;   audital  bullae  decidedly  larger. 


24  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

Color. — As  in  M.  operarius. 

Skull. — Similar  in  general  to  that  of  M.  operarius,  but  somewhat 
larger;  molar  series  averaging  a  trifle  longer;  audital  bullse  decidedly 
larger  and  more  rounded;   basioccipital  narrow. 

Measurements. — Average  of  8  topotypes:  Total  length  168.7 
(161-179);  tail  vertebras  38.6  (36-42);  hind  foot  19.4  (19-20.5). 
Skull  of  type:  Basal  length  29;  basilar  length  25.7;  zygomatic 
breadth  15.8;  mastoid  breadth  12.7;  nasals  7.8;  postpalatal  length 
11;  upper  toothrow  6.7. 

Remarks. — This  new  form  differs  from  the  coast  forms,  operarius, 
macfarlani,  and  kadiacensis,  in  characters  in  which  these  forms  do  not 
differ  from  each  other.  Since  it  is  therefore  impossible  to  definitely 
refer  specimens  of  the  interior  form  to  any  one  of  the  coast  forms,  it 
seems  advisable  to  recognize  the  slight  characters  in  which  it  differs 
from  them  collectively.  In  the  very  large  series  that  have  been 
examined  from  both  coast  and  interior,  the  difference  in  size  of  audital 
bullse  is  remarkably  constant.  Of  the  interior  form,  122  specimens 
have  been  examined,  as  follows:  Mouth  of  Charlie  Creek,  15;  Circle, 
46;  Yukon  River,  20  miles  above  Circle,  15;  mountains  near  Eagle,  46. 

These  mice  were  found  to  be  very  abundant  in  the  high  mountain 
meadows  about  the  head  of  Seward  Creek.  The  very  mountain  tops, 
wherever  moist  tundra-like  vegetation  was  found,  were  thickly  popu- 
lated by  them.  In  the  course  of  a  day's  walk  through  the  meadows 
and  along  the  rounded  ridges,  one  could  not  fail  to  observe  thousands 
of  the  runways  of  these  mice.  They  are  quite  common  also  lower 
down  on  the  timbered  hillsides  and  to  the  banks  of  the  Yukon,  but  at 
lower  elevations  are  not  so  universally  distributed,  being  confined 
chiefly  to  cold  swamps.  Apparently  their  southern  limit  along  the 
river  is  near  the  mouth  of  Charlie  Creek,  as  they  have  not  been  found 
above  that  point.  In  the  mountains  they  may  be  found  much  farther 
south.  They  are  easily  distinguished  from  M.  drummondi  in  the  flesh 
by  their  yellowish  coloration,  and  particularly  by  the  buffy  yellow 
underparts.  Museum  specimens  of  certain  ages  are  occasionally  diffi- 
cult to  distinguish  by  external  characters,  but  the  dentition  is  always 
diagnostic. 

Microtus  pennsylvanicus   drummondi  (Aud.  and  Bach.).     Drummond 

Vole. 

This  vole  is  confined  to  the  low  country  along  the  Yukon,  and 
apparently  does  not  range  into  the  high  mountains  as  M.  operarius 
does.  It  is  most  abundant  about  the  borders  of  open  grassy  swamps, 
but  may  also  be  found  indiscriminately  along  the  river  banks.  Speci- 
mens were  collected  at  the  following  localities  along  the  Yukon  from 
Eagle  to  Circle:  Charlie  Creek,  Circle,  Eagle,  20  miles  above  Circle, 
40  miles  above  Circle,  Nation  Creek,  Seventy  Mile  Creek.     Although 


1909.]  MAMMALS EAST   CENTRAL  ALASKA.  25 

some  of  these  are  slightly  larger  and  darker  than  typical  drwnmcndi, 
they  are  well  within  the  variation  known  to  occur  in  this  wide- 
ranging  form. 

Microtus  xanthognathus  (Leach).     Yellow-nosed  Vole. 

Sparingly  distributed  along  the  river  from  Eagle  to  the  vicinity  of 
Circle.  We  were  unable  to  discover  that  these  large  voles  had  any 
special  habitat  in  this  region,  and  therefore  were  able  to  catch  them 
only  by  trapping  in  all  favorable  places.  One  was  found  dead  in  the 
street  in  Eagle,  but  lines  of  traps  set  in  the  vicinity  failed  to  secure 
another.  Near  Charlie  Creek  several  were  taken  in  rather  poorly 
defined  runways  in  dry  places  about  the  roots  of  fallen  trees.  One 
was  taken  there  in  a  wet,  grassy  swamp  in  the  small  runway  of  Microtus 
drummondi.  One  more  was  caught  under  some  large  roots  on  the 
bank  of  a  small  stream  20  miles  above  Circle.  Continued  trapping 
in  all  suitable  places  along  the  banks  of  this  stream  was  fruitless.  In 
a  growth  of  young  poplars  on  a  dry  hillside  near  the  same  place,  Hol- 
lister  killed  one  of  these  voles  as  it  ran  about  in  the  dry  leaves.  The 
next  day  he  almost  covered  this  hillside  with  mouse  traps,  but  obtained 
none  of  the  desired  species.  From  this  varied  experience  we  were 
inclined  to  consider  the  habits  of  this  species  to  be  very  irregular. 
However,  somewhat  later  in  the  season,  as  we  were  returning  from 
the  head  of  Seward  Creek  to  Eagle,  we  passed  over  several  acres  in 
small  openings  in  mixed  woods,  about  500  feet  below  timberline,  in 
which  the  ground  was  honeycombed  with  runways.  Circumstances 
prevented  a  stop  there,  but  judging  by  the  size  of  the  runways 
and  the  amount  of  earth  at  the  entrances  to  the  burrows,  I  feel 
certain  that  this  place  was  occupied  by  a  large  colony  of  Microtus 
xanthognathus. 

Microtus  mordax  (Merriam).     Long-tailed  Vole. 

Three  specimens  were  secured  by  Hollister  at  our  camp,  20  miles 
above  Circle.  This  is  slightly  farther  north  than  the  previous  record 
from  tins  part  of  the  Yukon,0  and  is  therefore  the  most  northerly 
locality  at  which  this  wide-ranging  species  has  been  taken.  At  the 
head  of  Seward  Creek  this  vole  was  very  abundant,  occurring  along 
small  snow-fed  streams  near  timberline  in  just  such  localities  as  those 
in  winch  it  is  well  known  in  the  mountains  of  the  western  United 
States. 

Fiber  zibethicus  spatulatus  Osgood.     Northwest  Muskrat. 

Signs  of  muskrats  were  seen  frequently,  and  the  animals  themselves 
were  observed  swimming  in  several  small  ponds  in  the  vicinity  of 
Circle.  They  occur  in  rather  small  numbers  all  along  the  river, 
where  they  usually  live  in  holes  in  the  banks.     Occasionally  consid- 

a  Cf.  N.  Am.  Fauna  No.  19,  p.  35,  Oct.,  1900. 


26  NORTH  AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

erable  colonies  may  be  found  in  grass-bordered  ponds  a  short  distance 
back  from  the  river.  The  weight  of  an  adult  female  taken  15  miles 
below  Eagle  was  2|  pounds. 

Synaptomys  borealis  dalli  Merriam.     Dall  Lemming  Mouse. 

Rather  rare,  only  4  specimens  being  taken.  One  of  these  was 
caught  in  a  grassy  swamp  near  Charlie  Creek,  and  the  other  3  near 
timberline  at  the  head  of  Seward  Creek. 

Lemmus  helvolus  yukonensis  Merriam.     Yukon  Lemming. 

The  type  and  several  additional  specimens  of  this  lemming  were 
taken  in  1899  in  the  vicinity  of  Charlie  Creek.  In  1903  trapping 
was  not  done  in  exactly  the  same  locality,  but  several  days  were 
spent  a  very  short  distance  away,  and  all  efforts  to  catch  lemmings 
were  unsuccessful. 

Erethizon  epixanthum  myops  Merriam.     Alaska  Porcupine. 

An  occasional  barked  alder  bush  or  small  spruce  was  seen  bearing 
the  tooth  marks  of  porcupines,  but  the  animals  themselves  were  not 
observed.  Prospectors  and  trappers  who  have  traveled  in  the  region 
for  several  years  say  that  porcupines  are  seldom  seen. 

Ochotona  collaris  (Nelson).     Collared  Pika. 

Pikas  were  excessively  abundant  in  the  mountains  about  the  head 
of  Seward  Creek,  where  conditions  were  ideal.  Immense  areas  of 
granite  rockslides  are  exposed  on  nearly  every  mountain  side,  and 
the  tops  of  most  of  the  peaks  consist  of  bowlders  and  broken  granite 
piled  in  great  confusion.  Vegetation  is  scattered  through  it  nearly 
everywhere.  A  large  mountain,  which  rose  blufflike  immediately 
opposite  our  camp,  was  a  solid  mass  of  granite,  and  on  its  steep  sides 
hundreds  of  pikas  lived.  As  we  sat  at  work  in  camp,  we  could  hear 
their  sharp  metallic  barks  at  all  hours  of  day  or  night.  Their  color 
is  in  even  more  perfect  accord  with  their  surroundings  than  that  of 
their  relatives  in  the  United  States.  As  they  sit  motionless  on  the 
top  of  a  granite  rock,  perhaps  among  fragments  of  nearly  their  own 
size,  they  are  very  inconspicuous.  However,  they  do  not  often  sit 
long  without  uttering  their  peculiar  cry.  This  sounds  much  like 
enk,  enk,  enk,  with  a  metallic  twang  which  makes  it  audible  for  a 
considerable  distance.  In  hunting  for  them,  one  proceeds  slowly, 
listening  for  the  sharp  barking  cry  and  stepping  with  care  to  avoid 
starting  an  avalanche  of  rocks.  When  the  sound  is  located  within 
reasonable  limits,  one  approaches  more  cautiously  and  scans  the  tops 
of  all  the  more  prominent  rocks  for  suspicious-looking  irregularities. 
Usually  the  little  fellows  are  not  greatly  alarmed  at  the  appearance 
of  a  man  at  a  distance  of  100  yards  or  more,  but  when  he  comes 
nearer  they  may  suddenly  disappear.     It  often  happens  that  the 


1909.]  MAMMALS EAST    CENTRAL   ALASKA.  27 

man  gets  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  repeated  sound  until  suddenly  he 
sights  the  little  pika  not  10  yards  in  front  of  him  and  realizes  that  it 
has  been  within  his  range  of  vision  ever  since  he  first  heard  it.  Then 
the  little  gray  object  silently  runs  down  from  its  elevated  position 
and  disappears  in  one  of  the  innumerable  openings  below.  He  does 
not  appear  to  run  fast  or  to  exert  himself  at  all,  yet  he  has  gone  in  a 
twinkling.  If  he  is  really  much  alarmed,  you  may  hear  his  sharp 
bark  reverberating  in  the  rock  chambers,  perhaps  immediately  below 
where  you  are  standing,  as  he  runs  excitedly  about,  betraying  Ins 
subterranean  course  approximately  by  the  sound.  But  if  not  greatly 
frightened  he  drops  out  of  sight  silently,  and  in  a  few  moments  curi- 
osity overcomes  fear,  and  his  head  appears  again  for  an  instant, 
usually  from  behind  a  large  rock.  Then  lie  whisks  out  of  sight,  and 
in  another  second  may  poke  his  nose  around  the  other  side  of  the 
same  rock.  If  you  make  a  move  now,  he  is  off  into  the  depths  again, 
and  probably  for  good;  but  if  you  stand  absolutely  quiet  he  will  glide 
out  into  full  view  and  soon  start  up  the  side  of  the  rock  toward  his 
perch  at  the  top.  He  proceeds  by  a  slightly  hopping  run,  stopping 
every  foot  or  so  as  if  undecided,  and  clinging  with  his  hair-cushioned 
feet  to  the  side  of  the  rock  with  the  greatest  ease.  Finally  he  gets  to 
the  top,  draws  his  feet  in,  makes  a  few  settling  motions,  humps  his 
little  back  quite  rabbitlike,  and  then  his  expression  seems  to  say, 
"Now  I'm  safe."  In  another  moment  he  jerks  his  head,  opens  his 
mouth,  and  utters  the  plaintive  enk,  enk. 

During  August  the  pikas  were  harvesting  hay,  and  we  frequently 
found  small  stacks  carefully  placed  on  a  shelving  rock,  where  it  was 
well  exposed  to  the  air,  but  at  the  same  time  protected  from  rain. 
Most  of  the  common  plants  of  the  region  entered  into  its  composition, 
but  Dryas  was  used  most  extensively. 

Since  this  species  was  so  poorly  represented  in  collections,  and 
since  the  mountains  about  the  head  of  Seward  Creek  are  near  the 
type  locality,  a  series  of  88  specimens  was  secured  there.  These  were 
taken  from  day  to  day  from  July  31  to  September  2,  and  in  spite  of 
this  range  in  dates  the  majority  are  in  changing  pelage.  Some  of 
the  earliest  had  acquired  almost  complete  fall  pelage,  while  among 
the  very  latest  are  still  some  in  which  the  worn  left-over  pelage  shows 
to  a  considerable  extent.  The  new  pelage  is  a  grayish  fawn  color, 
peppered  with  dusky  over  most  of  the  upperparts.  The  neck  and 
shoulder  patch  or  collar  are  nearly  pure  gray  and  conspicuous,  though 
the  gray  blends  perfectly  with  the  fawn  of  the  head  and  back.  In 
most  cases  this  collar  is  scarcely  developed  on  the  underside  of  the 
neck,  which  is  merely  a  few  degrees  darker  than  the  rest  of  the  under- 
parts.  The  underparts,  which  in  the  left-over  pelage  of  spring  and 
early  summer  are  nearly  pure  white,  become  decidedly  creamy  in  the 


28  NOKTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

new  fall  pelage.  The  series  contains  a  good  representation  of  young, 
some  in  the  soft  woolly  juvenile  pelage,  but  the  majority  with  patches 
of  clean,  glossy  adult  coat  appearing  along  the  middle  of  the  back. 

The  skulls  are  very  similar  to  those  of  0.  princeps  and  related  forms, 
and  the  differences  in  color  are  not  too  great  to  preclude  the  possibility 
that  these  species  may  inosculate.  The  southern  limits  of  collaris  and 
the  northern  of  princeps,  as  at  present  known,  are  quite  widely  sepa- 
rated by  a  region  which  may  be  inhabited  by  both  or  by  intergrading 
forms.  Comparison  of  skulls  of  collaris  with  a  single  specimen  from 
East  Cape,  Siberia  (sp.  ?),  indicates  that  the  relationship  is  much 
more  remote  than  with  princeps.  Average  flesh  measurements  of 
20  adult  males  of  0.  collaris  are  as  follows:  Total  length  190  (180-198) ; 
hind  foot  30.5  (30-31.5). 

Lepus  americanus  macfarlani  Merriam.     MacFarlane  Varying  Hare. 

Rabbits  were  fairly  common  along  most  of  the  river  between  Eagle 
and  Circle,  though  it  was  evidently  not  a  time  of  great  abundance. 
When  I  passed  through  the  same  region  in  1899,  not  a  single  one  was 
seen.  A  few  years  later  they  had  increased  wonderfully,  and  will 
doubtless  soon  reach  the  maximum  and  then  die  in  great  numbers 
from  disease.  Several  specimens  were  taken,  and  runways  and  feed- 
ing places  were  noted  at  every  stop  along  the  river.  In  the  moun- 
tains they  were  found  up  to  the  limits  of  timber.  In  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  Eagle  and  Circle  no  signs  of  them  were  seen,  doubtless 
because  of  the  many  dogs  about.  In  winter,  when  other  meat  is 
scarce,  rabbits  are  snared  in  great  numbers  for  food. 

Lynx  canadensis  Kerr.     Canada  Lynx. 

Tracks  of  a  large  lynx  were  seen  in  the  soft  sand  of  the  river  bank 
20  miles  above  Circle.  No  signs  of  the  species  were  seen  elsewhere, 
and  it  is  not  abundant  in  the  region.  At  Circle  2  lynx  skins  were 
received  at  one  store  in  1903  and  2  or  3  at  the  other,  and  this  is  said 
to  be  about  the  average  for  the  past  four  or  five  seasons. 

Canis  albus  Sabine.a     Northern  Wolf. 

Although  so  many  caribou  annually  pass  through  the  mountains 
near  Eagle,  wolves  are  seldom  reported,  except  in  limited  numbers  in 
winter.  A  hunter  and  prospector  who  had  been  traveling  over  the 
region  for  several  years  told  me  that  he  had  rarely  seen  a  wolf  track 
and  had  observed  the  animals  but  once,  when  he  saw  a  pack  of  40 
or  50  near  the  head  of  Charlie  River. 

Vulpes  fulvus  alascensis  Merriam.     Alaska  Red  Fox. 

According  to  report,  foxes  are  quite  rare  in  tins  part  of  Alaska,  both 
along  the  Yukon  and  in  the  mountains.     We  saw  no  signs  of  them. 

a  See  note,  N.  Am.  Fauna  No.  24,  p.  39,  1904. 


1909.]  MAMMALS EAST   CENTEAL   ALASKA.  29 

Ursus  horribilis  phseonyx  Merriam.     Grizzly  Bear. 

Grizzlies  are  comparatively  scarce  in  the  region,  but  reports  of 
encounters  with  them  are  occasionally  brought  in  by  prospectors. 
Such  reports  usually  come  from  the  mountains,  and  are  probably 
reliable,  but  most  of  the  recent  reports  of  grizzlies  on  the  Yukon  banks 
prove  to  refer  to  large  cinnamon  bears.  The  type  of  Ursus  h.  pJiseonyx 
was  killed  by  Bert  Bryant,  of  Eagle,  on  an  open  treeless  ridge  on  the 
west  side  of  Glacier  Mountain,  some  2  miles  below  the  source  of 
Comet  Creek.  I  visited  the  spot  later  in  search  of  the  skull,  which 
had  been  left  with  the  carcass,  but  neither  then  nor  at  any  time  while 
in  the  region  of  Glacier  Mountain  did  I  find  fresh  signs  of  grizzlies. 

Ursus  americanus  Pallas.     Black  Bear.     Cinnamon  Bear. 

Although  our  party  saw  no  bear  tracks,  both  black  and  cinnamon 
bears  are  fairly  common  along  the  part  of  the  Yukon  traversed  by 
us  and  also  in  much  of  the  country  back  from  the  big  river.  The 
cinnamon  phase  appears  more  common  than  the  black,  but  both 
occur.  A  female  cinnamon  bear  and  cubs  were  killed  near  Seventy 
Mile  by  a  party  of  prospectors,  who  displayed  one  of  the  cubs  to  us 
as  their  boat  floated  by  our  camp  on  the  evening  of  June  30.  An 
imperfect  weathered  skull  was  picked  up  by  Hollister  near  the 
mouth  of  Nation  Creek. 

lutra  canadensis  (Schreber) .     Land  Otter. 

Otters  are  quite  rare  throughout  the  region,  and  perhaps  never 
were  abundant.  The  few  that  remain  are  confined  chiefly  to  small 
branches  of  tributaries  of  the  Yukon  remote  from  navigable  waters. 
The  chief  fur  trader  at  Circle  reported  that  in  1902  he  secured  only 
2  otter  skins,  while  in  1903  none  were  offered. 

Lutreola  vison  ingens  Osgood.     Mink. 

We  failed  to  secure  any  mink,  and  were  informed  that  they  are 
not  especially  common.  One  of  the  traders  in  Circle  reported  having 
received  30  mink  skins  in  1903,  and  this  number  is  believed  to  be 
about  half  of  those  taken  throughout  a  wide  area;  so  it  appears 
that  mink  are  scarcely  more  numerous  here  than  in  many  parts  of 
the  United  States.  The  number  received  at  Eagle  was  not  ascer- 
tained, but  was  doubtless  much  smaller,  as  very  little  fur  trading  is 
done  there. 

Putorins  arcticus  Merriam.     Arctic  Weasel. 

Weasels  were  very  abundant  in  the  mountains  about  the  head  of 
Seward  Creek.  Two  specimens  were  taken  on  the  Yukon  bank 
20  miles  above  Circle.  These  were  caught  at  the  mouth  of  a  burrow 
of  the  large  ground  squirrel  (Citellus  osgoodi).  No  doubt  they  were 
preying  upon  the  squirrels,  although  the  latter  are  fully  four  times 


30  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

as  heavy  as  the  vicious  little  carnivores.  In  the  mountains  they 
were  found  chiefly  in  the  granite  rock  slides,  feeding  on  the  exces- 
sively abundant  pikas  (Ocliotona),  although  a  considerable  number 
was  taken  in  thickets  of  dwarf  birch  near  timberline,  where  they 
were  doubtless  seeking  voles  and  shrews.  In  their  hunting  they 
apparently  cover  quite  a  range  of  territory.  Traps  kept  set  in  one 
place  continued  to  catch  one  or  more  weasels  every  day  or  two 
during  our  entire  stay  in  the  region.  Several  of  the  animals  were 
watched  as  they  glided  in  and  out  among  the  rocks,  covering  in  a 
few  minutes  half  a  mile  or  more  of  territory.  At  such  times  they 
seemed  entirely  fearless,  and  paid  scarcely  any  attention  to  us. 
Once,  as  I  visited  a  trap,  I  found  a  weasel  just  attacking  the  bait, 
which  consisted  of  a  dismembered  pika.  I  stood  within  4  or  5  feet 
and  watched  as  the  animal  came  out  of  a  crevice  in  the  rocks,  seized 
a  piece  of  the  meat,  and  began  to  tear  it  greedily.  He  moved  like  a 
flash,  several  times  disappearing  in  the  crevice,  but  immediately 
returning,  meanwhile  paying  no  attention  whatever  to  me.  His 
beady  black  eyes  and  little  flashing  white  teeth,  combined  with  the 
contour  of  the  head,  made  him  a  perfect  embodiment  of  ferocity. 
Fearing  that  he  might  miss  the  trap,  I  moved  back  a  few  paces  to 
shoot  him,  when  he  flashed  out  of  sight  and  did  not  reappear  in  the 
few  moments  that  I  waited.  Returning  a  few  hours  later  I  found 
him  in  the  trap.  Unless  traps  were  inspected  within  a  few  hours 
after  weasels  were  caught,  the  animals  were  found  dead,  doubtless 
from  their  violent  efforts  to  escape.  When  alive  they  were  always 
on  the  defensive,  and  fought  viciously  to  the  last  breath. 

A  series  of  42  specimens  was  secured  within  a  radius  of  500  yards 
from  our  camp  at  the  head  of  Seward  Creek,  all  caught  in  4  traps; 
so  it  is  evident  the  animals  were  very  abundant.  A  single  trap  in 
one  location  caught  3  weasels  in  one  day.  Of  the  42  specimens, 
28  are  males  and  14  females.  As  shown  by  their  skulls,  very  few 
of  these  are  well-matured  individuals,  but  the  majority  are  ap- 
parently from  1  to  2  years  of  age,  having  inflated  braincases  with- 
out definite  sagittal  crests.  Of  those  undeniably  adult,  and  having 
all  their  characters  developed,  there  are  4  males  and  3  females. 
Among  these,  2  males  and  1  female  are  slightly  smaller  throughout 
than  the  others,  even  the  teeth  being  definitely  smaller.  Under 
different  circumstances  such  a  discrepancy  in  size  might  well  be 
assumed  to  be  specific  or  subspecific,  but  when  all  the  specimens 
are  from  one  spot,  it  is  difficult  to  look  upon  it  as  more  than  individ- 
ual variation.  The  flesh  measurements  of  the  2  large  adult  males 
are  as  follows:  Total  length  336,  330;  tail  vertebras  87,  90;  hind 
foot  46,  45.  Those  of  the  2  smaller  adult  males  are:  309,  298;  78,80: 
43,  40.     The  largest  and  smallest  adult  females  measured,  respec- 


1909.]  MAMMALS EAST    CENTRAL   ALASKA.  31 

tively:  283,  253;  69,  63;  34,  35.  The  immature  specimens  are  larger 
than  the  adults,  not  only  in  flesh  measurements,  but  also  in  most  of 
the  dimensions  of  the  skull.  The  teeth  in  this  series,  however,  vary 
but  little. 

In  color,  the  younger  animals  are  rather  darker  than  the  fully 
matured.  The  upperparts  are  nearly  uniform  Prout  brown;  the 
underparts  in  most  cases  are  strongly  tinged  with  yellow,  this  more 
intense  in  the  older  examples,  almost  the  entire  underparts  being 
clear  Naples  yellow  (Ridgw.,  PI.  VI,  No.  18).  The  chin  and  the 
maxillary  region  are  in  all  cases  creamy  white  without  yellow  suffu- 
sion. Of  the  28  males,  one  has  a  large  distinct  brown  pectoral  spot, 
and  6  others  have  small  indistinct  spots  or  traces  of  brown  on  the 
breast.  One  of  the  females  also  has  a  small  brown  pectoral  spot. 
The  remainder  have  immaculate  underparts.  With  six  exceptions, 
all  have  the  color  of  the  underparts  continued  on  the  underside  of 
the  tail,  nearly  to  the  base  of  the  black  tip.  The  exceptions  have 
the  underside  of  the  tail  decidedly  lighter  than  the  upper,  but  not 
yellowish.  The  amount  of  black  at  the  end  of  the  tail  is  in  every 
case  practically  two-fifths  of  the  entire  length  of  the  tail.  There  is 
also  no  appreciable  variation  in  the  distribution  of  light  and  dark 
on  the  feet.  On  the  hind  feet  the  dark  color  of  the  upperparts  ex- 
tends down  from  the  leg,  covering  the  heel  and  the  inside  of  the  foot 
to  a  point  about  two-thirds  of  the  way  from  the  heel  to  the  end  of 
the  toes.  The  light  undercolor  extends  down  the  outside  of  the  foot 
and  covers  the  toes  and  metatarsal  region.  The  fore  feet  are  the 
same  color  as  the  underparts,  with  a  line  of  brown  on  the  outer  side 
of  the  forearm,  reaching  about  to  the  metacarpal  joint. 

Mustela  americana  actuosa  Osgood.     Marten. 

In  spite  of  long-continued  trapping  the  marten  is  still  taken  in 
large  numbers,  being,  as  in  former  years,  the  principal  fur-bearing 
animal  of  the  region.  In  1903  one  of  the  two  traders  in  Circle 
received  1,067  marten  skins  and  the  other  about  the  same  number. 
We  had  opportunity  to  examine  about  1,000  as  they  lay  on  the  floor 
of  a  warehouse.  Remarkable  uniformity  of  color  prevailed  in  this 
unusually  fine  series.  The  general  pale  coloration,  light  brownish 
gray  head,  whitish  ears,  nose,  and  chin,  as  detailed  in  the  original 
description  of  M.  a.  actuosa,  were  found  to  be  very  constant.  In  the 
entire  series  only  some  twenty  to  thirty  skins  were  dark  colored,  and 
these  may  have  been  from  animals  caught  beyond  the  range  of  true 
actuosa.  Their  exact  source  could  not  be  ascertained,  but  the  traders 
say  their  fur  seldom  comes  more  than  200  miles.  White  trappers  and 
Indians  now  catch  about  equal  numbers,  but  the  proportion  taken  by 
Indians  is  rapidly  decreasing. 


32  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  30 

Gulo  luscus  (Linn.).     Wolverine. 

A  few  wolverines  are  killed  in  the  vicinity  of  Circle  each  year,  but 
they  are  considered  rather  uncommon. 

Sorex  tundrensis  Merriam.     Tundra  Shrew. 

Along  the  river  from  Charlie  Creek  to  Circle,  several  were  taken 
under  logs  and  drift,  while  in  the  mountains  at  the  head  of  Seward 
Creek  they  were  very  common,  being  found  chiefly  in  mossy  places 
about  the  roots  of  the  dwarf  birch.  The  series  secured  is  as  follows: 
Head  of  Seward  Creek,  33 ;  Charlie  Creek,  3 ;  20  miles  above  Circle,  2 ; 
Circle,  2.  These  interior  specimens  seem  to  average  slightl}'  darker 
than  topotypes  from  the  coast  of  Bering  Sea,  and  their  skulls  are 
rather  more  robust,  but  the  differences  in  both  respects  are  slight. 

Sorex  obscurus  Merriam.     Mountain  Shrew. 

Eighteen  shrews  of  this  species  were  taken  in  the  mountains  about 
the  head  of  Seward  Creek.  It  occurs  also,  though  doubtless  rarely,  in 
the  lower  country  along  the  Yukon,  as  is  attested  by  one  specimen 
secured  by  us  20  miles  above  Circle.  Fresh  specimens  in  the  field  are 
readily  distinguishable  from  the  other  species  of  the  region  by  their 
longer  tails.  This  species  has  not  been  previously  recorded  from 
Alaska,  though  closely  related  forms  are  known  from  the  coast  of  the 
Territory.  Its  occurrence  in  the  interior  mountains  was  to  be 
expected,  as  specimens  from  the  Alaska  Peninsula  were  known  to  be 
only  slightly  different  from  t}Tpical  obscurus.a  The  Alaska  specimens 
of  obscurus  are  rather  more  robust  than  the  average  from  the  United 
States,  but  agree  perfectly  with  specimens  from  Henry  House,  Alberta, 
previously  referred  to  obscurus. b 

Sorex  personatus  arcticus  Merriam.     Arctic  Shrew. 

Tin's  shrew  and  the  tundra  shrew  were  about  equally  abundant  in 
the  mountains  near  Eagle.  Altogether  35  specimens  of  the  smaller 
species  were  taken  there.  They  were  caught  in  various  situations, 
but  as  practically  the  entire  region  is  relatively  moist  and  cool  there 
was  little  choice  for  them.  Along  the  Yukon  they  are  much  less 
common,  but  are  generally  distributed,  and  a  few  specimens  were 
usually  taken  wherever  much  trapping  was  done.  The  following 
localities  are  represented:  Charlie  Creek,  Circle,  20  miles  above  Circle, 
40  miles  above  Circle,  Eagle,  and  head  of  Seward  Creek. 

These  specimens,  like  those  from  the  Alaska  Peninsula  previously 
referred  to  arcticus,0  are  practically  like  true  personatus  in  color,  but 
differ  in  very  slight  average  cranial  characters. 

a  Cf.  N.  Am.  Fauna  No.  24,  p.  50,  1904. 

&Cf.  Merriam,  N.  Am.  Fauna  No.  10,  p.  73,  1895. 

cCf.  N.  Am.  Fauna  No.  24,  p.  49,  Nov.,  1904. 


1909.]  BIRDS EAST   CENTRAL   ALASKA.  33 

BIRDS  OF  EAST  CENTRAL  ALASKA. 

The  following  notes  relate  only  to  species  observed  by  N.  Hollister 
and  myself  in  1903.  A  few  species  not  found  by  us  were  taken  or  seen 
in  the  same  region  by  Dr.  L.  B.  Bishop  and  myself  in  1899. a  These 
are:  Pisobia  bairdi,  Myiochanes  ricliardsoni,  Empidonax  Jiammondi, 
Loxia  leucoptera,  Spinus  pinus,  and  Bomby cilia  garrula.  Among  the 
spring  migrants  are  doubtless  many  species  not  seen  by  us.  Fortu- 
nately, however,  the  identity  of  some  of  these  was  learned  through  the 
kindness  of  a  local  collector,  Mr.  M.  J.  Coleman,  whom  we  met  in  Eagle. 
His  specimens,  taken  in  the  vicinity  of  Eagle,  had  been  mounted  and 
sent  to  his  home  in  San  Francisco.  At  his  suggestion  and  through 
the  courtesy  of  his  family,  I  was  enabled  to  examine  the  collection,  and 
found  among  others  specimens  of  the  following  species:  Colymbus 
auritus,  Gavia  pacifica,  Larus  pJiiladelpMa,  Mergus  americanus,  Mer- 
gus  serrator,  Mareca  americana,  Spatula  clypeata,  (Jharitonetta  albeola, 
Harelda  hyemalis,  Histrionicus  Mstrionicus ,  Oidemia  deglandi,  Oidemia 
perspicillata,  Branta  nigricans,  Lobipes  lobatus,  Squatarola  squatarola, 
Cliaradnus  dominicus,  Arenaria  interpres,  and  Plectrophenax  nivalis. 

A  small  collection  of  birds  from  Fort  Egbert,  near  Eagle,  collected 
by  Capt.  C.  S.  Farnsworth,  U.  S.  Army,  is  in  the  U.  S.  National 
Museum,  and  includes  specimens  of  Tryngites  subruficollis ,  Numenius 
hudsonicus,  and  Pedicecetes  phasianellus. 

In  the  preparation  of  the  following  list  the  notes  of  Mr.  Hollister 
have  been  of  great  assistance. 

Colymbus  holboelli  (Reinh.).     Holboell  Grebe. 

Three  individuals  of  this  large  grebe  were  seen  in  a  pond  some  3 
miles  west  of  Circle  July  10. 

larus  argentatus  Pontop.     Herring  Gull. 

Between  Eagle  and  Circle,  a  single  large  gull,  or  sometimes  a  pair, 
was  occasionally  seen  flying  over  the  river.  The  total  number  seen 
scarcely  exceeded  a  dozen. 

larus  brach.yrh.ynchus  Rich.     Short-billed  Gull. 

Fairly  common  in  the  vicinity  of  Circle,  but  not  observed  elsewhere. 
A  few  were  flying  over  the  river  before  the  town  most  of  the  time,  and 
several  were  noted  about  ponds  a  few  miles  west.  A  flock  of  about  20 
passed  down  the  river  late  in  the  evening  July  19. 

Mergus  serrator  (Linn.).     Red-breasted  Merganser. 

A  small  flock  of  mergansers,  supposed  to  be  of  this  species,  flew 
by  our  camp  near  Charlie  Creek  June  21. 

°See  N.  Am.  Fauna  No.  19,  pp.  47-96,  1900. 
89992— No.  30—09 3 


34  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

Anas  platyrhynchos  Linn.     Mallard. 

Fairly  common  along  the  river  and  in  the  swamps  near  it.  A 
young  bird  in  the  down  whose  plaintive  peep  attracted  us  was  found 
in  a  forlorn  condition  in  the  long  grass  of  a  small  swamp  near  Circle 
July  3. 

Nettion  carolinense  (Gmel.).     Green-winged  Teal. 

Not  seen  along  the  Yukon,  but  four  birds  appeared  in  a  large  tim- 
berline  seepage  pond  near  Glacier  Mountain  August  11.  A  single 
bird  was  taken  August  16  on  a  small  swift  stream  in  the  same  vi- 
cinity. 

Dafila  acuta  (Linn.).     Pintail. 

Not  common.  One  adult  male  was  seen  on  the  river  near  Circle, 
and  a  female  with  downy  young  was  found  on  an  inland  pond.  Six 
adults  alighted  in  a  mountain  lake  near  our  camp  at  the  head  of 
Seward  Creek  August  6. 

Marila  affinis  (Eyt.).     Lesser  Scaup. 

A  female  and  six  downy  young  were  flushed  from  the  grass  at  the 
edge  of  a  woodland  pond  near  Circle  July  10.  Several  of  the  duck- 
lings were  killed  with  small  shot,  while  the  old  bird  fluttered  about 
the  pond  until  she  too  was  added  to  the  collection. 

Clangula  clangula  americana  Bonap.     Golden-eye. 

An  adult  female  and  three  downy  young  were  taken  from  a  pond 
near  Circle  July  14.  On  the  same  day  another  family  of  them  was 
seen  swimming  near  the  edge  of  a  pond.  At  our  approach  the  old 
bird  fluttered  rapidly  to  the  center  of  the  pond,  and  the  little  ones 
dove  with  alacrity  and  swam  beneath  the  surface  until  they  arose 
around  their  parent. 

Branta  canadensis  hutchinsi  (Rich.).     Hutchins  Goose. 

Several  small  flocks  of  geese  were  seen  near  the  mouth  of  Charlie 
Creek,  and  from  that  point  to  Circle  others  were  noted  occasionally. 
Above  Charlie  Creek,  however,  none  were  seen. 

Grus  canadensis  (Linn.).     Little  Brown  Crane. 

Several  small  flocks  were  seen  flying  over  the  low  country  near 
Circle,  where  doubtless  they  breed. 

Gallinago  delicata  (Ord).     Snipe. 

Apparently  a  common  breeder  in  the  vicinity  of  Circle.  One  pair 
frequented  a  small  moist  willow-bordered  swale  within  a  stone's 
throw  of  the  outlying  cabins  of  the  town.  Both  birds  were  flushed 
there  repeatedly  as  we  passed  through,  but  no  nest  or  young  birds 
could  be  found.  A  young  bird  barely  able  to  fly  was  killed  a  few 
miles  west  of  Circle. 


1909.]  BIRDS EAST   CENTRAL   ALASKA.  35 

Pisobia  minutilla  (Vieill.).     Least  Sandpiper. 

One  taken  by  Hollister  near  Circle  July  10.  It  flew  about  us  ex- 
citedly, now  and  then  alighting  on  the  tops  of  small  trees  and  acting 
as  if  its  nest  or  young  was  near.  Later,  small  flocks  were  seen  about 
puddles  of  water  in  the  streets  (?)  of  Circle,  where  they  seemed  quite 
at  home. 

Totanus  flavipes  (Gmel.).     Yellowlegs. 

Two  seen,  one  of  which  was  taken  near  Circle  July  13. 

Helodromas     solitarius     cinnamomeus     (Brewst.).     Western    Solitary 

Sandpiper. 

Very  common  about  small  swamps  near  the  river  at  nearly  all 
points  visited  between  Charlie  Creek  and  Circle.  Within  a  radius 
of  several  miles  from  Circle  one  or  more  adults  were  found  about 
almost  every  woodland  swamp.  In  most  cases  they  acted  like  par- 
ent birds  anxious  for  the  safety  of  their  young.  Whenever  we 
entered  certain  precincts,  they  hovered  nervously  about,  calling 
loudly,  or  alighted  on  near-by  trees  scolding.  The  first  pair  seen 
near  Charlie  Creek  exhibited  such  actions  on  the  evening  of  June  22, 
and  we  made  a  hasty  search  in  the  twilight  for  young  birds,  but 
found  nothing.  The  excitement  of  the  old  birds  seemed  to  be 
greatest  while  we  were  in  a  small  grassy  swamp,  so  the  next  day  we 
made  a  more  careful  search.  The  old  birds  were  even  more  excited 
than  before,  and  it  was  some  time  before  we  detected  that,  besides 
the  loud  cries  ringing  all  about  us,  a  faint  peeping  was  issuing  from 
several  points  in  the  grass.  Guided  by  tins  scarcely  audible  peeping, 
we  soon  found  three  downy  young  birds  widely  separated  and 
squatting  aimlessly  in  the  grass.  They  are  quite  small,  exactly  of 
a  size,  and  none  shows  the  least  indication  of  growing  feathers;  evi- 
dently they  belonged  to  one  clutch,  and  could  not  have  been  out 
of  the  eggs  more  than  one  or  two  days.  The  eggs  of  this  species, 
like  those  of  the  European  green  sandpiper,  have  been  found a  in 
the  nests  of  other  birds  in  trees.  The  small  opening  where  the 
birds  were  found  was  bounded  on  one  side  by  an  extensive  area 
grown  with  willows  of  relatively  small  size,  but  on  the  other  side  was 
only  a  thin  line  of  willows  and  then  alders,  birch,  poplars,  and 
heavy  spruce,  in  winch  probably  such  birds  as  olive-backed 
thrushes,  robins,  and  varied  thrushes  nested  in  abundance.  There- 
fore there  was  ample  opportunity  for  the  sandpipers  to  lay  their  eggs 
in  the  nests  of  these  birds. 

In  similar  situations  near  Circle  several  other  young  solitary  sand- 
pipers were  taken.  One  about  a  week  old  stumbled  into  a  mouse 
trap  set  at  the  edge  of  a  grassy  swamp,  and  two  others  just  able  to 
fly  were  killed  in  the  same  vicinity. 

a  Raine,  Ottawa  Naturalist,  XVIII,  pp.  135-138,  Oct.  20,  1904. 


36  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

The  newly  hatched  young  have  the  upperparts  cinnamon  rufous 
and  blackish  and  the  underparts  creamy  white,  slightly  tinged  with 
cinnamon  rufous  across  the  lower  neck  and  lower  abdomen.  The 
principal  blackish  markings  are  distributed  as  follows:  A  sharp 
narrow  line  across  the  lores  from  the  base  of  the  bill  to  the  front  of 
the  eye;  a  line  from  the  base  of  the  bill  over  the  forehead  and  along 
the  middle  of  the  crown;  two  incompletely  semicircular  lines  around 
the  occiput;  a  broad  irregular  patch  in  the  middle  of  the  back  with 
a  line  on  each  side  from  the  base  of  the  wing  to  the  flanks;  a  patch 
at  the  base  of  the  tail  and  another  between  this  and  the  middorsal 
patch;  two  bars  across  the  wings. 

In  older  specimens  white  contour  feathers  appear  first  along  the 
sides,  then  the  wing  quills  begin  to  sprout,  later  the  rectrices,  then  the 
darker  cinnamon  spotted  and  edged  feathers  of  the  back  and  breast, 
and  finally  those  of  the  head,  neck,  and  throat. 

Actitis  macularia  (Linn.).     Spotted  Sandpiper. 

Very  common  all  along  the  Yukon  and  also  along  the  mountain 
streams  between  Eagle  and  Glacier  Mountain.  Several  were  noted 
about  small  seepage  lakes  above  timberline  on  Glacier  Mountain. 
Hollister's  notes  record  the  following  incident:  "A  sandpiper  was 
attacked  on  the  shore  of  a  small  lake  by  a  northern  shrike,  and 
escaped  by  flying  close  to  the  water  until  the  shrike  was  almost 
upon  him  and  then  suddenly  diving  into  the  water,  leaving  the  shrike 
rapidly  beating  his  wings  and  looking  about  for  his  prey.  The 
sandpiper  would  come  to  the  surface  a  short  distance  away  and 
quietly  fly  to  the  shore,  where  the  shrike  would  soon  find  him,  and 
the  whole  performance  would  be  repeated.  It  was  only  after  three 
failures  that  the  shrike  gave  up  his  quarry  and  retired." 

?  Numenius  hudsonicns  Lath.     Hudsonian  Curlew. 

A  single  curlew,  probably  of  this  species,  was  seen  on  relatively 
high  open  ground  near  Circle,  but  it  was  very  wary  and  we  were 
unable  to  get  a  shot  at  it. 

iEgialitis  semipalmata  Bonap.     Semipalmated  Plover. 

Not  seen  except  in  one  locality,  a  gravelly  wash  near  Circle,  where 
some  half  dozen  birds  were  noted  July  14.  One  adult  and  a  downy 
young  were  taken  here.  Of  the  latter  Hollister  says:  " Although  it 
was  perfectly  able  to  run  about  as  fast  as  the  adults,  it  at  once  lay 
flat  to  the  ground  when  approached,  with  head  extended  forward  in 
the  sand,  making  it  very  difficult  to  see,  so  closely  did  it  match  the 
ground  in  color." 

Canachites  canadensis  osgoodi  Bishop.     Alaska  Spruce  Grouse. 

Comparatively  rare  throughout  the  region.  They  are  said  to 
occur  near  the  Yukon  between  Eagle  and  Circle,  but  we  failed  to 


1909.] 


BIRDS — EAST   CENTRAL  ALASKA.  37 


find  any.  The  only  ones  seen  were  those  of  a  flock  of  about  half  a 
dozen  flushed  near  Mission  Creek,  some  10  miles  west  of  Circle, 
September  3. 

Bonasa  umbellus  umbelloides  (Dougl.).     Gray  Ruffed  Grouse. 

Occurs  in  small  numbers  along  the  Yukon,  frequenting  deep  woods, 
often  on  small  islands  in  the  early  summer,  and  later  resorting  to 
poplar  and  birch  woods  on  relatively  dry  slopes.  One  of  the  birds 
was  flushed  near  Charlie  Creek,  and  shed  feathers  were  found  else- 
where. Late  in  June  the  males  were  still  drumming,  sometimes  as 
late  as  10  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

Lagopus  lagopus  (Linn.).     Willow  Ptarmigan. 

Fairl}'  common  above  timberline  in  the  mountains  near  Eagle, 
but  much  less  numerous  than  the  rock  ptarmigan,  with  winch  it  was 
associated.  A  prospecting  party  arrived  at  our  camp  September  1 
with  many  ptarmigan  killed  on  upper  Charlie  River,  the  majority  of 
which  were  of  tins  species. 

Lagopus  rupestris  (Gmel.).     Rock  Ptarmigan. 

Very  abundant  on  all  the  mountains  near  our  camp  at  the  head 
of  Seward  Creek.  Early  in  August  they  were  still  scattered  in  small 
parties,  but  by  the  latter  part  of  the  month  they  were  beginning  to 
assemble  in  flocks  of  considerable  size.  Berries  were  very  abundant, 
and  the  birds  were  waxing  fat.  The  crops  of  nearly  all  specimens 
taken  were  crammed  with  ripe  and  half-ripe  blueberries,  crowberries, 
leaves  of  Dryas,  and  fruit  of  Cassiope. 

Pedioecetes  phasianellus  (Linn.).     Sharp-tailed  Grouse. 

July  10,  on  a  weedy  flat  about  half  a  mile  below  Circle,  Hollister 
flushed  an  adult  female  of  this  species  with  her  brood  of  young.  He 
secured  the  old  bird,  and  two  days  later  we  beat  over  the  entire 
vicinity  with  a  dog  and  succeeded  in  bagging  three  of  the  young, 
which  were  just  old  enough  to  make  short  flights.  They  are  known 
by  local  hunters  as  pin-tail  prairie  chickens,  and  are  said  to  be  not 
uncommon  near  the  river  in  the  fall,  but  no  reports  of  their  occur- 
rence north  of  Circle  were  obtained. 

Circus  hudsonius  (Linn.).     Marsh  Hawk. 

One  was  seen  10  miles  above  Circle,  and  three  others  were  noted 
at  long  intervals  flying  over  high  mountain  basins  near  Glacier 
Mountain. 

Accipiter  velox  (Wils.).     Sharp-shinned  Hawk. 

One  of  these  small  hawks  came  dashing  through  the  trees  near 
camp  at  the  head  of  Seward  Creek  August  13,  and  after  that  date 
others  were  seen  occasionally  in  the  same  vicinity.  One  specimen 
was  taken  by  Hollister  August  13  and  another  September  2. 


38  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.30. 

Astur  atricapillus  (Wils.).     Goshawk. 

One  was  seen  at  Circle  in  July  and  several  others  at  the  head  of 
Seward  Creek  in  August.  A  dead  bird  was  found  in  deep  woods  in  a 
trail  near  Eagle. 

Arcbibuteo  lagopus  sanctijohannis  (Gmel.).     Rough-legged  Hawk. 

About  half  a  dozen  roughlegs  were  noted  at  intervals  during  the 
trip  down  the  river  from  Eagle  to  Circle.  Near  Charlie  Creek,  June  21, 
a  nest  was  found  in  the  top  of  a  tall  spruce,  about  which  a  pair  of 
old  birds  circled  screaming  loudly.  A  pair  of  these  birds  frequented 
the  neighborhood  of  Glacier  Mountain  and  were  seen  occasionally 
soaring  over  the  summit  or  beating  the  open  slopes  just  above 
timberline. 

Aquila  chrysaetos  (Linn.).     Golden  Eagle. 

The  bulky  nest  of  a  golden  eagle,  evidently  containing  young 
birds,  was  observed  on  an  inaccessible  cliff  a  few  miles  below  Seventy 
Mile.  One  of  the  parent  birds,  which  appeared  on  our  approach, 
was  the  only  golden  eagle  seen  on  the  trip. 

Falco  peregrinus  anatum  Bonap.     Duck  Hawk. 

Duck  hawks  were  rather  common  along  the  Yukon  between  Eagle 
and  Circle.  Pairs,  and  often  their  nests  as  well,  were  seen  at  frequent 
intervals  on  or  about  the  higher  cliffs  rising  from  the  water's  edge. 
Several  duck  hawks  were  seen  also  about  the  rocky  sides  of  the  upper 
part  of  Glacier  Mountain. 

Falco  columbarius  Linn.     Pigeon  Hawk. 

Pigeon  hawks  were  not  seen  near  the  Yukon,  but  were  fairly 
common  on  Glacier  Mountain.  At  least  a  dozen,  several  of  which 
were  taken,  visited  at  different  times  the  clump  of  spruce  trees  in 
which  our  camp  was  situated.  Most  of  these  were  young  birds  of 
the  year,  perhaps  members  of  family  parties,  as  several  were  usually 
associated. 

One  evening  I  shot  a  kinglet  near  camp,  and  it  began  to  tower, 
and  rose  straight  up  into  the  air  until  almost  out  of  sight,  when 
suddenly  a  pigeon  hawk  appeared  on  a  line  with  it,  flying  with  in- 
credible speed,  and  took  it  in  as  if  it  had  been  a  fly. 

Asio  flammeus  (Pontop.).     Short-eared  Owl. 

One  was  flushed  from  a  thicket  of  dwarf  birch  near  the  head  of 
Seward  Creek  August  18,  and  afterwards  several  others  were  seen. 

Scotiaptex  nebulosum  (Forst.).     Great  Gray  Owl. 

The  body  and  head  of  a  recently  killed  great  gray  owl  were  found 
at  a  roadhouse  near  Seventy  Mile,  June  19. 


1909.]  BIEDS EAST   CENTRAL  ALASKA.  39 

Bubo  virginianus  subsp.     Horned  Owl. 

Occurs  sparingly  throughout  the  region,  but  noted  only  at  our 
camp  20  miles  above  Circle,  where  one  was  seen  and  two  were  heard 
hooting  at  night. 

Surnia  ulula  caparoch  (Mull.).     Hawk  Owl. 

One  was  taken  near  Charlie  Creek  at  midday  June  21.  It  was 
sitting  in  the  top  of  a  small  spruce,  uttering  a  weak  high-pitched 
rattling  cry.  Hawk  owls  were  rather  common  in  the  mountains 
near  Eagle.  Several  were  killed  from  the  tops  of  the  spruce  trees 
immediately  about  camp  at  the  head  of  Seward  Creek.  They  often 
alighted  within  shooting  distance  of  the  tent,  snapping  their  bills  at 
us  and  not  taking  flight  unless  we  made  positive  demonstrations 
against  them. 

Ceryle  alcyon  (Linn.).     Belted  Kingfisher. 

A  kingfisher  noted  at  Eagle  June  17  was  the  only  one  seen. 
Picoides  americanus  fasciatus  Baird.    Alaska  Three-toed  Woodpecker. 

Occasionally  seen  or  heard  throughout  the  region,  but  by  no  means 
common.  One  was  taken  and  another  heard  near  Charlie  Creek 
June  21;  a  pair  was  secured  near  Circle  July  14;  three  were  seen 
between  Eagle  and  Glacier  Mountain,  one  of  which  was  taken 
September  1. 

Colaptes  auratus  luteus  Bangs.     Northern  Flicker. 

Some  half  dozen  flickers  were  seen  along  the  Yukon  between  Eagle 
and  Circle.  They  were  fairly  common  near  Circle,  where  they  had 
apparently  been  nesting  in  large  cottonwoods  on  islands  in  the 
river.    At  least  ten  were  seen  near  timberline  on  Seward  Creek. 

Sayornis  saya  (Bonap.).     Say  Phoebe. 

Rather  common  along  the  Yukon,  especially  about  rocky  banks 
and  cliffs  where  they  doubtless  nest.  Several  were  noted  about 
outlying  cabins  at  Circle.  A  few  were  seen  above  timberline  on 
Glacier  Mountain  in  August. 

Nuttallornis  borealis  (Sw.).     Olive-sided  Flycatcher. 

Several  were  seen  or  heard  and  one  specimen  was  taken  10  miles 
above  Circle  July  2.  Two  adult  females  were  taken  by  Hollister 
near  the  head  of  Seward  Creek  August  4. 

Empidonax  trailli  alnorum  Brewst.     Alder  Flycatcher. 

Rather  common  in  the  willows  along  the  river  between  Eagle  and 
Circle.    Several  were  taken  at  Circle. 

Otocoris  alpestris  arcticola  Oberh.     Alaska  Horned  Lark. 

Several  were  seen  and  three  taken  on  the  summit  of  Glacier  Moun- 
tain August  7.  After  that  date  none  were  seen  until  August  25, 
when  they  appeared  in  large  numbers  associated  with  flocks  of  long- 


40  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

spurs.  They  were  particularly  abundant  on  the  long  open  ridges 
along  upper  Comet  Creek  and  in  all  the  other  rolling  tundralike  region 
just  above  timberline. 

Perisoreus  canadensis  fumifrons  Ridgw.     Alaska  Jay. 

Common  throughout  the  region.  At  almost  every  camp  no  sooner 
was  the  tent  pitched  than  one  or  more  jays  appeared  and  after  a 
preliminary  survey  made  themselves  at  home.  At  the  camp  on 
Seward  Creek,  where  we  had  meat  hanging  most  of  the  time,  they 
were  especially  familiar.  Their  actions  and  some  of  their  various 
notes  constantly  remind  one  of  titmice. 

Corvus  corax  principalis  Ridgw.     Northern  Raven. 

Fairly  common  along  the  Yukon.  Several  raven  nests  were  seen 
on  cliffs  overhanging  the  river,  and  among  the  birds  seen  many  were 
obviously  young  of  the  year.  At  Circle  in  July  ravens  were  associated 
in  flocks.  During  the  first  two  weeks  at  our  camp  on  Seward  Creek 
no  ravens  were  seen,  but  as  soon  as  large  game  was  killed  a  few 
appeared  and  remained  about  the  carcasses. 

Nucifraga  columbiana  (Wils.).     Clark  Nutcracker. 

Mr.  Bert  Bryant,  of  Eagle,  states  that  while  traveling  in  the  moun- 
tains near  Eagle  he  saw  several  of  these  birds,  with  which  he  was 
familiar  in  Montana. 

Euphagus  carolinus  (Mull.).     Rusty  Blackbird. 

A  few  rusty  blackbirds,  some  of  which  were  carrying  food  for  nes- 
tlings, were  seen  in  a  small  swamp  near  Charlie  Creek  June  21-23. 
Large  flocks  containing  adults  and  young  of  the  year  were  found  in 
July  about  swamps  and  ponds  a  few  miles  west  of  Circle.  A  series 
of  20  specimens  was  taken. 

leucosticte  tephrocotis  Swains.     Gray-crowned  Leucosticte. 

A  few  small  flocks  of  adults  and  young  were  seen  about  the  rocky 
pinnacles  at  the  extreme  summit  of  Glacier  Mountain.  Five  speci- 
mens were  taken  August  7. 

Acanthis  linaria  (Linn.).     Redpoll. 

Regularly  distributed  along  the  river,  but  especially  abundant 
and  breeding  in  the  vicinity  of  Circle.  A  nest  and  four  fresh  eggs, 
probably  a  second  laying,  were  found  in  a  small  black  spruce  near 
Circle  July  10,  and  well-grown  young  were  taken  July  17.  Redpolls 
in  flocks  were  common  in  the  mountains  near  Eagle  in  August. 

Calcarius  lapponicus  alascensis  Ridgw.     Alaska  Longspur. 

A  few  were  noted  August  14  in  high  basins  on  Glacier  Mountain. 
After  that  date  they  gradually  increased  in  numbers  until  they  be- 
came excessively  abundant.  Thousands  were  seen  August  26  in 
undulating  flight  near  the  ground  over  the  open  ridges  that  border 
the  upper  course  of  Comet  Creek. 


1909.]  BIRDS EAST   CENTRAL   ALASKA.  41 

Passerculussandwichensis  alaudinus  Bonap.  Western  Savanna  Sparrow. 
Seen  in  small  numbers  along  the  river  banks  and  in  adjacent  grassy 
openings.  Very  abundant  in  the  vicinity  of  Circle  and  often  observed 
about  the  streets  of  the  town.  Common  in  the  higher  parts  of  the 
mountains  near  Eagle. 

Zonotrichia  leucophrys  gambeli  (Nutt.).     Intermediate  Sparrow. 

Generally  distributed  throughout  the  region  except  above  timber- 
line.  Nestlings  were  taken  near  Circle  June  27  and  well-grown  young 
in  first  plumage  July  8.  A  nest  containing  four  small  young  was 
found  by  Hollister  June  19  on  the  ground  on  a  small  bank  near  the 
mouth  of  Nation  Creek. 

Zonotrichia  coronata  (Pall.).     Golden-crowned  Sparrow. 

Several  golden-crowned  sparrows,  evidently  migrants,  appeared  in 
some  low  willows  near  our  camp  on  Seward  Creek  August  30.  One 
specimen  was  taken  by  Hollister. 

Spizella  monticola  ochracea  Brewst.     Western  Tree  Sparrow. 

Not  seen  along  the  Yukon  except  at  Circle,  where  a  few  adults  and 
several  partly  grown  young  were  found.  Fairly  common  about  the 
head  of  Seward  Creek  and  in  the  willows  along  the  creeks  between 
Eagle  and  Glacier  Mountain. 

Junco  hyemalis  (Linn.).     Slate-colored  Junco. 

Abundant  throughout  the  timbered  part  of  the  entire  region.  It 
could  be  seen  on  any  short  walk  through  the  woods  along  the  Yukon 
and  in  every  clump  of  spruces  on  the  mountains. 

Junco  hyemalis  montanus  Ridgw.     Montana  Junco. 

An  adult  female  junco  having  vinaceous  sides  and  pronounced  of 
this  form  by  Mr.  Ridgway  was  collected  by  Hollister  at  Circle 
July  7.  Its  nest  and  five  fresh  eggs  were  taken  on  the  same  date. 
It  was  evidently  a  second  set,  as  numerous  young  in  streaked  plumage 
were  already  flying  about.  The  nest  was  built  in  moss  at  the  foot 
of  a  small  black  spruce  and  was  composed  of  fine  dry  grass  with  a 
lining  of  moose  hair.  Also  a  specimen  collected  by  myself  near 
Charlie  Creek  in  1899  appears  to  be  of  this  form. 

Melospiza  lincolni  (Aud.).     Lincoln  Sparrow. 

One  was  taken  near  the  Yukon  40  miles  above  Circle  June  24. 
Several  were  seen  during  August  skulking  through  the  willows  and 
dwarf  birch  near  camp  at  the  head  of  Seward  Creek. 

Passerella  iliaca  (Merr.).     Fox  Sparrow. 

Common  along  the  Yukon,  especially  in  the  vicinity  of  Circle. 
It  often  sings  at  night,  mingling  its  melody  with  that  of  the  thrushes. 
Young  barely  able  to  fly  were  taken  near  Charlie  Creek  June  23,  and 
a  nest  containing  newly  hatched  young  was  found  on  the  ground  in 


42  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

a  dense  thicket  near  Circle  July  11.  A  few  migrating  or  wandering 
fox  sparrows  appeared  about  the  head  of  Seward  Creek  August  30 
to  September  3. 

Petrochelidon  lunifrons  (Say) .     Cliff  Swallow. 

A  few  cliff  swallows  were  seen  near  Seventy  Mile  June  18,  but  the 
species  was  not  noted  elsewhere. 

Hirundo  erythrogastra  Bodd.     Barn  Swallow. 

A  few  noted  at  Eagle  in  June  were  the  only  barn  swallows  seen. 

Tachycineta  thalassina  lepida  Mearns.    Northern  Violet-green  Swallow. 
Common  all  along  the  Yukon  between  Eagle  and  Circle.     It  nests 
in  crevices  in  the  rocky  cliffs  or  in  deserted  cabins. 

Riparia  riparia  (Linn.).     Bank  Swallow. 

Very  abundant  along  the  Yukon,  especially  in  the  vicinity  of  Circle, 
where  thousands  were  breeding  in  the  numerous  cut  banks  of  the 
river. 

lanius  borealis  Vieill.     Northern  Shrike. 

Not  seen  along  the  Yukon,  but  rather  common  about  the  head  of 
Seward  Creek,  where  several  specimens  were  taken,  all  birds  of  the 
year.     One  was  seen  pursuing  a  spotted  sandpiper  (see  p.  36). 

Vermivora  celata  (Say).     Orange-crowned  Warbler. 

Fairly  common,  frequenting  thickets  of  alders  and  willows.  Two 
specimens  were  taken  near  Circle  and  two  at  the  head  of  Seward 
Creek. 

Dendroica  sestiva  rubiginosa  (Pall.).     Alaska  Yellow  Warbler. 

Regularly  distributed  along  the  Yukon,  inhabiting  willows  almost 
exclusively.  A  nest  containing  four  newly  hatched  young  was  found 
about  10  feet  up  in  a  willow  near  Circle  July  11.  Observed  also  along 
Seward  Creek  up  to  timberline. 

Dendroica  coronata  (Linn.).     Myrtle  Warbler. 

Common  along  the  Yukon  between  Eagle  and  Circle,  frequenting 
large  spruce  timber  more  than  the  other  warblers  of  the  region. 
Young  in  first  plumage  were  taken  near  Circle  July  4.  Migrating 
birds  appeared  about  the  head  of  Seward  Creek  August  24,  and  thence 
to  September  1  were  seen  daily. 

Dendroica  striata  (Forst.).     Blackpoll  Warbler. 

Seen  occasionally  along  the  Yukon.  They  appeared  in  increased 
numbers  near  Circle  July  3,  in  company  with  other  warblers,  thrushes, 
and  other  birds — part  of  a  slight  migrating  movement.  At  the 
head  of  Seward  Creek  this  species  was  not  seen  until  August  30,  when 
migrating  birds  appeared  in  the  spruce  trees  near  camp. 


1909.]  BIKDS EAST   CENTEAL  ALASKA.  43 

Seiurus  noveboracensis  notabilis  Ridgw.     Grinnell  Water-thrush. 

Very  common  all  the  way  from  Eagle  to  Circle.     Common  also 
in  thickets  of  alder  and  willow  along  Seward  Creek.     Its  ground- 
running  habits  caused  it  to  become  a  frequent  victim  of  our  mouse 
traps. 
Wilsonia  pusilla  pileolata  (Pall.).     Pileolated  Warbler. 

Abundant  along  the  Yukon  from  Eagle  to  Circle.  During  June 
and  July  it  was  the  most  common  warbler  in  the  thickets  of  willow 
and  alder  near  the  river.  In  August  it  was  common  along  Seward 
Creek  to  timberline,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  the  month  birds  of  the 
year  were  especially  numerous. 

Anthus  rubescens  (Tunst.) .     Pipit. 

Common  in  early  August  on  the  high  open  ridges  above  timberline 
on  Glacier  Mountain.  After  the  middle  of  the  month  they  began  to 
descend  and  were  found  also  among  the  bowlders  and  gravel  beds 
in  the  creek  bottoms  below  timberline. 

Penthestes  hudsonicus  (Forst.).     Hudsonian  Chickadee. 

Occurs  sparingly  along  the  Yukon  in  June  and  July.  Specimens 
were  taken  at  Circle  and  at  a  point  40  miles  above  Circle.  Seen 
only  rarely  on  upper  Seward  Creek  prior  to  August  17,  when  small 
flocks  appeared. 

Regulus  calendula  (Linn.).     Ruby-crowned  Kinglet. 

Fairly  common  in  August  about  the  head  of  Seward  Creek,  but 
not  seen  lower  down. 

Myadestes  townsendi  (Aud.).     Townsend  Solitaire. 

A  pair  of  solitaires  and  four  young  just  from  the  nest  were  found 
by  Hollister  flitting  about  a  cliff  on  the  Yukon  bank  20  miles  above 
Circle  June  25.  The  adult  female  and  three  of  the  young  were  taken. 
So  far  as  I  know,  this  is  the  northernmost  locality  at  which  this 
species  has  been  found. 

Hylocichla  aliciae  (Baird).     Gray-cheeked  Thrush. 

Fairly  common  in  the  vicinity  of  Circle,  where  several  specimens, 
including  young  of  the  year,  were  taken  June  28  to  July  13.  It  is 
greatly  outnumbered,  however,  by  the  olive-backed  thrush,  with 
which  it  associates.  Like  the  olive-back,  it  is  an  exquisite  nocturnal 
songster.  When  the  two  are  heard  singing  in  the  same  thicket,  their 
notes,  though  similar,  can  be  distinguished.  A  very  few  gray- 
cheeked  thrushes  were  noted  near  the  head  of  Seward  Creek,  and  an 
immature  bird  was  taken  there  August  6. 
Hylocichla  ustulata  swainsoni  (Cab.).     Olive-backed  Thrush. 

Very  abundant  along  the  Yukon  between  Eagle  and  Circle.  Occurs 
also  in  considerable  numbers  along  Mission  and  Seward  creeks  to 


44  NORTH  AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

timberline.  They  were  particularly  numerous  in  the  vicinity  of 
Circle  in  July,  when  family  parties  of  four  to  six  were  to  be  found 
in  every  piece  of  woods.  In  June  and  early  July  they  were  in  full 
song.  Although  rarely  heard  in  the  daytime  except  in  cloudy  weather, 
they  sang  almost  continuously  through  the  night.  One  of  the  greatest 
delights  of  summer  camping  in  the  Yukon  Valley  is  to  lie  in  one's 
blankets  at  night  listening  to  the  ringing  chorus  of  these  thrushes. 
If  the  camp  be  fortunately  chosen,  one  hears  not  one  or  two  but  a 
score  of  songsters.  First  we  may  have  a  bird  less  than  20  feet 
from  the  tent  whose  every  utterance  is  audible,  vaiying  from  tones 
of  the  greatest  depth  and  richness  to  exquisite  inarticulate  gurglings 
and  confidential  whisperings.  Then  a  few  rods  farther  away  may 
be  several  others  alternating  with  one  another  in  a  long-continued 
obligato,  while  still  farther  back  in  some  small  ravine  are  those 
whose  songs  are  borne  on  the  air  with  a  slight  reverberation,  giving 
added  charm.  While  we  lie  in  delicious  enjoyment  of  these  nearer 
songs,  a  general  sense  of  music  pervades  the  air  to  the  farthest  echoes. 
Perhaps  there  is  a  momentary  lull,  a  sudden  silence  crowded  with 
expectation.  Then  from  a  deep  canyon  beyond  the  wooded  ridge 
behind  us  comes  a  far-away  note,  faint  but  full  of  character,  and 
though  little  more  than  an  echo,  still  with  a  tone  that  thrills.  In 
the  same  way  other  notes,  or  a  whole  chorus,  faint  but  sweet,  are 
borne  from  the  distant  thickets  across  the  river. 

Planesticus  migratorius  (Linn.).     Robin. 

Rather  scarce  along  the  Yukon  except  about  the  towns  of  Eagle 
and  Circle,  where  they  were  found  in  small  numbers.  Noisy  flocks 
of  roving  migrants  were  common  about  upper  Seward  Creek  in 
August. 

Ixoreus  naevius  meruloides  (Swains.).     Northern  Varied  Thrush. 

A  few  varied  thrushes  were  seen  or  heard  at  Nation  Creek,  Charlie 
Creek,  and  several  points  between  Charlie  Creek  and  Circle.  Young 
in  full  plumage  were  taken  at  Circle  July  2.  Varied  thrushes  were 
found  also  in  small  numbers  in  the  groves  of  spruce  near  timberline 
about  Glacier  Mountain. 

Saxicola  oenanthe  (Linn.) .     Wheatear. 

On  August  7,  the  day  after  our  arrival  at  the  head  of  Seward  Creek, 
a  party  of  wheatears,  two  adults  and  several  young,  was  found  flitting 
about  some  rock  piles  near  camp.  Thereafter  one  bird  or  more  was 
seen  on  every  trip  into  the  higher  parts  of  the  mountains.  The  young 
were  in  spotted  first  plumage,  and  apparently  had  been  out  of  the 
nest  but  a  short  time.  They  frequented  slides  and  heaps  of  small 
broken  rock  almost  exclusively.  When  flying  they  suggest  blue- 
birds, but  when  walking  or  running  they  remind  one  of  pipits. 


II.      THE  OGILVIE  RANGE,  YUKON  TERRITORY. 

INTRODUCTION. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  summer  of  1904  a  trip  was  made  into  the 
Ogilvie  Range  northwest  of  Dawson,  Yukon  Territory.  The  object 
was  to  supplement  the  work  done  in  1903  in  the  mountains  lying  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  Yukon  River,  in  Alaska.  Trips  to  this  region 
hitherto  projected  had  been  abandoned  on  account  of  the  rather 
large  expense  involved.  Means  of  overcoming  this  difficulty  came 
most  opportunely  at  this  time  in  an  offer  of  cooperation  from  Mr. 
Charles  Sheldon,  of  New  York.0  Accordingly  plans  were  soon  per- 
fected and  a  party  made  up,  including,  besides  Mr.  Sheldon  and 
myself,  an  artist,  Mr.  Carl  Rungius,  the  well-known  painter  of  Ameri- 
can game  animals.  This  party  proved  very  congenial,  as  well  as 
effective.  To  both  the  other  members  I  am  indebted  for  much  help 
and  suggestion  in  the  natural  history  work,  but  especially  regarding 
the  large  game  animals. 

ITINERARY. 

Arriving  in  Dawson  early  in  July,  we  rapidly  made  preparations, 
secured  pack  horses,  and  added  to  the  party  two  packers  and  camp 
men,  Charles  Gage  and  Edward  Sparr.  Mr.  A.  B.  Newell,  General 
Manager  of  the  White  Pass  and  Yukon  Route,  most  courteously 
assisted  us  in  these  preliminaries.  On  July  7  we  left  Dawson  by 
river  steamer  and  the  next  day  landed  at  the  mouth  of  Coal  Creek. 
The  outfit  was  loaded  upon  five  pack  horses  on  the  morning  of  the 
9th,  and  we  started  up  the  creek,  following  a  small  tram  railroad  to 
the  mouth  of  the  first  right-hand  or  eastern  branch  of  the  creek. 
At  the  mouth  of  this  branch,  near  a  cabin  called  Robinson's  Camp, 
we  turned  to  the  left,  leaving  the  tram  road  and  following  the  main 
stream.  On  the  10th  and  11th  we  continued  up  the  main  stream  to 
a  logging  camp  situated  at  the  mouth  of  a  fair-sized  left-hand  branch, 
the  place  known  as  'The  Forks.'  No  trails  suitable  for  horses  were 
found,  and  the  best  progress  was  made  by  keeping  as  near  the  bed 
of  the  stream  as  possible  and  fording  frequently.  Much  of  the  time 
it  was  necessary  for  an  axman  to  clear  the  way.  Some  5  miles  above 
'The  Forks'  a  narrow  canyon  on  the  eastern  branch  of  the  stream 

a  Mr.  Sheldon  most  generously  bore  practically  the  entire  expense  of  the  trip, and 

did  everything  in  his  power  to  make  it  a  success. 

45 


46  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

was  encountered.  On  the  13th,  with  some  difficulty  and  consider- 
able delay,  the  canyon  was  passed  on  the  west  bank,  the  total  dis- 
tance accomplished  in  the  day  being  not  more  than  3  miles,  since  it 
was  necessary  to  reduce  loads  and  cover  the  route  twice.  Thence  we 
proceeded  upstream,  and  on  the  16th  still  found  good  traveling  near 
the  creek,  although  steep  mountains  crowned  with  jagged  pinnacles 
rose  on  each  side.  A  short  march  on  the  17th  brought  us  to  the 
last  important  fork  of  the  creek,  and  there  a  base  camp  was  estab- 
lished just  below  timberline  and  maintained  until  August  8,  when 
the  return  was  begun.  The  distance  of  40  to  45  miles  from  our  main 
camp  to  the  mouth  of  the  creek  was  accomplished  in  twenty-one 
hours  of  actual  travel  during  the  four  days  ending  August  11. 

GENERAL  ACCOUNT. 

Coal  Creek  rises  in  the  heart  of  the  Ogilvie  Range  and  flows  in  a 
general  southwestward  direction  to  the  Yukon,  which  it  enters  6 
miles  below  the  town  of  Fortymile.  It  has  not  been  accurately 
surveyed,  and  much  of  its  upper  course  has  seldom  or  never  been 
visited  by  white  men.  Its  few  small  tributaries,  as  well  as  the  moun- 
tain peaks  about  them,  are  therefore  unnamed.  Its  lower  course, 
from  the  mouth  to  the  Forks,  is  uniform  in  character;  its  width 
varies  from  50  to  100  feet  and  its  depth  averages  about  2  feet;  the 
current  is  swift  and  small  riffles  are  numerous,  but  no  distinct  rapids 
or  cascades  occur  below  the  Canyon.  Long,  open  gravel  bars  are 
exposed  at  short  intervals,  showing  that  at  some  seasons  the  volume 
of  water  is  much  greater  than  in  midsummer.  A  light  canoe  might 
be  laboriously  worked  up  to  the  Forks,  and  possibly  to  the  Canyon, 
but  transportation  by  pack  horses  is  much  more  practicable. 

From  the  mouth  to  the  Forks  the  mountains  on  both  sides  grad- 
ually increase  in  height,  those  below  the  vicinity  of  Robinson's  Camp 
being  low  and  rounded,  with  gentle  slopes,  and  those  about  the  Forks 
higher  and  steeper,  and  beginning  to  show  open,  mossy  spots  about 
their  summits  and  exposures  of  limestone  cliffs  on  their  sides.  At 
the  Forks  the  main  branch  makes  a  rather  sharp  turn  to  the  east- 
ward, and  for  about  6  miles  does  not  change  in  general  character. 
The  valley  here  is  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  wide  and  fairly  level 
to  the  base  of  rather  steep  mountains  on  each  side.  The  mountains 
are  more  broken  on  the  southeast  side,  and  through  occasional  gaps 
small  mountain  valleys  farther  back  can  be  seen,  from  which  rise 
higher  peaks,  bare  of  timber  on  their  summits.  On  the  northwest 
side  the  elevation  is  more  unbroken  and  blufflike,  and  appears  like 
the  edge  of  a  small  plateau.  Some  6  miles  above  the  Forks  the 
stream  turns  and  comes  from  a  more  northerly  direction,  traversing 
a  rocky  canyon  for  nearly  half  a  mile,  and  is  more  or  less  bowlder- 
strewn  for  about  2  miles.     Above  the  canyon  it  turns  back  and  flows 


North  American  Fauna  No.  30,  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.      Biological  Survey. 


Plate  II. 


Fig.   I.— Yukon  River,  Looking  Downstream  from  Eagle,  Alaska. 


Fig.  2.— Mountains  at  Head  of  Coal  Creek,  Yukon. 


1900.]  OGILV1E   KANGE,  YUKON.  47 

through  a  constantly  narrowing  valley  from  the  westward  and  north- 
westward. From  this  point  up,  the  mountains  on  each  side  close  in 
and  increase  in  height,  their  general  elevation  being  from  1,500  to 
2,000  feet  above  the  bed  of  the  stream.  The  fall  of  the  stream  still 
continues  even,  and  travel  along  the  banks  is  comparatively  easy. 
Gravel  bars  are  abundant,  and  fordings  from  one  to  another  are 
frequently  made  to  good  advantage.  Some  3  miles  above  the  Can- 
yon a  branch  of  considerable  size  enters  on  the  right,  rising  in  high, 
bold  mountains  easily  seen  through  the  gap  at  the  mouth  of  the 
stream.  The  main  creek  itself  is  now  in  a  mass  of  rugged  mountains 
of  the  same  general  elevation  and  all  more  or  less  connected.  Small 
branches  come  in  frequently  and  the  main  stream  rapidly  decreases 
in  size.  At  the  upper  ultimate  forks  the  creek  is  divided  into  two 
nearly  equal  sized  streams,  across  either  of  which  one  may  step  at 
ordinary  stages  of  water. 

The  mass  of  mountains  about  the  head  of  these  small  streams  is 
evidently  part  of  the  main  Ogilvie  Range,  which  can  be  seen  stretching 
to  the  south  and  southeast.  Much  of  the  general  course  of  Coal  Creek 
is  somewhat  parallel  to  the  main  trend  of  the  range,  and  to  a  certain 
extent  the  stream  cuts  through  the  somewhat  irregular  spurs  which 
extend  from  the  main  divide  in  a  southwesterly  direction.  From 
the  summits  of  any  of  the  higher  peaks  about  the  head  of  the  creek, 
one  looks  out  over  a  vast  extent  of  mountainous  country.  To  the 
south  and  east  are  the  masses  of  the  main  Ogilvie  Range.  Beyond 
them,  by  following  down  the  narrow  valley  of  Coal  Creek,  the  course 
of  the  Yukon  can  be  made  out,  though  the  river  itself  is  shut  from 
view,  and  still  farther  in  hazy  distance  are  the  peaks  among  which 
Fortymile  River  and  Mission  Creek  have  their  sources.  To  the  west 
and  slightly  northwest  are  still  more  mountains,  through  which  the 
Tatonduc  River  (Sheep  Creek)  runs.  To  the  north  the  mountains 
dwindle  rapidly,  and  in  the  distance  can  be  seen  a  low  valley  of  con- 
siderable width,  but  beyond  it  rise  the  indistinct  outlines  of  farther 
ranges  of  mountains,  which  doubtless  drain  to  the  Mackenzie.  The 
peaks  are  of  one  general  elevation,  from  5,000  to  possibly  8,000  feet 
above  the  sea.  They  are  mostly  bare  of  timber  above  4,000  feet,  and 
in  summer  their  sides  are  sparingly  dotted  and  streaked  with  snow. 
The  mountains  immediately  surrounding  the  sources  of  the  creek  are 
only  slightly  separated  into  distinct  ranges.  About  the  basins  of  the 
small  upper  branches  they  form  irregular  semicircles,  and  their  curv- 
ing crests  j  oin  at  a  low  gap,  on  the  other  side  of  which  trickling  streams 
course  to  the  northwest,  evidently  leading  to  the  Tatonduc  River. 
Between  the  two  main  branches  of  Coal  Creek  mountain  masses  con- 
tinue as  a  broken  plateau.  On  the  west  side  of  this  plateau  is  a  small 
valley  with  rather  gently  sloping  sides,  traversed  by  a  stream  which 
from  its  size  and  direction  is  evidently  the  main  western  fork  of  Coal 


48  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

Creek,  and  doubtless  joins  the  eastern  one,  which  we  traversed,  at 
the  Forks.  The  mountains  are  fairly  steep  and  the  summits  rocky 
and  in  many  cases  broken  up  into  irregular  pinnacles.  Their  compo- 
sition is  chiefly  limestone  of  a  light  gray  or  creamy  color,  occasionally 
stained  with  rusty.  About  some  of  the  high  basins  they  form  steep 
escarpments,  at  the  base  of  which  are  long  slides  of  talus.  These 
cliffs,  however,  are  always  accessible  at  some  point. 

The  vegetation  along  the  lower  part  of  the  creek  is  of  the  same 
general  nature  as  that  found  along  the  Yukon  and  other  streams  of 
the  interior  of  Alaska  and  northern  Yukon  territory.  The  white 
spruce  (Picea  canadensis)  is  the  predominating  tree,  though  the  black 
spruce  (Picea  rnariana)  is  abundant.  In  the  flat  swampy  country 
near  the  mouth  of  the  creek  the  black  spruce  predominates,  and  along 
low  benches  between  Robinson  Camp  and  the  Forks  it  is  very  abun- 
dant. It  is  nearly  always  associated  with  the  white  spruce,  however, 
and  that  species  immediately  replaces  it  on  the  higher,  more  solid 
ground.  Above  the  Forks  the  white  spruce  is  by  far  the  more  com- 
mon. As  a  rule  it  reaches  a  height  of  30  to  60  feet,  and  its  diameter 
ranges  from  6  to  12  inches.  One  tree,  rather  larger  than  usual, 
measured  62  inches  in  circumference  about  4  feet  from  the  ground. 
Its  height  was  estimated  to  be  between  70  and  80  feet.  Others 
nearly  equaling  it  were  not  uncommon.  The  most  abundant  decid- 
uous tree  is  the  balsam  poplar  (Populus  balsamifera) .  This  forms 
large  groves  on  alluvial  flats  along  the  lower  part  of  the  creek.  The 
aspen  (Populus  tremuloides) ,  which  is  usually  found  in  such  a  local- 
ity, was  not  observed.  The  paper  birch  (Betula  alaskana)  is  rather 
sparingly  distributed  and  seldom  grows  to  large  size.  The  common 
shrubs  along  the  creek  are  willows  (Salix),  alders  (Alnus),  high-bush 
cranberries  (Viburnum),  buffalo  berries  (Lepargyrea) ,  and  dwarf 
birches  (Betula  glandulosa).  Smaller  woody  plants  such  as  Vac- 
cinium,  Ledum,  Arctous,  and  Geum,  are  abundant.  The  bearberry 
(Arctostaphyios  uvaursi)  was  occasionally  seen. 

The  slopes  above  timberline  about  the  head  of  the  creek  are  rather 
more  open  and  less  grown  to  shrubs  than  usual.  Alders,  for  example, 
are  almost  entirely  absent,  though  common  enough  lower  down  along 
the  creek.  The  dwarf  birch  (Betula  glandulosa)  forms  considerable 
thickets  but  does  not  ascend  far  above  the  conifers.  In  the  more 
level  parts  of  the  high  basins  dense  thickets  of  willows  (Salix  glauca) 
usually  grow.  These,  however,  are  seldom  more  than  20  inches  high 
and  do  not  impede  travel  seriously,  particularly  since  in  most  cases 
they  can  be  avoided  by  slight  detours.  The  greater  part  of  the  vege- 
tation above  timberline  is  contained  in  the  characteristic  carpet  of 
heathers,  mosses,  and  small  herbaceous  plants,  all  rising  to  about  the 
same  level,  a  few  inches  above  the  soil,  and  stretching  for  miles  and 
miles  with  scarcely  an  interruption.     Vegetation  extends  to  the  very 


1909.]  MAMMALS OGILVIE   RANGE.  49 

highest  pinnacles,  occupying  the  favored  depressions  and  crevices. 
Cassiope  tetragona  is  the  most  abundant  of  the  so-called  heathers,  and 
in  many  places  covers  large  areas  almost  to  the  exclusion  of  other 
plants.  Early  in  July  its  small  white  bell-like  flowers  added  greatly 
to  the  attractiveness  of  the  landscape.  With  it  are  two  dwarf  willows, 
both  abundant,  Salix  reticulata  and  Salix  arctica.  The  mountain 
cranberry  (Vaccinium  vitisidaea)  is  only  fairly  common,  although 
often  abundant  in  such  localities.  The  black  crowberry  (Empetrum 
nigrum),  though  often  seen,  is  likewise  less  abundant  than  usual.0  A 
few  individuals  of  dwarf  rhododendron  (Rhododendron  lapponicum) 
were  found  in  one  restricted  locality.  Among  smaller  plants  found 
above  timberline  are  the  following:  Dryas  drummondi,  Sieversia 
rossi,  Gentiana  propinqua,  Polygonum  plumosum,  Papaver  nudicaule, 
Rhodiola  alaskana,  Saxifraga  tricuspidata,  Saxifraga  hieracifolia,  and 
Clirysanthemum  integrifolium.b 

MAMMALS  OF  THE  OGILVIE  RANGE. 

Rangifer  arcticus  (Richardson).     Barren  Ground  Caribou. 

Certain  parts  of  the  mountains  about  the  head  of  Coal  Creek  are 
scored  with  caribou  trails.  These  extend  for  several  miles  down  into 
the  timber,  but  for  the  most  part  traverse  open  rolling  slopes  and 
high  ridges  above  the  limit  of  trees.  They  are  quite  similar  in 
character  and  equal  in  extent  to  the  caribou  trails  about  Glacier 
Mountain,  Alaska  (see  p.  15).  Hence  it  is  probable  that  during  the 
proper  season  one  might  find  on  upper  Coal  Creek  such  large  herds 
as  are  known  to  occur  near  Glacier  Mountain  and  elsewhere  in  the 
north.  But  in  July,  during  our  stay  in  the  mountains,  caribou  were 
found  in  small  numbers  only.  They  were  scattered  singly  or  in  twos 
and  threes  in  the  high  mountains  about  the  head  of  the  west  branch 
of  Coal  Creek,  several  miles  from  our  camp  on  the  east  branch. 
Here  they  appeared  to  be  quietly  spending  the  midsummer  weeks, 
concerned  only  in  avoiding  mosquitoes.  To  accomplish  this,  they 
frequented  high  ridges  exposed  to  every  breeze,  and  when  not  feeding 
rested  on  the  few  banks  of  snow  that  remained  unmelted.  Their 
habit  of  spending  many  hours  each  day  lying  on  these  banks  of 
snow  made  it  very  simple  to  locate  them.     The  dark  brown  animals 

a  Doubtless  an  interesting  problem  is  to  be  solved  as  to  the  causes  controlling  the 
relative  abundance  of  these  alpine  plants.  While  the  same  species  are  found  associ- 
ated on  all  the  mountains  of  the  Northwest,  certain  ones  are  decidedly  predominant  on 
a  given  mountain  or  range,  and  on  another  range,  under  what  appear  to  be  precisely 
the  same  conditions,  these  species  are  subordinated  to  others  which  they  greatly  out- 
number elsewhere. 

b  Specimens  of  these  species  have  been  deposited  in  the  U.  S.  National  Herbarium. 
For  the  determinations  I  am  indebted  to  Frederick  V.  Coville  and  W.  F.  Wight,  of 
the  Bureau  of  Plant  Industry,  U,  S.  Department  of  Agriculture. 

89992— No.  30—09 4 


50  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

were  of  course  very  conspicuous  against  the  white  background,  and 
it  was  necessary  only  to  ascend  to  some  high  point  and  scan  every 
patch  of  snow  within  view  to  learn  whether  or  not  caribou  were  in 
the  vicinity.  Since  the  snow  banks  were  usually  situated  just  under 
the  brow  of  a  spur  or  ridge,  it  was  comparatively  easy  to  approach 
the  animals,  provided  the  wind  was  favorable.  Each  of  our  party 
secured  one  large  bull,  and  a  young  cow  also  was  killed  by  Rungius 
for  study  and  sketching.  The  entire  skin  and  skull  of  one  of  the 
large  bulls  and  the  skulls  and  scalps  of  the  other  two  were  preserved. 
These  are  scarcely  distinguishable  from  typical  Rangifer  arcticus. 
Several  specimens  in  the  Biological  Survey  collection  obtained  some 
years  ago  by  General  Funston  about  80  miles  northwest  of  Rampart 
House,  an  old  Hudson  Bay  post  on  the  Porcupine  River,  are  also 
referable  to  arcticus.  Fortunately,  in  determining  this,  comparisons 
of  two  pelages  are  possible.  rIypical  arcticus  in  summer  pelage  is 
represented  by  a  specimen  from  Cape  Eskimo,  Hudson  Bay,  collected 
by  E.  A.  Preble,  and  in  winter  pelage  by  various  specimens  in  the 
National  Museum,  chiefly  from  Fort  Chimo,  Labrador,  and  Fort  Rae, 
Mackenzie.  The  Rampart  House  specimens  are  in  winter  pelage  and 
agree  very  closely  with  the  Labrador  specimens,  while  those  from 
Coal  Creek  in  the  brown  summer  pelage  are  almost  identical  with 
the  Cape  Eskimo  specimen.  The  only  important  color  difference  is 
in  the  hind  side  of  the  legs,  which  is  more  extensively  whitish  in 
typical  arcticus.  The  Coal  Creek  specimens  have  scarcely  any  pale 
stripe  on  the  hind  side  of  the  legs,  but  in  the  Rampart  House  exam- 
ples it  is  as  well  developed  as  in  the  majority  of  Labrador  specimens. 
Thus,  in  respect  to  the  color  of  the  legs,  the  Coal  Creek  caribou  appear 
to  show  a  tendency  toward  stonei,  winch  becomes  pronounced  in  the 
animals  from  Glacier  Mountain.  The  skulls  and  teeth  are  practically 
identical  with  those  of  typical  arcticus.  The  horns  are  in  the  velvet, 
but  sufficiently  developed  to  show  their  general  character.  They 
possess  the  back  tines  not  usually  present  in  arcticus,  but  with 
allowance  for  the  variability  of  horns  in  caribou  nothing  appears 
to  distinguish  them.  The  specimens  are  readily  distinguishable  from 
R.  m.  osborni  by  their  somewhat  smaller  size,  lighter  skulls,  horns, 
teeth,  etc.,  but  much  the  same  characters  are  in  large  measure 
bridged  over  in  the  gradation  toward  stonei,  and  it  seems  not  improb- 
able that  arcticus  will  be  found  to  intergrade  also  with  osborni. 
This  supposition  is  strengthened  by  the  fact  that  caribou  range 
under  unvarying  conditions  over  all  the  mountains  from  the  Ogilvie 
Range  to  the  Macmillan  River  region.  Specimens  from  the  moun- 
tains at  the  head  of  the  Klondike  and  at  the  head  of  the  Stewart 
would  be  very  interesting  in  tins  connection.  Field  measurements 
of  the  largest  male  are:  Total  length  1,830;  height  at  shoulder 
1,220;  tail   vertebrae    140;  hind   foot    565.     Measurements   of    two 


1909.)  MAMMALS OGILVIE    RANGE.  51 

adult  male  skulls  from  Coal  Creek  are  as  follows:  Basilar  length 
380,  353;  tip  of  premaxillae  to  tip  of  nasals  124,  133;  tip  of  pre- 
maxilke  to  alveolus  of  pml  145,  132;  length  of  nasals  125,  130; 
interorbital  breadth  at  lacrymal  suture  141,  134;  palatal  breadth  at 
m2  67,  67;  distance  between  tips  of  paroccipital  process  72,  83; 
length  of  maxillary  toothrow  88,  90;  distance  between  antlers  just 
below  burr  67,  66;  postpalatal  length  130,  127;  zygomatic  breadth 
150,  142;  length  of  mandible,  incisive  border  to  angle  303,  285. 
Antlers:  Length  main  beam,  on  side,  975,  1,070;  greatest  spread  775. 
730;  greatest  distance  between  tips  of  bez  tines  858,  552;  points  in 
palmation  7/7,  6/6;  total  points  32,  34. 

Alces  americanus  gigas  Miller.     Alaska  Moose. 

Along  the  upper  part  of  Coal  Creek  from  the  Forks  to  the  head  of 
the  creek,  signs  of  moose  were  found  in  great  abundance.  In  the 
majority  of  cases  these  were  very  stale,  at  least  several  months  old, 
but  a  few  tracks  were  apparently  quite  fresh.  Several  weathered 
shed  antlers  were  observed  l}7ing  on  the  ground,  chiefly  in  small  open 
glades  near  timberline.  Our  hunting  was  done  chiefly  above  timber, 
and  though  we  occasionally  saw  a  moose  track  there,  we  did  not 
encounter  any  of  the  animals.  Doubtless  they  are  abundant  in  the 
timbered  region,  at  least  at  some  seasons  of  the  year,  apparently  late 
fall  and  winter. 

Ovis  dalli  Nelson.     Dall  Sheep.     White  Sheep. 

Otis  montana  var.  dalli  Nelson,  Proc.  IT.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  VII.,  pp  12-13,  1884. 
Ovis  fannini  Hornaday,  Fifth  Ann.  Rept.  N.  Y.  Zool.  Soc,  app.  No.  1,  pp.  1-4, 

1901. 
Ovis  dalli  henaiensis  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  XVI,  pp.  145-148,  1902. 

Mountain  sheep  were  found  in  considerable  numbers  on  all  the 
mountains  about  the  head  of  Coal  Creek.  Hunters  from  Dawson 
frequently  obtain  them  near  the  head  of  the  South  Fork  of  the  Klon- 
dike River,  and  parties  from  Eagle  get  them  at  the  sources  of  Eagle 
and  Sheep  creeks;  so  it  is  evident  they  are  common  throughout  the 
Ogilvie  Range.  Soon  after  passing  the  canyon  of  Coal  Creek,  we 
entered  mountains  with  bare  tops,  several  of  which  were  ascended, 
and  on  all,  old  sheep  trails,  stale  tracks,  and  droppings  wTere  found. 
Apparently  these  lower  mountains  are  not  included  in  the  animal's 
summer  range.  But  in  the  higher  parts,  within  easy  distance  of 
our  camp  near  the  head  of  the  creek,  fresh  signs  were  abundant,  and 
it  was  rare  that  any  of  the  party  made  a  half  day's  hunt  without 
sighting  sheep.  But,  although  many  ewes  and  lambs  were  seen, 
rams  were  scarce,  and  much  time  was  spent  hunting  for  them.  Par- 
ticular estimates  are  not  available  from  all  members  of  the  party, 
but  it  is  safe  to  say  that  at  least  200,  and  probably  more,  ewes  and 
lambs  were  seen;  whereas  the  number  of  rains  was  somewhat  less 


52  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

than  50,  and  the  possibility  that  the  same  individuals  were  counted 
twice  was  much  greater  in  their  case.  With  the  exception  of  a  few 
relatively  young  ones  that  were  seen  among  the  ewes,  all  the  rams 
were  running  apart  from  the  ewes  in  small  bands  of  from  2  to  12. 

Mr.  Sheldon's  notes  on  the  habits  of  sheep  in  this  locality  are  de- 
tailed and  extensive,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  will  be  published  at  some 
future  time.  Therefore  but  little  on  this  subject  is  included  in  the 
present  report.  It  may  be  well  to  mention,  however,  one  excellent 
illustration  of  the  slight  part  the  sense  of  smell  plays  in  apprising 
mountain  sheep  of  danger.  I  was  watching  a  band  of  11  ewes  from 
a  concealed  position  near  the  top  of  a  ridge  on  the  side  of  which  they 
were  feeding.  The  afternoon  was  warm  and  clear,  with  a  gentle 
breeze  blowing,  but  in  the  sheltered  position  I  had  taken  mosquitoes 
were  abundant.  Having  watched  the  sheep  some  time,  and  not  caring 
to  shoot  any  of  them,  I  began  to  smoke.  The  sheep  were  some  200 
yards  below,  and  the  wind  blew  directly  from  me  to  them.  I  watched 
the  smoke  as  it  rose  and  drifted  toward  them  for  some  distance,  and 
there  could  be  little  doubt  that  its  odor  reached  them.  Yet  they 
paid  no  attention  to  it,  and  continued  feeding  until  I  showed  myself, 
when  they  scampered  away. 

Our  party  secured  a  total  of  13  specimens  of  sheep  about  the  head 
of  Coal  Creek — 9  males  and  4  females.  These  range  in  age  from  2  to 
13  years  and  constitute  an  excellent  series  for  study.  All  are  in  new 
pelage,  but  the  hair  is  short  (10  to  15  mm.  long)  and  already  shows 
considerable  brown  earth  stain.  A  few  showed  traces  of  the  previous 
coat  in  ragged  stringy  patches  of  old  hair  scattered  on  the  back  and 
sides,  but  most  of  these  have  disappeared  since  the  skins  have  been 
tanned  and  handled. 

A  study  of  these  skins  and  others  recently  acquired  from  the  Klon- 
dike, Stewart,  Macmillan,  and  Pelly  rivers,  in  connection  with  all  other 
available  specimens  of  northern  sheep,  reveals  some  very  interesting 
facts.  It  appears  that  there  is  practically  perfect  gradation  from 
the  pure  white  sheep  to  the  so-called  gray  or  black  sheep  (stonei). 
Briefly,  the  conditions  are  as  follows :  The  sheep  of  the  Kenai  Penin- 
sula and  the  Alaskan  Range  are  practically  pure  white,  though  occa- 
sional specimens  have  a  little  brownish  in  the  tail.  Those  from 
slightly  farther  south  and  east  (as  the  cotypes  of  dalli  and  specimens 
from  Glacier  Mountain  and  Rampart  House)  usually  have  the  tail 
quite  extensively  brownish  and  the  back  and  sides  with  a  sparse  scat- 
tering of  dusky  hairs  forming  an  indistinct  mantle.  They  are  essen- 
tially white,  however,  and  occasional  specimens  are  identical  with 
those  from  the  Kenai  Peninsula.  The  amount  of  dusky  is  some- 
what increased  in  specimens  from  Coal  Creek,  and  pure  white  indi- 
viduals are  fewer.  The  tail  is  largely  blackish  brown,  and  this  color 
often  extends  forward  a  short  distance  along  the  middorsal  line, 


1909.1  MAMMALS OGILVIE  RANGE.  53 

while  in  certain  examples  the  accumulation  of  dark  hairs  on  the 
front  sides  of  the  legs  is  so  great  as  to  form  a  rather  definite  dark  line. 
Still,  the  general  effect,  particularly  at  a  distance  of  a  few  yards,  is 
that  of  a  white  animal,  although  the  blackish  tail  is  often  noticeable 
even  in  live  animals  in  the  field.  Next  come  the  specimens  from 
the  Klondike  region,  the  exact  source  of  which  is  not  known.  Mr. 
J.  B.  Tyrrell,  of  Dawson,  however,  states  that  the  majority  of  the 
sheep  brought  to  Dawson  in  recent  years  were  killed  near  the  head 
of  the  North  Fork  of  the  Klondike  River.  Most  of  these,  Mr.  Tyrrell 
reports,  are  in  general  appearance  entirely  white,  and  are  thus  prob- 
ably identical  with  Coal  Creek  specimens ;  but  a  few,  like  the  type  of 
Oms  fannini,  have  a  decided  dark  mantle  and  dark  stripes  on  the 
legs.  In  all  cases  the  head  and  neck  are  pure  white.  A  little  farther 
south  in  the  Stewart  River  region,  white  sheep  are  said  to  occur, 
and  no  doubt  individuals  like  the  darker  ones  from  Coal  Creek  will 
be  found  there,  but  probably  a  series  of  them  would  average  darker 
than  the  more  northern  ones,  as  the  only  specimen  now  available  is 
darker  than  the  type  of  fannini,  and  except  for  its  white  head  and 
neck  almost  like  typical  Ovis  stonei.  This  specimen,  which  is  not 
quite  perfect,  was  kindly  presented  by  Mr.  D.  A.  Cameron,  of  Dawson. 
It  was  secured  near  Mayo  Lake  at  the  head  of  Lightning  Creek,  near 
the  upper  Stewart  River.  Specimens  from  the  upper  Macmillan 
River  show  considerable  variation,  but  the  majority  are  essentially 
like  this  Stewart  River  specimen.  However,  although  the  dark- 
bodied  sheep  seems  to  be  the  dominant  one  in  the  region,  occasional 
individuals  are  found  which  are  largely  white  and  scarcely  distin- 
guishable from  specimens  of  typical  dalli.  Thus,  one  specimen,  an 
adult  female  from  the  head  of  Clearwater  Creek  between  the  north 
and  south  forks  of  the  Macmillan,  shot  and  presented  by  F.  C.  Selous, 
is  nearly  like  the  average  specimen  from  Coal  Creek.  The  darker 
specimens  from  the  Macmillan  region  have  the  body  and  legs  prac- 
tically as  in  typical  stonei.  All  that  is  lacking  is  a  slight  additional 
mixture  of  dark  hairs  on  the  head  and  neck,  and  some  specimens 
show  decided  tendencies  in  this  direction.  Thus  one  (No.  134493) 
shows  a  narrow  line  marked  by  numerous  blackish  hairs  running  up 
the  back  of  the  neck  nearly  to  the  base  of  the  horns. 

It  appears,  therefore,  that  the  evidence  of  the  intergradation  be- 
tween the  pure  white  sheep  of  the  Kenai  Peninsula  and  the  blackish 
brown  sheep  of  the  Stikine  River  region  is  practically  complete. 
The  change  from  one  to  the  other  is  almost  perfectly  graduated  and 
corresponds  closely  to  the  change  in  geographic  distribution.  At  the 
extremes  there  is  great  constancy  of  characters,  but  away  from  the 
extremes  variation  begins  immediately  and  is  greatest  about  halfway 
between.  It  is  a  conspicuous  example  of  the  occurrence  in  a  large 
mammal  of  what  has  repeatedly  been  found  among  small  mammals. 


54  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

In  the  nature  of  the  case,  there  are  specimens  about  equally  resembling 
each  of  the  extremes,  and  the  identification  of  such  can  be  scarcely- 
more  than  a  matter  of  opinion.  If  all  the  facts  had  been  known  be- 
fore any  names  were  applied,  the  natural  course  would  have  been 
to  name  each  of  the  extremes  and  to  refer  intermediate  specimens  to 
one  or  the  other  according  to  their  strongest  leanings.  But  several 
names  were  proposed  prior  to  full  knowledge  of  the  facts,  and  at 
least  the  first  of  these  (having  priority  over  the  others)  must  be  used, 
whether  its  type  be  from  the  intermediates  or  the  extremes.  Taking 
the  type  specimens  of  the  four  names  that  have  been  proposed,  we 
find  that  dalli,  fannini,  and  kenaiensis  fall  with  one  extreme  and 
stonei  with  the  other.  Therefore  dalli  and  stonei'  stand  as  names  for 
the  respective  extremes,  said  fannini  and  kenaiensis  become  synonyms, 
although  their  respective  types  differ  slightly  from  typical  dalli. 
The  type  of  fannini  is  almost  exactly  intermediate  between  the  pure 
white  sheep  of  the  Kenai  Peninsula  and  the  blackish  brown  animal 
of  the  Stikine  region,  and  it  is  therefore  difficult  to  decide  with  which 
extreme  to  place  it;  but  since  other  things  are  equal,  considerable 
weight  may  be  given  to  the  fact  that  the  majority  of  the  sheep  from 
the  same  region  as  the  type  of  fannini  are  decidedly  nearer  the  pure 
white  animal.  If  the  sheep  of  the  intermediate  type  (fannini) 
occupied  a  definite  range  in  which  they  preserved  uniformity  of 
character,  the  recognition  of  an  intermediate  form  might  be  justified, 
but  since  this  is  not  the  case,  the  only  reasonable  course  is  to  treat 
the  names  dalli  andfamiini  as  one.  Such  disposition  of  intermediates 
is  frequently  necessary  in  classifying  small  mammals,  and  from  the 
nature  of  the  case  is  extremely  fertile  in  producing  differences  of 
opinion.  The  case  of  these  sheep  is  a  most  interesting  one  and 
worthy  of  further  study. 

Sciuropterus  yukonensis  Osgood.     Flying  Squirrel. 

Flying  squirrels  were  not  observed,  but  doubtless  they  occur,  at 
least  near  the  mouth  of  Coal  Creek,  as  this  is  not  far  from  the  type 
locality  of  S.  yukonensis. 

Sciurus  hudsonicus  Erxleben.     Red  Squirrel. 

Red  squirrels  were  seen  and  heard  occasionally  throughout  the 
timbered  region,  but  they  were  not  especially  common.  Two 
specimens  were  taken,  one  at  the  mouth  and  one  near  the  head  of 
Coal  Creek. 

Citellus  plesius  (Osgood).     Ground  Squirrel. 

This  ground  squirrel  was  found  in  great  abundance  in  the  moun- 
tains about  the  head  of  Coal  Creek.  It  occurs  for  a  few  miles  within 
the  timbered  region,  but  in  general  is  confined  to  the  region  near  and 


1909.)  MAMMALS OGILVIE   EANGE.  55 

above  timberline.  This  locality  is  much  farther  north  than  any  from 
which  the  species  has  been  recorded  in  Yukon.  It  was  not  found 
along  the  lower  part  of  Coal  Creek  and  is  unknown  from  the  Yukon 
banks  nearer  than  Fort  Selkirk.  Its  range  about  the  upper  Yukon 
is  therefore  probably  connected  with  that  in  the  Ogilvie  Range  by 
way  of  the  mountains  east  of  the  Yukon  along  the  heads  of  the  Pelly 
(see  p.  78),  Stewart,  and  Klondike  rivers.  Its  absence  along  the 
Yukon  between  Selkirk  and  Coal  Creek  may  be  due  to  the  fact  that 
much  of  this  region  and  adjacent  lowlands  is  underlain  by  beds  of 
ice. 

Our  main  camp  near  timberline  was  situated  in  the  midst  of  a 
colony  of  these  ground  squirrels.  They  were  running  about  within 
sight  most  of  the  time,  and  their  sharp  cries  were  constantly  to  be 
heard.  A  series  of  19  specimens  was  preserved,  all  typical  of  C. 
lilesius. 

Marmota  caligata  (Eschscholtz) .     Hoary  Marmot. 

Common  in  all  the  high  mountains,  often  being  found  in  the  same 
areas  as  the  ground  squirrels,  but  in  general  occupying  more  elevated 
and  less  accessible  parts.  Several  families  lived  on  the  grassy  slopes 
of  a  high  basin  some  2  miles  above  our  camp.  Here  their  burrows 
were  made  in  comparatively  soft  ground  and  were  connected  by 
long  trails  through  the  grass  and  low  vegetation.  Elsewhere  their 
dens  were  found  in  crevices  of  high  rocky  cliffs. 

Four  specimens  were  taken,  all  uniform  in  color  and  characterized 
by  a  dark  blackish  shoulder  patch  seldom  exhibited  by  any  except 
melanistic  examples,  which  these  do  not  appear  to  be. 

Evotomys  dawsoni  Merriam.     Dawson  Red-backed  Mouse. 

Fairly  common  in  the  timbered  region.  Two  specimens  were  taken 
near  timberline. 

Microtus  pennsylvanicus  drummondi   (Aud.  and  Bach.).     Drummond 
Vole. 
One  specimen  was  taken  near  the  Yukon  bank  at  the  mouth  of 
Coal  Creek,  where  the  species  is  doubtless  common.     Not  found  in 
the  mountains. 

Microtus  operarius  endoecus  Osgood.     Interior  Yole. 

Very  abundant  at  high  altitudes.  Their  runways  ramify  through 
the  mat  of  vegetation  covering  the  high  basins,  and  they  occur  also 
where  similar  tundralike  vegetation  is  found  locally  at  lower  eleva- 
tions. They  decrease  in  abundance,  however,  toward  the  Yukon, 
but  may  occur  on  its  banks  near  the  mouth  of  Coal  Creek,  as  tney 
have  been  taken  in  similar  localities  somewhat  farther  down  the  big 
river. 


56  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

Fiber  zibethicus  spatulatus  Osgood.     Northwest  Muskrat. 

Occurs  along  the  Yukon  banks  and  in  the  adjacent  low  country. 
Signs  of  muskrats  were  seen  about  some  small  ponds  near  the  mouth 
of  Coal  Creek. 

Synaptomys  borealis  dalli  Merriam.     Dall  Lemming  Mouse. 

Occurs  in  cold  swamps  near  the  mouth  of  Coal  Creek,  where  two 
specimens  were  taken. 

Erethizon  epixanthum  myops  Merriam.     Alaska  Porcupine. 

Doubtless  sparingly  distributed  through  the  timbered  part  of  the 
region.  A  single  individual  was  seen  ambling  through  the  woods 
near  the  Forks  of  Coal  Creek  July  11. 

Ochotona  collaris  (Nelson).     Collared  Pika. 

Pikas  occur  at  high  altitudes  throughout  the  mountains,  but  no 
colonies  were  observed  as  large  as  those  in  the  vicinity  of  Glacier 
Mountain  (see  p.  26).  However,  it  was  scarcely  possible  to  make  a 
trip  into  any  of  the  more  rocky  parts  of  the  mountains  without  hear- 
ing the  plaintive  cry  of  the  little  pika.     Several  specimens  were  taken. 

Lepus  americanus  macfarlani a  Merriam.  MacFarlane  Varying  Hare. 
Hares  were  common  in  the  low  country  about  the  mouth  of  Coal 
Creek  and  thence  all  the  way  up  the  creek  to  near  timberline.  A 
young  hare,  about  one-third  grown,  was  found  sitting  in  its  form  one 
day  and  refused  to  move  as  I  walked  toward  it,  even  allowing  me  to 
set  up  a  camera  and  focus  within  2  feet  of  it.  Several  specimens 
were  taken  near  the  mouth  of  the  creek.  Two  adult  females  weighed, 
respectively,  4  pounds  and  4f  pounds. 

Canis  albus  Sabine.     Northern  Wolf. 

Very  few  wolf  tracks  were  seen  and  only  one  of  the  animals.  This 
one  appeared  late  in  the  evening  on  a  low  ridge  near  Sheldon's  tem- 
porary camp  on  the  north  side  of  the  divide  between  Coal  Creek  and 
Sheep  Creek. 

Ursus  americanus  Pallas.     Black  Bear. 

A  small  bear  seen  by  Sheldon  July  12  in  an  opening  on  the  side  of 
a  wooded  hill  near  the  Forks  of  Coal  Creek  was  believed  to  be  a  black 
bear,  but  in  the  late  evening  light  identification  was  uncertain. 
The  species  doubtless  occurs  in  the  region. 

Ursus  horribilis  phseonyx  Merriam.     Grizzly  Bear. 

An  old  female  grizzly  was  killed  on  the  open  slope  of  a  high  basin 
July  16.  Sheldon  was  stalking  sheep  at  about  9  p.  m.,  when  he  saw 
the  bear  on  the  side  of  the  basin  opposite  him.  Accompanied  by  a 
small  cub,  she  was  working  slowly  up  the  mountain,  grubbing  in  the 

a Identification  by  E.  W.  Nelson. 


1909.1 


MAMMALS OGILVIE   RANGE.  57 


moss.  As  there  was  no  other  approach,  he  went  down  and  crossed 
the  basin  in  full  view  and  followed  her  up  until  within  220  yards, 
when  he  shot.  He  tried  to  catch  the  cub,  but  found  it  too  active. 
The  next  day  Rungius  killed  it  near  the  carcass,  where  it  was  linger- 
ing. In  the  two  weeks  following,  during  which  we  scoured  the  moun- 
tains in  all  directions,  not  another  bear  was  seen,  and  tracks  were 
very  scarce.  High  up  on  the  side  of  a  mountain  near  camp  a  ground 
squirrel's  burrow  had  been  partly  excavated  by  a  bear,  but  no  other 
recent  bear  sign  was  observed. 

Lutra  canadensis  (Schreber) .     Otter. 

We  saw  no  signs  of  otters,  and  reports  are  to  the  effect  that  they 
are  very  scarce  in  the  region. 

Lutreola  vison  (Schreber).     Mink. 

Signs  of  mink  were  noted  at  various  points  from  the  mouth  to  the 
head  of  Coal  Creek.  An  adult  female  and  four  well-grown  young 
were  taken  near  the  head  of  the  creek.  Two  of  these  were  caught  in 
trails  among  the  rocks  beside  the  rushing  mountain  stream.  The 
other  two  were  taken  at  the  entrances  to  ground-squirrel  burrows, 
from  which  it  appears  that  they  were  preying  upon  the  rightful 
inmates.  Several  mink,  evidently  a  family  party,  were  observed  one 
evening  playing  about  the  openings  under  the  roots  of  a  large  spruce 
which  grew  on  the  bank  of  the  creek  near  our  camp. 

The  specimens,  unless  regarded  as  abnormally  small,  can  not  be 
referred  to  L.  v.  ingens  or  L.  v.  energumenos,  either  of  which  might  be 
expected  to  occur  in  this  region.  The  skull  of  the  adult  female 
agrees  very  closely  with  skulls  of  L.  vison  from  northern  New  England, 
and  can  not  be  duplicated  among  the  large  series  of  ingens  and  energu- 
menos that  have  been  examined. 

Putorius  arcticus  Merriam.     Arctic  Weasel. 

The  desiccated  body  of  a  weasel,  of  which  the  skull  was  preserved, 
was  found  lying  by  the  side  of  a  trail  near  the  head  of  Coal  Creek. 
A  few  traps  were  set  for  weasels,  but  without  success. 

Mustela  americana  actuosa  Osgood.     Marten. 

Martens  can  scarcely  be  absent  from  the  region,  but  no  signs  of 
them  were  observed  by  our  party.  The  region  is  not  frequented  to 
any  extent  by  trappers,  and  evidently  it  is  not  a  good  marten  country. 

Gulo  luscus  (Linnasus).     Wolverine. 

Fairly  common.  One  was  surprised  early  one  morning  in  a  small 
rocky  gulch  high  above  timberline.  I  came  up  to  the  brink  of  the 
gulch  and  heard  a  scurrying  in  the  rocks  below,  after  which  the 
wolverine  appeared  zigzagging  up  the  other  side,  weaving  in  and 
out  among  the  rocks,  getting  away  at  top  speed.     He  flashed  in 


58  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no. 30. 

sight  and  out  so  quickly  that  it  was  practically  impossible  to  get  a 
shot.  As  he  neared  the  top  of  the  open  rocky  hill,  he  passed  into  a 
small  bank  of  thin  fog,  and  the  effect  was  to  give  him  apparent 
increased  size,  so  as  he  passed  the  crest  he  looked  quite  like  and  as 
big  as  a  bear.  Tracks  of  wolverines  were  occasionally  seen  through- 
out the  mountains. 

Sorex  tundrensis  Merriam.     Tundra  Shrew. 

A  specimen  of  this  species,  taken  near  the  mouth  of  Coal  Creek 
July  8,  was  the  only  shrew  collected.  It  constitutes  the  southern- 
most record  of  the  species. 

BIRDS  OF  THE  OGILVIE  RANGE. 

Histrionicus  histrionicus  (Linn.).     Harlequin  Duck. 

A  few  pairs  breed  on  the  upper  parts  of  Coal  Creek,  being  distributed 
at  rather  long  intervals.  Two  birds  were  seen  at  the  Forks  July  11, 
one  at  the  lower  end  of  the  canyon  July  12,  and  one  at  the  Upper 
Forks  camp  July  27.  The  last  named,  an  adult  female,  was  killed 
and  preserved.  All  were  observed  in  swift  water,  but  all  seemed 
indifferent  to  the  rushing  current,  and  swam  with  apparent  ease 
upstream  or  drifted  down,  gliding  serenely  over  the  smooth  stretches 
and  bobbing  up  and  down  over  the  riffles  and  in  and  out  among  the 
rocks  and  whirlpools.  When  only  slightly  alarmed,  they  drop  down- 
stream with  the  current,  now  with  heads  forward,  now  back,  and 
again  going  sidewise,  as  best  suits  their  purpose,  but  always  keeping 
their  sharp  little  eyes  on  the  intruder.  When  suddenly  frightened  at 
short  range,  they  take  to  their  wings,  and  fly  up  or  down  the  course  of 
the  stream  a  few  feet  above  the  water,  following  the  abrupt  turns, 
however  numerous,  and  never  attempting  to  cut  off  corners. 

Oidemia  perspicillata  (Linn.).     Surf  Scoter. 

Several  small  flocks  were  seen  on  the  Yukon  near  the  mouth  of 
Coal  Creek  July  7.  They  doubtless  breed  about  the  numerous  small 
ponds  scattered  along  a  few  hundred  yards  inland  from  the  river. 

Helodromas    solitarius    cinnamomeus     (Brewst.).       Western    Solitary 

Sandpiper. 

A  pair  was  flushed  from  a  swampy  spot  near  the  mouth  of  the 
creek  July  8;  a  single  individual  was  seen  near  the  same  place 
August  13.     No  others  were  observed. 

?Pelidna  alpina  sakhalina  (Vieill.).     Red-backed  Sandpiper. 

Several  birds,  which  I  am  quite  certain  were  this  species,  were 
seen  on  the  bare  rocky  summits  of  the  mountains  at  the  head  of 
the  creek  July  18.  They  were  resting  aimlessly  in  small  groups, 
and  were  doubtless  only  temporary  visitors  to  the  locality.     The 


1909.]  BIRDS OGILVIE    RANGE.  59 

same  vicinity  was  traversed  frequently  during  the  following  week, 
but  they  were  not  seen  again.  Failure  to  secure  specimens,  as  in 
the  case  of  several  other  species,  was  occasioned  by  the  fear  of 
alarming  mountain  sheep,  whi<h  were  being  stalked  at  the  time. 

Actitis  macularia  (Linn.).     Spotted  Sandpiper. 

Common  and  regularly  distributed,  two  or  three  pairs  being  seen 
daily  in  our  progress  up  and  down  the  creek.  One  near  Robinson's 
camp  was  seen  on  the  tram  railway  at  some  distance  from  the  creek, 
busily  patrolling  the  sand  and  gravel  between  the  ties  and  evidently 
securing  a  quantity  of  insects.  Four  downy  young  a  few  days  old 
were  found  on  a  bar  in  the  creek  July  12.  They  were  squatting  in 
a  small  patch  of  sand,  and  when  first  discovered  remained  perfectly 
still  for  a  moment  while  we  stood  over  them ;  then  suddenly,  like  so 
many  spiders,  they  scurried  off  through  the  pebbles  in  various 
directions,  teetering  their  downy  stumps  of  tails  characteristically, 
as  if  they  had  done  so  for  years. 

On  our  return  to  the  Yukon  these  sandpipers  were  still  common 
about  the  mouth  of  Coal  Creek  August  12  to  15. 

?Numenius  hudsonicus  Lath.     Iludsonian  Curlew. 

Rimgius  reported  having  seen  a  curlew,  probably  this  species,  in 
the  mountains  near  the  head  of  the  creek  July  17. 

Canachites  canadensis  osgoodi  Bishop.     Alaska  Spruce  Grouse. 

Rather  rare  and  seldom  seen.  An  adult  female  was  taken  in  a 
small  spruce  near  timberline  July  19.  A  few  other  single  birds  were 
soon  at  long  intervals  by  various  members  of  the  party. 

Lagopus  lag-opus  (Linn.).     Willow  Ptarmigan. 

Fairly  common  about  the  upper  part  of  the  creek,  and  not  re- 
stricted to  the  regions  above  timberline.  It  was  first  seen  well  down 
in  the  timbered  region  as  we  were  going  up  the  creek  July  15.  One 
was  shot  on  the  bank  about  6  miles  below  the  point  where  the  creek 
enters  the  timber.  From  this  point  on,  a  few  were  seen  every  mile 
or  two,  usually  in  the  willows  near  the  bed  of  the  creek.  Among 
them  were  several  females  with  broods  of  young,  but  cock  birds  were 
not  lacking  and  seemed  to  be  in  company  with  the  hens.  Later 
small  flocks  were  found  in  the  thickets  of  low  willows  in  the  high 
basins  above  timberline. 

As  we  were  breaking  camp  August  8,  a  small  flock  of  ptarmigan 
appeared  some  10  or  15  yards  behind  the  tent  and  seemed  to  take 
great  interest  in  us.  One  cock  bird,  somewhat  in  advance,  with 
craned  neck,  figuratively  stood  on  tiptoes  and  watched  us,  mean- 
while clucking  excitedly  to  those  behind  him. 


60  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [wo.  30. 

Lagopus  rupestris  (Gmel.).     Rock  Ptarmigan. 

Evidently  rather  rare.  No  specimens  were  taken,  and  the  only- 
ones  positively  identified  were  two  flushed  from  a  willow  thicket  in  a 
high  basin  near  the  head  of  the  creek  July  18. 

Lagopus     leucurus     peninsularis     Chapman.     Northern     White-tailed 
Ptarmigan. 

Three  white-tailed  ptarmigan,  two  of  which  were  secured,  were 
seen  in  bare,  loose  rocks  along  a  sheep  trail  on  the  summit  of  the 
divide  at  the  head  of  the  creek  about  10  o'clock  in  the  evening  July 
30.  Sheldon  reports  having  seen  several  others  in  similar  localities. 
On  crossing  certain  parts  of  the  divide  at  night  in  one  or  two  par- 
ticularly rocky  places,  I  invariably  heard  a  peculiarly  weird  cry 
which  at  first  I  was  inclined  to  attribute  to  a  duck  hawk,  as  it  very 
much  resembled  the  ordinary  cry  of  that  bird,  but  on  one  occasion 
I  was  able  to  trace  it  to  a  ptarmigan,  probably  one  of  this  species, 
though  the  light  was  so  uncertain  I  might  easily  have  been  mistaken. 
It  was  at  least  very  unlike  any  of  the  notes  of  the  willow  or  rock 
ptarmigan  that  I  had  heard  before. 

The  two  specimens,  both  males,  agree  with  others  in  the  same 
plumage  from  the  Kenai  Peninsula,  kindly  loaned  by  Mr.  F.  M. 
Chapman,  of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History.0 

Astur  atricapillus  (Wils.).     Goshawk. 

One  was  seen  flying  over  a  low  bluff  near  the  mouth  of  the  creek 
August  12. 

Aquila  chrysaetos  (Linn.) .     Golden  Eagle. 

Frequently  observed  soaring  over  the  mountains  about  the  head 
of  the  creek.  Not  more  than  two  birds  were  seen  at  any  one  time, 
and  it  is  therefore  quite  probable  that  only  one  pair  inhabited  the 
vicinity.  Young  lambs  of  the  mountain  sheep  were  quite  abundant, 
and  these  birds  doubtless  secured  one  now  and  then. 

a  In  1901  (Auk,  XVIII,  pp.  180-181),  I  separated  the  northern  and  southern  forms 
of  the  white-tailed  ptarmigan,  applying  Swainson's  name  leucurus  to  the  northern 
form  and  proposing  a  new  name,  altipetens,  for  the  southern  one.  No  specimens  from 
the  type  locality  of  leucurus  were  available,  but  certain  specimens  from  White  Pass, 
Alaska,  together  with  one  from  the  Kenai  Peninsula,  were  regarded  as  representing 
leucurus.  Mr.  Chapman,  in  1902,  secured  additional  material  from  the  Kenai  region, 
apparently  differing  from  the  above-mentioned  White  Pass  specimens,  and  he  there- 
fore reversed  the  situation  by  calling  the  Kenai  birds  peninsularis  (Bull.  Am.  Mus. 
Nat.  Hist.,  XVI,  pp.  236-238,  1902)  and  leaving  leucurus  to  apply  to  the  southern 
birds  previously  called  altipetens.  Although  I  believe  the  differences  pointed  out  by 
Mr.  Chapman  between  the  Kenai  and  White  Pass  birds  are  wholly  or  largely  seasonal, 
and  that  his  premises  were  therefore  mistaken,  I  am  now  convinced  that  his  disposi- 
tion of  the  names  is  the  correct  one.  Mr.  Chapman  has  lately  obtained  excellent 
material  from  Alberta  which  doubtless  represents  true  leucurus,  and  new  material 
from  White  Pass  also  is  now  available,  all  pointing  to  this  conclusion. 


1909.]  BIRDS OGILVIE   RANGE.  61 

Falco  peregrinus  anatum  Bonap.     Duck  Hawk. 

One  was  heard  crying  about  a  small  bluff  near  the  mouth  of  Coal 
Creek  July  7.  Another  was  seen  in  the  high  mountains  at  the  head 
of  the  creek  July  17. 

Falco  columbarius  Linn.     Pigeon  Hawk. 

Rather  rare;  one  was  seen  in  the  timber  just  below  the  head  of  the 
creek  July  16,  another  was  startled  from  its  perch  on  a  rocky  pinnacle 
at  a  very  high  elevation  July  21,  and  no  more  were  observed  until 
August  12,  when  one  alighted  unconcernedly  on  our  tent  pole  near 
the  mouth  of  Coal  Creek.  A  bird,  possibly  the  same,  was  collected  in 
this  vicinity  August  13. 

Bubo  virginianus  subsp.     Great  Horned  Owl. 

Heard  hooting  from  a  wooded  hill  on  the  Yukon  opposite  the  mouth 
of  Coal  Creek  August  13.     Its  presence  was  not  noted  elsewhere. 

Surnia  alula  caparocb  (Mull.).     Hawk  Owl. 

An  adult  bird  and  an  immature  female,  the  latter  of  which  was 
collected,  were  seen  on  upper  Coal  Creek  July  15.  Several  others 
were  observed  on  the  following  day  a  few  miles  below  the  head  of  the 
creek.  They  sat  chattering  on  the  tops  of  tall  spruces  and  allowed 
me  to  approach  without  difficulty. 

Picoides  americanus  fasciatus  Baird.  Alaska  Three-toed  Woodpecker. 
One  which  alighted  in  some  spruce  timber  near  our  camp  on  upper 
Coal  Creek  July  28,  and  another  which  was  collected  about  20  miles 
above  the  mouth  of  the  creek  August  10,  were  the  only  woodpeckers 
seen. 

Sayornis  saya  (Bonap.).     Say  Phoebe. 

One  was  observed  above  timberline  on  a  high  mountain  near  the 
head  of  the  creek  July  16.  Sheldon  reports  seeing  a  bird,  presumably 
this  species,  in  a  similar  locality. 

Otocoris  alpestris  arcticola  Oberh.     Alaska  Horned  Lark. 

Horned  larks  were  fairly  common  on  the  high  ridges  above  timber- 
line  in  the  vicinity  of  the  head  of  the  creek.  While  hunting  moun- 
tain sheep  in  the  highest  parts  of  the  mountains  one  seldom  failed  to 
see  a  half  dozen  or  more  of  these  birds  in  the  course  of  a  day's  tramp. 
They  were  entirely  confined,  however,  to  the  very  highest  parts  of 
the  mountains.  They  doubtless  breed  on  these  mountain  tops, 
though  we  secured  no  direct  evidence  of  the  fact,  all  the  specimens 
taken  being  adult  birds. 

Perisoreus  canadensis  fumifrons  Ridgw.     Alaska  Jay. 

Jays  were  seen  only  occasionally  as  we  moved  up  the  creek,  but  at 
our  main  camp  they  appeared  as  soon  as  we  were  well  established  and 
remained  to  the  end  of  our  stay.     They  proved  useful  as  scavengers, 


62  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [\«,.;o. 

and  though  we  never  saw  more  than  half  a  dozen  at  any  one  time, 
they  managed  to  eat  or  carry  away  more  meat  and  food  refuse  than 
several  times  that  number  would  be  supposed  to  require.  Possibly 
some  was  stored  for  future  use,  but  they  devoured  an  astonishing 
quantity  while  within  sight.  Cooked  oatmeal  seemed  to  attract  them 
even  more  than  raw  meat,  and  any  scraps  from  the  morning  mush  pot 
were  speedily  cleaned  up.  As  usual  they  became  quite  tame  and 
fearless,  and  one  or  more  were  to  be  seen  at  almost  any  time  hopping 
about  the  camp  fire  or  perched  on  the  tent  poles  and  ropes.  Their 
harsh  chattering  was  not  always  pleasant,  but  was  somewhat  atoned 
for  by  their  less  frequent  soft  whistle  and  their  pert  and  confident 
ways,  so  on  the  whole  their  presence  was  welcomed. 

Corvus  corax  principalis  Ridgw.     Northern  Raven. 

Occasionally  seen  along  the  way  up  and  down  the  creek,  but  rather 
less  common  than  usual.  Carcasses  of  large  game  animals  were  rarely 
disturbed  by  them  for  several  days  after  being  exposed.  In  fact,  in 
two  or  three  cases  that  we  were  able  to  keep  under  observation,  the 
bodies  of  sheep  and  caribou  lying  in  conspicuous  places  remained 
untouched  by  ravens  for  more  than  a  week.  In  one  case,  however, 
our  confidence  in  the  safety  of  dead  animals  was  lost  in  a  night,  for  a 
sheep  killed  late  in  the  evening  and  left  as  it  fell  was  found  the  next 
morning  badly  mutilated  by  ravens.  The  eyes  and  testicles  appar- 
ently were  eaten  first,  and  then  the  abdomen  was  punctured  in  several 
places  and  the  entrails  drawn  out.  In  another  instance  Sheldon  found 
ravens  feeding  July  21  on  the  carcass  of  a  sheep  killed  July  19. 

?Loxia  leucoptera  Gmel.     White-winged  Crossbill. 

High-flying  flocks  of  crossbills,  presumably  of  this  species,  were  seen 
or  heard  on  several  occasions  near  the  head  of  the  creek. 

leucosticte  tephrocotis  Swains.     Gray-crowned  Leucosticte. 

Two  were  taken  in  very  jagged  pinnacles  on  the  extreme  summit 
of  one  of  the  highest  mountains  above  the  head  of  the  creek  July  21 ; 
another  was  killed  in  a  similar  locality  on  the  top  of  the  main  dividing 
ridge  July  30,  where,  in  company  with  one  other,  it  was  flying  about 
during  a  very  high  wind;  a  third,  an  immature  bird  which  seemed  to 
be  entirely  alone,  was  collected  among  some  loose  rocks  on  a  com- 
paratively low  hill  near  camp  August  7.  These  were  the  only  indi- 
viduals of  these  interesting  birds  observed  in  the  region,  although  we 
spent  much  time  on  the  high  ridges  inhabited  by  them. 

Acanthis  linaria  (Linn.).     Redpoll. 

Redpolls  in  small  flocks  were  now  and  then  seen  or  heard  about  the 
upper  part  of  the  creek,  being  rather  less  common  than  usual  in  this 
latitude. 


1909.]  BIRDS OGILVIE   RANGE.  63 

Plectrophenax  nivalis  (Linn.).     Snowflake. 

Three  individuals,  apparently  immature  birds,  were  seen  flying 
about  some  high  pinnacles  July  21.  They  wheeled  once  about  my 
head  and  then  disappeared  in  a  few  wide  sweeps  down  the  side  of 
the  ragged  cliff  below  me. 

Zonotrichia  leucophrys  gambeli  (Nutt.).     Intermediate  Sparrow. 

In  a  great  part  of  the  interior  of  Alaska  and  northwest  Canada 
this  sparrow  is  one  of  the  most  abundant  summer  birds.  Along 
Coal  Creek,  however,  it  was  only  sparingly  found.  My  field  notes 
record  only  that  several  were  seen  near  our  upper  camp  July  28  and 
that  one  was  collected  there  July  28,  while  a  very  few  scattering  birds 
were  noticed  in  going  up  from  the  mouth  of  the  creek. 

Spizella  monticola  ochracea  Brewst.     Western  Tree  Sparrow. 

A  few  tree  sparrows  were  always  to  be  found  in  some  thickets  of 
low  willows  in  a  high  basin  at  the  head  of  one  of  the  branches  of  the 
creek.  An  adult  female  and  a  fledgeling  were  taken  here  August  6. 
Elsewhere  they  were  seldom  seen. 

Junco  hyemalis  (Linn.) .     Junco. 

Observed  at  irregular  intervals  and  in  comparatively  small  num- 
bers from  the  mouth  of  the  creek  up  to  timberline.  Not  nearly  so 
common  as  usual  in  the  Northwest. 

Iridoprocne  bicolor  (Vieill.) .     Tree  Swallow. 

Small  flocks  of  20  to  30  birds  were  flying  about  near  our  upper 
camp  on  and  after  August  1,  but  up  to  that  time  none  were  observed. 

lanius  borealis  Vieill.     Northern  Shrike. 

Rather  common,  chiefly  along  the  edge  of  timberline,  where  their 
nearly  direct  and  rapid  flight  from  one  isolated  tree  to  another  made 
them  quite  conspicuous.  Most  of  those  seen  were  immature  birds. 
Sheldon  sends  the  following  note  regarding  shrikes:  "A  pair  was 
about  my  camp  on  the  lower  end  of  the  divide  constantly  stealing 
the  meat  and  refuse  from  cooking.  They  were  most  quarrelsome, 
and  when  one  grabbed  a  piece  of  meat,  immediately  there  was  a  fight 
for  its  possession.  They  kept  driving  off  the  jays,  who  did  not  appear 
until  the  shrikes  had  left." 

Dendroica  sestiva  rubiginosa  (Pall.).     Alaska  Yellow  Warbler. 

One  taken  and  several  seen  in  willow  thickets  along  the  creek  near 
Robinson  Camp  August  10. 

Dendroica  coronata  (Linn.) .     Myrtle  Warbler. 

About  half  a  dozen  were  seen  flitting  about  the  tops  of  thick 
spruces  near  timberline  August  6. 


64  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

Dendroica  striata  (Forst.).     Black-poll  Warbler. 

Several  suddenly  appeared  about  our  upper  camp  on  the  morning 
of  August  6,  evidently  in  migration.  On  the  following  day  they 
were  not  observed,  but  one  bird  was  seen  in  the  vicinity  August  9. 
One  was  also  seen  in  a  patch  of  willows  near  Robinson  Camp  August  1 1 . 

Seiurus  noveboracensis  notabilis  Ridgw.     Grinnell  Water-thrush. 

Two  pairs  of  water  thrushes  were  seen  within  a  short  distance 
near  the  Forks  July  11.  Both  pairs  showed  great  excitement,  evi- 
dently having  nests  with  young  in  the  vicinity.  None  were  seen 
elsewhere  until  the  morning  of  August  6,  when,  with  other  migrating 
warblers,  they  suddenly  appeared  in  considerable  numbers.  One 
was  collected  on  that  date. 

Wilsonia  pusilla  pileolata  (Pall.) .     Pileolated  Warbler. 

A  female,  evidently  one  that  had  bred  in  the  vicinity,  was  shot 
from  a  clump  of  alders  near  the  head  of  the  creek  July  17.  The 
species  was  not  seen  elsewhere. 

Anthus  rubescens  (Tunst.).     Pipit. 

Pipits  were  fairly  common  on  the  open  slopes  and  ridges  above 
timberline.  They  frequented  the  same  localities  as  the  horned  larks, 
but  outnumbered  them  greatly.  Their  peculiar  gait  when  walking 
over  the  mossy  ground  and  their  slender  heads  and  necks  and  alert 
manners  always  served  to  distinguish  them,  even  at  a  considerable 
distance. 

Cinclus  mexicanus  unicolor  Bonap.     Water  Ouzel. 

Several  pairs  occupied  their  respective  short  stretches  of  the  creek 
above  the  Forks.  A  nest  was  noticed  under  an  overhanging  rock 
on  the  bank  of  the  creek  near  our  camp  July  15.  Another  in  a 
similar  location  was  found  near  the  head  of  one  of  the  branches  of 
the  creek.  A  pair  of  the  birds  frequented  a  small  rocky  gorge  trav- 
ersed by  the  stream  a  short  distance  below  our  upper  camp  and 
occasionally  passed  by  the  camp  or  stopped  to  search  for  insects  in 
the  creek  near  us.  Apparently  their  nest  was  located  in  the  gorge, 
and  they  ranged  about  half  a  mile  up  and  down  on  each  side  of  it. 

Penthestes  hudsonicus  (Forst.) .     Hudsonian  Chickadee. 

Comparatively  rare  and  seldom  seen.  Several  were  seen  about  5 
miles  above  Robinson  Camp  July  10,  and  one  or  two  others  were 
heard  along  the  route.  The  scarcity  of  this  usually  common  bird  is 
difficult  to  explain. 

Regains  sp.?     Kinglet. 

Several  immature  kinglets  were  seen  about  5  miles  above  Robinson 
Camp  July  10. 


1909.]  BIRDS OGILVIE   RANGE.  65 

Hylocichla  ustulata  swainsoni  (Cab.).     Olive-backed  Thrush. 

Thrushes  were  comparatively  rare  along  Coal  Creek.  They  were 
seen  at  its  mouth  and  were  heard  only  two  or  three  times  on  our  way 
up  to  the  mountains.  A  dozen  or  more  individuals  were  seen  in  the 
timber  just  below  our  upper  camp  July  16.  These  seemed  to  compose 
a  flock,  and  apparently  were  roving  about  preparatory  to  migration. 
A  single  individual  was  collected  near  the  head  of  the  creek 
August  6. 

Planesticus  migratorius  (Linn.).     Robin. 

Robins  were  seen  for  the  first  time  along  upper  Coal  Creek  July  15 
and  only  occasionally  after  that  date.  One  was  about  camp  July  21, 
and  a  few  were  heard  in  the  vicinity  now  and  then.  Sheldon  reports 
that  robins  were  common  near  Ins  temporary  camp  on  the  north 
side  of  the  divide  separating  Coal  Creek  and  Sheep  Creek. 

Ixoreus  nsevius  meruloides  (Swains.).     Varied  Thrush. 

The  weird  note  of  tins  bird  was  heard  several  times  on  the  evening 
of  July  11  in  some  heavy  timber  near  the  Forks.  It  was  again 
heard  near  the  Canyon  July  12,  and  later  two  pairs  of  the  birds  were 
noted  by  Sheldon  near  the  head  of  the  creek. 

Saxicola  oenanthe  (Linn.).     Wheatear. 

A  half  dozen  were  seen  on  the  summit  of  a  high  ridge  August  1. 
They  were  flitting  from  rock  to  rock,  displaying  the  white  markings 
of  their  tails  in  a  very  conspicuous  manner.  I  was  stalking  a  small 
band  of  mountain  rams  at  the  time  and  dared  not  shoot  for  fear  of 
frightening  them,  so  no  specimens  of  the  wheatears  were  secured. 
The  same  locality  and  other  similar  ones  in  the  vicinity  had  been 
hunted  over  frequently  and  no  wheatears  seen,  so  these  birds  were 
judged  to  be  wanderers. 

89992— No.  30—09 5 


III.  THE  MACMILLAN  RIVER,  YUKON  TERRITORY. 

INTRODUCTION. 

Having  touched  the  spurs  of  the  northern  Rocky  Mountains  in  the 
Ogilvie  Range,  it  became  of  special  importance  to  visit  the  same 
general  region  at  a  more  southerly  point.  The  region  about  the 
sources  of  the  Macmillan  and  Stewart  rivers  fulfilled  the  required 
conditions.  Therefore,  on  completing  work  in  the  Ogilvie  Range  in 
August,  1904,  the  remainder  of  the  season,  including  the  month  of 
September  and  part  of  October,  was  devoted  to  a  trip  to  the  upper 
waters  of  the  Macmillan  River. 

Our  party  was  the  same,  Charles  Sheldon,  Carl  Rungius,  and 
myself,  but  during  the  trip  up  the  river  we  were  pleasantly  associated 


Fig.  2. — Map  of  Macmillan  River  region. 

with  a  party  of  prominent  citizens  of  Dawson.  Among  them  were 
Mr.  D.  A.  Cameron,  of  the  Canadian  Bank  of  Commerce,  Justice  L.  A. 
Dugas,  and  Mr.  J.  Patterson.  In  addition,  it  was  our  good  fortune 
to  find  bound  for  the  same  region  the  veteran  hunter  and  African 
pioneer,  Mr.  Frederick  C.  Selous,  of  Surrey,  England.0  We  therefore 
joined  forces  and  engaged  a  small  steamboat  to  take  us  to  the  head 
of  navigation  on  the  Macmillan.  The  season  was  well  advanced, 
and  the  trip  up  the  river  consumed  considerable  time,  leaving  but 
little  for  actual  work.  Since  the  natural  history  of  the  region  is 
so  little  known,  such  results  as  were  obtained  are  deemed  worthy  of 
publication. 

°  An  account  by  Mr.  Selous  of  this  trip  and  of  another  made  to  the  same  region  in 
1906  has  been  published  under  the  title,  "Recent  Hunting  Trips  in  British  North 
America,"  London,  pp.  1^100,  1907. 
66 


North  American  Fauna  No.  30,  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.      Biological  Survey. 


Plate  III. 


^a 


iw^mmMm 


Fig.  1.— Near  Timberline  on  Plateau  Mountain.    Subalpine  Firs  in  Foreground. 


Fig.  2.— Plateau  Mountain  from  Macmillan  River. 


1909.]  MACMILLAN   RIVER,   YUKON.  67 

ITINERARY. 

Our  steamer  left  the  wharf  at  Dawson  at  noon  August  21 .  Progress 
upstream  was  slow,  and  Selkirk  was  not  reached  imtil  3  p.  m.,  August 
24.  In  a  few  hours  we  entered  the  Pelly  and  steamed  up  some  8  or 
10  miles  and  tied  to  the  bank  for  the  night.  On  the  evening  of 
August  26  we  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Macmillan  and  proceeded  up 
some  distance.  Delays  were  frequent,  for  the  water  was  at  a  low 
stage  and  the  channel  unknown  to  the  captain  of  the  boat.  Conse- 
quently we  were  often  aground ;  moreover,  much  time  was  consumed 
in  chopping  wood  for  the  furnace,  as  the  boat  could  carry  only  a 
small  supply  of  fuel.  Finally  on  August  31  we  left  the  steamer  and 
took  to  our  canoes  a  few  miles  below  the  mouth  of  Russell  Creek  and 
not  far  from  the  forks  of  the  Macmillan.  The  next  morning  we 
worked  up  a  short  distance  to  a  trapper's  cabin  just  above  the  mouth 
of  Russell  Creek,  where  we  were  hospitably  received  by  the  owner, 
John  Barr.  Here  our  party  divided.  Sheldon  and  Selous  proceeded 
up  the  North  Fork  of  the  Macmillan  to  the  vicinity  of  the  mouth  of 
Husky  Dog  Creek,  whence  they  worked  into  the  mountains  about 
the  head  of  Clearwater  Creek;  Cameron,  Dugas,  and  Patterson  chose 
the  South  Fork,  and  hunted  in  the  so-called  South  Fork  Mountains; 
and  Rungius  and  myself  left  the  river  immediately  and  proceeded 
into  the  Russell  Mountains  near  the  head  of  Russell  Creek.  We 
remained  there  until  September  16,  when  we  returned  to  Barr's  cabin, 
and  after  a  few  days  there  dropped  down  the  river  to  the  base  of 
Plateau  Mountain.  We  worked  near  the  river  and  on  the  mountain 
from  September  20  to  September  29.  On  the  29th  we  went  on  to 
Fish  Lake,  a  small  pond  near  the  river  and  about  15  miles  below  our 
camp  at  the  base  of  Plateau  Mountain.  Thence  we  moved  on  quite 
rapidly,  making  only  brief  stops,  as  the  weather  had  become  quite 
severe  and  the  river  was  running  heavy  with  slush  ice.  On  October 
5  we  reached  the  junction  of  the  Pelly  and  Macmillan  and  early  on 
the  morning  of  the  8th  arrived  at  Selkirk.  The  next  evening  a 
steamer  arrived  from  Dawson,  and  we  took  passage  to  White  Horse 
and  thence  returned  to  'the  outside.' 

GENERAL   ACCOUNT. 

Although  actual  work  was  confined  to  a  few  restricted  parts  of  the 
region  through  which  we  traveled,  it  may  be  well  to  give  some  slight 
description  of  the  whole  route.  This  may  be  subdivided  as  follows: 
(1)  The  Pelly  River,a  (2)  the  Macmillan  River,  (3)  the  Russell 
Mountains,  and  (4)  Plateau  Mountain. 

°  Including  only  that  part  below  the  junction  with  the  Macmillan. 


68  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

THE    PELLY    RIVER. 

The  Pelly  River  joins  the  Lewes  nearly  opposite  the  present  set- 
tlement of  Selkirk.  At  its  mouth  it  passes  a  basalt  escarpment, 
about  200  feet  high,  which  continues  on  down  the  north  side  of  the 
Yukon  for  some  distance,  forming  a  conspicuous  landmark.  From 
this  point  to  the  junction  of  the  Pelly  and  Macmillan  is  46  miles  in  a 
straight  line  and  74  miles  by  the  windings  of  the  river.0  The  stream, 
as  may  therefore  be  supposed,  is  very  devious,  particularly  in  the 
lower  part  of  its  course,  where  the  country  is  uniformly  low.  It  is 
from  400  to  800  feet  wide,  roughly  speaking,  and  the  current  runs 
from  2  to  3  miles  an  hour,  being  somewhat  slower  than  that  of  the 
Lewes  or  Yukon.  About  60  miles  above  the  mouth  the  current  is 
swifter,  and  a  few  small  rapids  occur  in  passing  through  a  narrow 
canyon  some  3  or  4  miles  in  length.  Above  the  canyon  the  current 
is  again  slack,  and  continues  fairly  uniform  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Macmillan. 

The  country  along  the  lower  course  of  the  river  is  very  similar  to 
that  along  Fifty  mile  River  in  the  vicinity  of  White  Horse,  being 
for  the  most  part  dry  and  sparsely  wooded.  Low  ranges  of  hills 
are  in  many  cases  almost  bare  of  timber,  being  covered  with  grasses 
to  their  tops,  with  only  scattered  growths  of  poplar  and  small  shrubs. 
Wide  flats  often  stretch  between  the  bases  of  these  hills  and  the 
river,  and  where  the  exposure  is  to  the  south  very  little  or  no  conifer- 
ous timber  grows.  One  such  flat  not  far  from  the  mouth  of  the  river 
has  been  cleared  and  put  under  cultivation.6  For  about  20  miles 
below  the  canyon  at  least,  one  bank  consists  mostly  of  gravel  and  is 
about  50  feet  high  and  uniformly  level  on  top.  It  is  usually  grown 
to  young  poplars,  with  now  and  then  an  open  slope  covered  with 
dwarf  sagebrush  (Artemisia  frigida).  The  opposite  bank  is  low 
and  supports  considerable  spruce  timber  of  average  size,  with  some 
poplar  and  a  little  birch.  Poplars  (P.  tremuloides  and  P.  balsamifera) 
are  the  dominant  trees,  however.  Occasionally  the  low  bank  is 
slightly  swampy  and  permits  a  growth  of  black  spruce  (Picea  mari- 
ana).  The  shrubs  include  dogwood  (Cornus  occidentalis) ,  high-bush 
cranberry  (Viburnum  jpauciflorum) ,  buffalo  berry  (Lepargyrea  cana- 
densis), bearberry  (Arctostaphylos  uvaursi),  dwarf  birch  (Betula 
glandulosa),  alders  (Alnus),  and  willows  (Salix).  At  the  head  of  the 
canyon  a  few  lodgepole  pines  (Pinus  murrayana)  were  seen,  the  first 
to  be  noted  since  leaving  the  Yukon.  From  that  point  on,  they 
were  seen  at  intervals  all  along  the  river,  but  seldom  in  large  num- 
bers.    About  the  canyon  the  country  is  much  the  same,  being  dry 

a  Dawson,  Ann.  Rept.  Geol.  Survey  Canada,  n.  s.,  Ill,  pt.  I,  p.  131B,  1889. 

&  This  place  is  only  4  miles  from  Selkirk  and  is  known  locally  as  The  Farm.  In  the 
season  of  1903,  as  I  was  informed,  100  tons  of  good  oat  hay  were  harvested  here  and 
marketed  at  a  good  price. 


North  American  Fauna  No.  30,  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.     Biological  Survey. 


Plate  IV. 


Fiq.  1  .—Characteristic  Meadow  in  Upper  Macmillan  Valley. 


Fig.  2.— Bank  of  Upper  Macmillan  River. 


1909.' 


MACMILLAN   RIVER,   YUKON.  69 


and  open,  with  considerable  growth  of  poplar  on  southern  slopes 
and  more  or  less  white  spruce  on  northern.  There  are  no  moun- 
tains of  consequence  until  within  a  few  miles  of  the  mouth  of  the 
Macmillan,  though  from  one  or  two  points  just  below  the  canyon 
glimpses  may  be  caught  of  high  peaks  in  the  distance,  evidently  those 
of  the  Glenlyon  range.  Before  reaching  the  Macmillan,  Ptarmigan 
Mountain  is  passed.  It  is  timbered  practically  to  the  top,  although 
there  are  a  few  bare  spots  on  one  side.  In  the  distance  on  the  other 
side  can  be  seen  the  Macmillan  and  Kalzas  ranges.  The  tributaries 
which  enter  the  Pelly  below  the  Macmillan  junction  are  very  small, 
being  only  a  few  inches  deep  at  low  water. 

THE    MACMILLAN    RIVER. 

The  Macmillan  River  from  its  mouth  to  the  point  where  it  divides 
into  a  north  and  south  fork  is  about  150  miles  in  length.  It  is  even 
more  tortuous  than  the  Pellyrthe  bends  being  shorter  and  more  fre- 
quent. The  current  for  the  first  half  of  its  course  is  almost  uniformly 
sluggish,  seldom  more  than  2  miles  an  hour.  Its  upper  reaches,  how- 
ever, are  somewhat  swifter,  and  short  stretches  running  4  to  5  miles 
per  hour  are  not  infrequent.  Islands  are  not  numerous,  and  the 
water  is  usually  confined  to  one  channel.  At  ordinary  stages  of 
water  it  is  easily  navigable  for  small  steamers,  the  chief  difficulty 
being  in  rounding  the  many  sharp  curves.  It  flows  through  a  com- 
paratively level  valley  from  2  to  6  miles  in  width  and  flanked  on 
both  sides  by  detached  ranges  of  mountains.  Its  lower  course  closely 
follows  the  bases  of  the  Macmillan  and  Kalzas  ranges,  from  which  it 
winds  across  and  approaches  the  base  of  the  mass  containing  the 
peak  called  Dromedary  Mountain.  From  Dromedary  Mountain 
to  Plateau  Mountain  it  traverses  a  broad,  flat  valley,  for  the  most 
part  heavily  timbered,  but  with  hundreds  of  small  ponds  surrounded 
by  open  grassy  meadows  scattered  through  it.  It  winds  around  the 
southern  base  of  Plateau  Mountain  and  continues  through  compara- 
tively low  country  to  the  mouth  of  Russell  Creek  and  to  the  Forks. 
The  banks  consist  chiefly  of  clay  and  gravel  alternating  at  intervals 
or  associated  in  the  same  exposures.  In  the  lower  part  of  the  river 
high  clay  banks  are  quite  frequent.  Where  the  river  approaches 
the  bases  of  the  several  groups  of  mountains,  exposures  of  rock  are 
more  common.  Its  most  important  tributaries  are  Kalzas  River, 
Moose  River,  and  Russell  Creek,  which  are  separated  by  considerable 
intervals,  but  all  of  which  come  in  from  the  northeast,  draining  from 
the  broken  plateau  between  the  Macmillan  and  the  Stewart. 

A  good  growth  of  white  spruce  (Picea  canadensis)  occurs  all  along 
the  river.  There  is  also  much  black  spruce  (Picea  mariana),  for 
swampy  conditions  prevail  in  many  places.  Poplars  are  abundant, 
particularly  on  southern  slopes,  but  are  not  so  greatly  in  the  ascend- 
ency as  on  the  Pelly.     The  paper  birch  (Betula  alaskana)  is  fairly 


70  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  30. 


common  and  often  well  grown.  Pines  also  are  common,  and  in  some 
cases  where  burns  have  destroyed  large  areas  of  spruce,  the  second 
growth  is  almost  entirely  pine.  The  shrubs  are  practically  the  same 
as  those  along  the  Pelly.  The  white  spruce  grows  in  groves  on  the 
alluvial  flats  near  the  river  and  on  the  lower  slopes  of  the  mountains. 
These  groves  are  usually  rather  small,  but  in  places  extend  uninter- 
ruptedly for  several  miles.  The  amount  of  such  timber  in  the  entire 
valley  is  evidently  considerable.  The  mountains  on  both  sides  are 
fairly  well  timbered,  though  all  the  higher  peaks  have  more  or  less 
open  treeless  space  on  top. 

THE    RUSSELL    MOUNTAINS. 

The  Russell  Mountains  consist  of  a  small  group  of  rather  dome- 
shaped  peaks  lying  on  both  sides  and  about  the  head  of  Russell 
Creek.  The  several  peaks  differ  but  slightly  in  height,  being,  accord- 
ing to  McConnell,  about  6,000  feet  above  sea  level.  One  group  lies 
between  the  main  and  the  north  fork  of  the  creek,  and  is  more  or 
less  continuous  with  the  mountains  at  the  head  of  Barr  Creek  and 
in  general  along  the  north  side  of  the  North  Fork  of  the  Macmillan. 
Another  group  is  on  the  west  side  of  Russell  Creek  and  connected 
practically  continuously  with  Plateau  Mountain.  These  mountains 
form  the  divide  between  the  Macmillan  and  the  South  Fork  of  the 
Stewart,  the  distance  between  the  headwaters  of  Russell  Creek  and 
branches  of  the  Stewart  being  only  2  or  3  miles.  Russell  Creek  itself 
is  about  12  miles  long,  so  the  total  distance  from  the  Macmillan  in 
this  region  to  the  South  Fork  of  the  Stewart  is  not  great. 

The  various  peaks  of  the  Russell  Mountains,  although  close  to- 
gether, are  for  the  most  part  separated  by  deep,  narrow  canyons, 
through  which  course  small  streams.  Their  sides  are  usually  steep 
but  fairly  regular  and,  except  on  southern  slopes,  not  heavily  tim- 
bered, making  travel  laborious  but  not  otherwise  difficult.  The  valley 
of  the  upper  part  of  Russell  Creek  between  the  two  groups  of  moun- 
tains consists  of  long  glade-like  gullies  and  alternating  ridges  or  nar- 
row flats  running  parallel  with  the  creek.  These  have  been  well  tim- 
bered, but  within  a  few  years  fire  has  passed  over  most  of  the  region 
east  of  the  creek,  and  it  is  now  covered  with  dead  spruce  trunks 
and  underbrush,  largely  willow  and  dwarf  birch  (Betula  glandulosa). 
Besides  these  there  are  some  buffalo  berries  (Lepargyrea) ,  alders 
(Alnus),  near  water,  and  now  and  then  a  small  patch  of  bearberry 
(Arctostaphylos  uvaursi).  In  the  canyons  and  along  small  streams 
the  white  spruce  (Picea  canadensis)  has  not  been  burned,  and  is 
abundant  and  of  good  size.  It  extends  up  the  mountain  sides  on 
northerly  exposures  to  about  2,000  feet  elevation  and  on  southerly 
to  from  2,500  to  3,000  feet.  Although  it  ascends  to  the  upper  limit 
of  trees,  it  is  greatly  outnumbered  at  the  higher  elevations  by  the 


North  American  Fauna  No.  30,  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.      Biological  Survey. 


Plate  V. 


Fig.  1.— Beaver  Lodge  in  Bank  of  Upper  Macmillan   River,  Near  Russell  Creek. 


Fig.  2.— Beaver  Dams  Near  Upper  Macmillan  River. 


1909]  MACMILLAN   RIVER,  YUKON.  71 

subalpine  fir  (Abies  lasiocavpal) ,  which  is  for  the  most  part  the 
timberline  tree.  It  is  mixed  with  spruce  at  an  altitude  of  about 
1,500  feet,  and  to  a  less  extent  lower,  and  above  that  altitude  it 
predominates.  It  often  grows  in  beautiful  groves  about  timberline, 
bordering  small  glades  and  meadows. 

The  deciduous  trees  are  the  poplars  (Populus  balsamifera  and  P. 
tremuloides) ,  which  are  abundant  along  the  banks  of  Russell  Creek 
and  for  considerable  distances  back  on  the  benches,  and  the  paper 
birch  (Betula  alaskana),  which  is  scatteringly  distributed  through- 
out the  region.  Along  the  lower  part  of  Russell  Creek,  particularly 
on  hot  exposed  benches',  pines  (Pinus  murrayana)  are  abundant. 

PLATEAU    MOUNTAIN. 

Plateau  Mountain  lies  on  the  north  side  of  the  Macmillan,  about 
halfway  between  Russell  Creek  and  Moose  River.  Its  elevation  is 
about  6,000  feet,  or  practically  the  same  as  that  of  the  Russell 
Mountains.  The  top  of  the  main  mountain,  though  somewhat 
uneven,  is  relatively  level  and  roughly  oblong,  breaking  off  sud- 
denly to  steep  slopes  on  its  sides.  On  the  northwest  its  slopes  run 
down  to  Moose  Lake,  a  beautiful  sheet  6  miles  or  more  in  length. 
To  the  east  and  northeast,  separated  only  by  deep,  narrow  canyons, 
are  similar  mountains,  which  continue  on  toward  the  Russell  Moun- 
tains. 

Our  camp  was  at  the  mouth  of  a  small  rushing  stream,  which 
comes  down  through  narrow  canyons  on  the  south  side  of  the  moun- 
tain. The  steep  sides  of  the  mountain  at  this  point  are  very  close 
to  the  Macmillan,  being  separated  only  by  one  or  two  narrow  benches. 
The  southern  side  is  heavily  timbered  almost  to  the  edge  of  the 
elevated  plateau  of  the  top.  The  southwestern  slopes  are  covered 
with  almost  unbroken  forest,  chiefly  of  large  white  spruce,  while 
somewhat  to  the  eastward  is  a  considerable  area  covered  with  second 
growth  following  a  fire  of  former  years,  sufficient  evidence  of  which 
now  remains  in  the  shape  of  standing  and  prostrate  tree  trunks. 
Much  of  the  second  growth  is  lodgepole  pine,  which  is  growing 
almost  as  thick  as  it  can  stand.  Birch  and  poplar  are  fairly  abun- 
dant, the  latter  being  the  dominant  tree  on  the  benches  between  the 
base  of  the  mountain  and  the  river.  The  northerly  slopes  also  are 
heavily  timbered,  but  not  to  such  an  elevation  as  the  southerly  ones. 
The  top  of  the  mountain  and  part  of  the  northern  slopes  are  tree- 
less, and  bear  the  usual  mat  of  Arctic  alpine  vegetation  and  also 
numerous  thickets  of  low  willows.  The  subalpine  fir  (Abies  lasio- 
carpa),  as  on  the  Russell  Mountains,  is  the  timberline  tree,  growing 
luxuriantly  above  the  spruce  forest.  The  ordinary  shrubs — alders, 
willows,  dwarf  birch,  high-bush  cranberries,  buffalo  berries,  and  so 
on — are  abundant. 


72  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

MAMMALS  OF  THE  MACMILLAN  REGION. 

Alces  americanus  gigas  Miller.     Alaska  Moose. 

The  Macmillan  region  includes  much  ideal  moose  range,  and  as  it 
is  little  frequented  by  man,  the  animals  are  fairly  abundant.  The 
broad  flats  near  the  river,  with  their  heavy  forests  broken  at  frequent 
intervals  by  open  swamps  or  grass-bordered  lakes,  as  well  as  the 
flanking  ranges  and  detached  groups  of  mountains,  with  their  sheltered 
canyons  and  open  parklike  glades  alternating  with  thick  clumps  of 
trees,  furnish  all  that  moose  desire.  Nearly  every  member  of  the 
various  parties  in  1904  saw  one  or  more  mopse,  and  a  number  were 
killed,  including  several  very  fine  specimens. 

During  September  and  the  early  part  of  October  they  were  found 
both  at  high  altitudes  on  the  mountains  and  on  the  banks  of  the  river, 
but  it  was  not  possible  to  determine  whether  a  general  movement  took 
place  from  the  lower  to  the  higher  localities  or  vice  versa.  Since  the 
period  included  the  rutting  season,  when  at  least  many  of  the  males 
were  roving,  it  seems  probable  that  they  were  generally  distributed 
most  of  the  time.  On  September  2  I  saw  a  small  bull  near  timberline 
in  the  Russell  Mountains,  while  on  the  same  day,  as  I  afterwards 
learned,  Sheldon  and  Selous  saw  a  cow  and  calf  on  the  bank  of  the 
North  Fork  of  the  river.  Again,  Sheldon  saw  a  cow  and  calf  above 
timberline  in  the  mountains  between  the  North  and  South  forks,  while 
at  about  the  same  time  Rungius  and  I  saw  several  bulls  and  a  cow  and 
calf  near  the  river  at  the  base  of  Plateau  Mountain.  On  October  3, 
while  we  were  camped  near  the  base  of  Lone  Mountain,  Rungius 
climbed  a  small  peak  near  by  and  saw  a  spike  bull  and  many  tracks 
near  timberline.  During  the  day  Sheldon  and  Selous  came  in  from 
Plateau  Mountain,  where  they  reported  having  seen  several  young 
moose  in  the  vicinity  of  timberline.  No  moose  having  been  seen  near 
the  river  for  some  days,  the  question  of  a  general  upward  movement 
was  therefore  discussed,  but  that  evening  Gage,  our  camp  man,  went 
out  with  a  small  rifle  to  shoot  muskrats  and  encountered  a  bull  moose 
not  200  yards  from  camp,  and  a  few  days  later  on  the  Pelly  another 
was  seen  within  a  few  yards  of  the  river  bank. 

The  antlers  of  the  old  bulls  are  practically  clear  of  velvet  by  the 
first  week  of  September,  while  in  the  younger  animals  the  process  of 
changing  may  be  delayed  until  the  middle  of  the  month.  A  large 
bull  killed  by  Rungius  in  the  Russell  Mountains  September  7  had  per- 
fectly hard  but  somewhat  bloodstained  horns,  with  a  few  small  strips 
of  velvet  dangling  from  several  of  the  points.  Another  killed  by 
Selous  on  the  North  Fork  September  8  was  in  similar  condition,  while 
a  young  bull  killed  at  about  the  same  time  by  Cameron's  party  had  its 
antlers  still  fully  covered  with  velvet.     The  height  of  the  rut  is  appar- 


1909.] 


MAMMALS MACMILLAN    EEGION.  73 


ently  about  the  third  week  in  September.     At  that  time  a  few  bulls 
had  their  cows  and  many  were  still  running. 

Our  only  successes  at  calling  moose  with  the  birch-bark  horn  were 
about  this  time.  The  evening  of  September  20,  when  we  arrived 
at  the  base  of  Plateau  Mountain,  before  any  disturbance  had  been  made, 
Rungius  and  I  took  a  horn  and  went  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  back 
from  the  river  to  a  slightly  elevated  bench  overlooking  an  extensive 
wooded  flat,  parts  of  which  had  been  burned,  leaving  a  few  open  spaces. 
Rungius,  who  had  had  experience  in  calling  moose  in  New  Brunswick, 
handled  the  trumpet.  After  the  fourth  call,  a  faint  rattle  of  horns 
was  heard  in  the  distance  perhaps  half  a  mile  away.  Another  call, 
and  the  horns  rattled  again,  this  time  apparently  a  little  nearer.  The 
intervals  between  calls  were  lengthened,  and  evidence  that  a  moose 
was  coming  directly  toward  us  was  soon  conclusive.  No  animal  but 
a  moose  could  make  such  a  noise.  For  a  time  all  would  be  deathly 
still  and  then,  crash!  as  the  horns  rattled  their  challenge  against  the 
resonant  branches  of  a  dead  tree,  sounding  like  nothing  that  I  could 
think  of  so  much  as  the  breaking  of  rather  thin  ice.  Sometimes  the 
rattling  continued  for  several  seconds,  and  one  could  readily  imagine 
the  noise  as  caused  by  a  heavy  animal  floundering  through  ice  in  a 
shallow  pond.  After  some  minutes  the  animal  was  but  a  few  hundred 
yards  from  us  and  the  rattling  ceased  and  we  began  to  hear  short, 
grunting  coughs.  Meanwhile  more  rattling  was  heard  from  another 
direction,  announcing  another  bull,  which  came  on  more  slowly  and 
cautiously,  being,  as  we  supposed,  an  older  animal.  During  the  inter- 
vals between  coughs  we  strained  to  hear  the  big  beasts  that  we  knew 
were  moving  about  very  near  us,  but  not  the  slightest  sound  was  heard. 
Suddenly  we  were  startled  by  a  series  of  coughs  right  at  our  feet,  so  to 
speak,  and  we  realized  that  a  bull  moose  was  in  a  small  thick  clump 
of  trees  just  below  our  station  on  the  bench  and  scarcely  30  yards 
away.  It  was  rapidly  getting  dark,  and  after  a  whispered  consulta- 
tion we  decided  upon  a  quick  descent  to  the  clump  of  trees  below, 
when  the  ghostly  form  of  a  huge  moose  carrying  monstrous  antlers 
appeared  in  one  of  the  partly  open  burnt  areas  about  300  yards 
away.  He  stalked  majestically  across  among  the  dead  tree  trunks, 
apparently  coming  nearer,  but  suddenly  turned  and  disappeared 
among  the  thick  trees  beyond.  Meanwhile  the  other  bull  also  had 
moved  away.  It  was  a  most  interesting  experience,  and  settled  to 
my  entire  satisfaction  the  claim,  denied  by  some,  that  the  western 
moose  responds  to  calls  just  as  his  eastern  relative  does.  In  the 
frenzy  of  sexual  excitement,  moose  sometimes  are  attracted  by  various 
sounds,  as  those  of  chopping  wood  or  other  noises  about  camp,  but  in 
this  case  everything  seemed  to  indicate  that  the  two  bulls  came  to  the 
call  because  they  thought  it  was  what  it  purported  to  be.     Possibly 


74  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

a  moose  in  his  right  mind  could  recognize  the  best  imitation  man  could 
make,  but  during  the  rutting  season,  if  he  comes  to  any  call,  it  would 
seem  that  a  moose  call,  cow  or  bull,  would  be  most  likely  to  attract. 
That  the  call  given  by  Rungius  was  a  good  imitation  I  feel  certain, 
for  only  a  few  days  later  I  heard  the  actual  call  of  a  cow  not  three 
minutes  after  seeing  her  enter  the  woods.  It  was  so  much  like  the 
imitation  that  I  was  not  satisfied  of  its  genuineness  until  Rungius 
assured  me  that  he  had  not  been  in  the  woods  playing  a  joke  on  me. 

John  Barr,  a  trapper  on  the  upper  Macmillan,  told  us  he  had  been 
very  successful  in  hunting  moose  with  a  small  mongrel  dog.  The 
dog  was  readily  trained  to  follow  a  fresh  trail  and  bring  an  animal  to 
bay,  and  by  barking  and  snapping  to  hold  it  until  the  hunter  arrived 
with  his  rifle.  Thus  in  several  seasons  of  trapping  he  had  never 
lacked  for  a  supply  of  meat  for  himself  and  his  dogs.  In  winter 
moose  collect  in  considerable  numbers  in  certain  areas  in  this  region, 
possibly  'yarding,'  as  the  eastern  moose  does.  According  to  reports 
which  Selous  received,  moose  were  very  numerous  along  Russell 
Creek  in  the  winter  of  1905.  Once  11  were  seen  together,  9  bulls, 
1  cow,  and  a  calf,  and  at  another  time  25  were  in  sight  at  one  time, 
scattered  about  browsing. 

The  moose  of  the  Macmillan  region  average  almost,  if  not  quite, 
as  large  as  those  of  the  Kenai  Peninsula.  The  height  at  the  shoulder 
in  three  full-grown  bulls  measured  (between  uprights)  by  Selous  was, 
respectively,  6  feet  9  inches,  6  feet  10  inches,  and  6  feet  11  inches. 
The  largest  of  three  bulls  from  the  Kenai  Peninsula  measured  by  Dall 
De  Weese  was  6  feet  8  inches  in  height  at  shoulder.  The  antlers  of 
the  Macmillan  moose  also  average  large,  although  none  were  secured 
having  a  spread  of  more  than  67  inches.  But  it  must  be  remembered 
that  the  antlers  that  spread  70  inches  and  more  are  selected  speci- 
mens from  the  Kenai  region.  The  largest  moose  killed  by  Selous  on 
the  North  Fork  carried  an  exceptionally  massive  pair  of  antlers,  with 
a  spread  of  67  inches.  The  dried  skull  and  antlers  together  weighed 
75  pounds.  The  other  heads  obtained  in  1904  spread  as  follows: 
48  inches,  50  inches,  53  inches,  56  inches,  58  inches,  and  64  inches. 
The  skulls  of  the  Macmillan  moose  do  not  have  such  broad  palates 
as  those  from  the  Kenai  Peninsula,  and  differ  but  little  from  the 
eastern  moose  in  this  respect. 

Rangifer  montanus  osborni  Allen.     Osborn  Caribou. 

Caribou  inhabit  practically  all  the  mountains  of  the  Macmillan 
region  which  rise  above  the  limit  of  tree  growth.  Our  first  sight  of 
them  was  on  the  evening  of  August  29,  when  our  little  steamboat  was 
tied  to  the  bank  of  the  river  for  the  night  a  short  distance  from  the 
base  of  Plateau  Mountain.  The  air  was  clear,  and  with  the  aid  of 
glasses  the  antlered  forms  of  several  caribou  were  clearly  seen  against 


1909.1  MAMMALS MACMILLAN    REGION.  75 

the  sky,  moving  about  like  strange  insects  on  the  sharply  denned 
crest  of  the  mountain.  From  later  experience  we  learned  that  this 
mountain  is  a  favorite  resort  of  caribou.  They  proved  to  be  still 
more  abundant,  however,  in  the  so-called  South  Fork  Mountains, 
lying  between  the  South  Fork  of  the  Macmillan  and  the  Pelly  River. 
Cameron  and  his  party,  who  hunted  in  these  mountains,  brought  out 
some  very  fine  heads,  and  reported  seeing  numbers  of  caribou.  In 
the  fall  of  1906  Selous  also  found  caribou  plentiful  in  the  South  Fork 
Mountains.  The  day  after  our  arrival  in  the  Russell  Mountains  a 
band  of  nine  cows  was  located,  and  one  was  killed  to  supply  the  camp 
with  meat;  but  in  the  following  ten  days,  during  which  the  region 
was  thoroughly  traversed,  no  other  caribou  were  observed.  Occa- 
sional tracks  were  seen,  some  on  the  open  ridges  and  some  on  the 
sparsely  timbered  slopes  lower  down,  but  no  well-worn  trails  appeared, 
and  it  was  evident  that  caribou  did  not  frequent  the  region  in  numbers. 

On  September  21  we  climbed  Plateau  Mountain  and  found  its 
broad  top  covered  with  a  few  inches  of  snow,  acres  and  acres  of  which 
were  imprinted  with  caribou  tracks  about  two  days  old.  Just  how 
many  animals  had  made  them  we  could  not  determine,  but  there 
must  have  been  hundreds.  After  hunting  carefully  over  most  of  the 
upper  part  of  the  mountain,  we  were  about  to  conclude  that  all  the 
caribou  had  gone  down  into  the  timber  when  Rungius  turned  Ins  glass 
upon  an  object  on  the  northeast  side  of  the  mountain  that  we  had 
taken  for  a  large  brown  rock,  but  which  proved  to  be  a  very  large 
solitary  bull  caribou  lying  down  dozing.  In  fact,  he  was  nearly  fast 
asleep,  for  now  and  then  Ins  head  nodded  until  his  nose  touched  the 
ground.  Stalking  him  was  therefore  simple.  At  the  crack  of  the 
rifle  he  rose  slowly  to  his  feet,  tottered  a  moment,  reared  wavering 
in  the  air,  and  fell  almost  completely  over  backward  dead.  He  was 
an  immense  animal,  and  we  estimated  that  his  live  weight  was 
between  500  and  600  pounds.  He  was  very  old  and  perhaps  an  out- 
cast. Two  incisor  teeth  were  all  that  remained,  and  his  horns, 
although  with  very  heavy  long  beams,  had  few  points. 

A  few  days  later  we  hunted  again  on  the  top  of  the  mountain  and 
again  were  about  to  conclude  the  caribou  had  left  for  other  parts 
when  a  single  small  bull  came  running  up  the  north  side  of  the 
mountain  from  the  timber  below.  He  was  some  500  yards  away  and 
his  course  led  him  directly  into  the  wind,  so  he  soon  stopped  and  after 
a  few  snorts  and  wild  prancings  from  side  to  side  went  speedily  on 
over  the  top  of  the  mountain.  Later  two  more  were  seen,  one  of 
which  was  killed.  The  other  bull  lingered  in  the  vicinity  running 
wildly  about,  and  more  than  once,  as  I  was  skinning  his  dead  comrade, 
he  came  within  75  yards  and  stood  looking  curiously  at  me,  a  good 
example  of  failure  to  recognize  danger. 


76  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

Our  experience  on  Plateau  Mountain  thus  proved  that  the  caribou 
move  back  and  forth  from  the  timber  to  the  mountain  tops.  We 
saw  no  caribou  in  the  timber,  however,  and  tracks  were  scarce  there 
except  at  considerable  elevations.  Possibly,  therefore,  the  animals 
traverse  the  heavily  wooded  valleys  only  in  crossing  from  one  moun- 
tain to  another.  Judge  L.  A.  Dugas,  while  descending  the  river  with 
Cameron  and  their  party,  killed  a  large  bull  caribou  on  the  bank  of 
the  Macmillan  between  Russell  Creek  and  the  base  of  Plateau  Moun- 
tain. This  was  the  only  caribou  seen  in  the  timber  in  1904  by  any 
of  the  hunters  in  the  region. 

The  caribou  of  the  Macmillan  region  are  referable  to  R.  m.  osborni, 
a  member  of  the  so-called  Woodland  Group.  Yet  in  habits  and  in 
nearly  all  respects  save  size  they  seem  scarcely  to  differ  from  the 
caribou  of  the  Ogilvie  Mountains  (see  p.  49),  which  are  distinctly 
referable  to  the  Barren  Ground  Group.  R.  arcticus,  of  the  Ogilvie 
Mountains  and  northward,  is  scarcely  less  a  'mountain  caribou'  than 
R.  m.  osborni.  Both  enter  the  timber  to  some  extent,  but  their 
particular  range  is  on  the  treeless  ridges  and  high  slopes  above 
timberline.  Between  the  Macmillan  region  and  the  Ogilvie  Mountains 
lies  much  practically  uninterrupted  mountainous  country  of  uniform 
character  undoubtedly  inhabited  by  caribou.  It  is  therefore  difficult 
to  believe  that  a  sharp  line  exists  separating  osborni  from  arcticus. 
The  material  for  elucidating  this  problem  does  not  exist  in  any 
museum,  but  it  seems  probable  that  our  northwestern  caribou,  like 
the  sheep,  will  eventually  prove  to  intergrade,  so  that  the  forms  now 
known  as  species  will  rank  only  as  subspecies. 

Although  the  antlers  of  all  caribou  are  exceedingly  variable,  certain 
average  distinctions  are  fairly  well  marked.  Among  some  15  pairs 
of  antlers  from  the  Macmillan  region,  a  general  tendency  to  long 
rangy  beams  appears,  which  may  be  in  the  nature  of  a  gradation 
toward  arcticus.  None  of  them  possess  the  short  heavy  type  of 
antler  with  much  flattened  beam  which  seems  almost  characteristic 
of  R.  montanus,  and  which  is  found  also  in  certain  specimens  of 
R.  m.  osborni  from  the  type  locality.  The  skull  of  the  large  male 
from  Plateau  Mountain  presents  the  following  measurements :  Basilar 
length  425;  tip  of  premaxiHae  to  tip  of  nasal  138;  length  of  nasals 
155;  zygomatic  width  149;  palatal  width  at  ml  74;  alveolar  length 
upper  toothrow  100;  postpalatal  length  151;  posterior  edge  of  palate 
to  tip  of  premaxillge  275;  length  of  mandible,  incisive  border  to 
angle,  334;  depth  of  mandible  at  m2  43;  alveolar  length  mandibular 
toothrow  107.  The  length  of  the  beam  of  the  antlers  of  this  speci- 
men is  1,240  mm.  (about  50  inches).  The  beams  in  five  specimens 
from  the  South  Fork  Mountains  as  recorded  by  Selous  are,  respec- 
tively, 45  inches,  51  inches,  51  inches,  55  inches,  and  57  inches. 


1909.]  MAMMALS MACMILLAN   REGION.  77 

Ovis  dalli  stonei  Allen.     Stone  Sheep. 

Mountain  sheep  occur  in  small  numbers  on  most  if  not  all  the  moun- 
tains of  the  Macmillan  region,  becoming  more  numerous  toward  the 
headwaters;  probably  they  are  most  abundant  about  the  extreme 
sources  of  the  river  in  the  Selwyn  Range,  which  we  were  unable  to 
reach.  A  few  are  said  to  inhabit  the  Kalzas  Range,  and  it  is  not 
unlikely  that  some  frequent  Dromedaiy  Mountain  also,  but  neither 
of  these  localities  was  visited  by  our  parties.  We  found  no  sheep  on 
Plateau  Mountain,  but  that  they  occasionally  reach  it  from  the 
ranges  lying  beyond  is  scarcely  to  be  doubted.  A  few  live  in  the  higher 
parts  of  the  Russell  Mountains.  We  did  not  succeed  in  sighting  any 
there,  however,  although  tracks  of  about  a  dozen  were  seen.  Sheldon 
and  Selous  found  them  more  plentiful  in  the  mountains  between  the 
North  and  South  forks.  Although  they  did  not  succeed  in  getting 
adult  males,  several  females  and  young  males  were  obtained.  These, 
as  stated  elsewhere  (see  p.  52),  proved  to  be  exceedingly  variable, 
some  being  only  slightly  darker  than  typical  dalli,  while  others  have 
the  body  and  legs  practically  as  in  stonei.  Individual  specimens  can 
be  determined  according  as  they  are  more  like  dalli  or  stonei,  but  to 
classify  the  sheep  of  the  region  collectively  is  practically  impossible. 
The  same  difficulty  is  met  if  one  attempts  to  recognize  fannini  as  a 
form  intermediate  between  dalli  and  stonei,  for  no  locality  in  the  in- 
tervening area  has  been  found  where  sheep  with  uniform  characters 
occur. 

Peromyscus  maniculatus  arcticus  (Mearns) .  Arctic  White-footed  Mouse. 
White-footed  mice  occur  on  the  Pelly  at  least  as  far  up  as  the 
mouth  of  the  Macmillan,  as  attested  by  a  specimen  collected  there  by 
Sheldon  in  1905.  Farther  up  the  river,  where  trapping  was  done  in 
1904,  no  white-footed  mice  were  taken. 

Eutamias  caniceps  Osgood.     Gray-headed  Chipmunk. 

Two  specimens  taken  on  Plateau  Mountain  are  typical  of  this 
species.  Chipmunks  were  not  seen  farther  up  the  Macmillan  than 
Plateau  Mountain  and  only  rarely  between  that  point  and  Selkirk. 

Sciurus  hudsonicus  Erxleben.     Red  Squirrel. 

Generally  distributed  and  fairly  common  in  the  spruce  timber. 
A  few  specimens  were  collected  near  the  forks  of  the  Macmillan. 

Citellus  plesius  (Osgood).     Ground  Squirrel. 

Fairly  common  in  the  vicinity  of  timberline  in  the  Russell  Moun- 
tains; reported  also  from  the  mountains  on  both  sides  of  the  North 
Fork  of  the  Macmillan  by  Sheldon  and  Selous.  Although  hibernating 
had  apparently  begun  to  some  extent,  the  animals  were  still  active  in 
considerable  numbers.     In  spite  of  several  light  falls  of  snow,  many  of 


78  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

their  burrows  were  kept  open  and  numerous  tracks  in  the  snow  were 
seen  as  late  as  September  6.  Unfortunately  no  specimens  were 
secured,  but  the  identity  of  the  squirrels  is  scarcely  to  be  doubted. 
A  small  series  taken  on  Ross  River  near  the  Pelly  in  1905  by  C. 
Sheldon  are  typical  of  plesius.  Thus  the  range  of  this  species,  dis- 
covered less  than  ten  years  ago,  is  now  known  to  be  quite  extensive, 
covering  a  wide  area  between  the  region  of  the  Stikine  River  (about 
latitude  56°  N.)°  and  the  Ogilvie  Range  (about  latitude  65°  N.). 

Marmota  caligata  (Eschscholtz) .     Hoary  Marmot. 

The  whistler  was  not  seen  by  our  party,  but  trapper  John  Barr 
reported  that  it  occurs  in  the  Russell  Mountains  and  adjacent 
detached  ranges.  Probably  it  was  in  hibernation  at  the  time  we 
were  in  the  region. 

Castor  canadensis  Kuhl.     Beaver. 

Signs  of  beavers,  fresh  cuttings,  newly  made  bank  houses,  and  dams 
were  found  at  short  intervals  all  along  the  Macmillan  from  the  mouth  of 
theKalzas  River  to  Russell  Creek;  many  more  were  noted  on  the  North 
Fork  by  Sheldon  and  Selous  and  on  the  South  Fork  by  Cameron  and 
his  party.  It  is  perhaps  a  fair  estimate  that  not  less  than  300  beavers 
were  living  on  the  Macmillan  and  its  tributaries  in  1904.  Until  that 
time  the  few  white  trappers  in  the  region  had  devoted  themselves 
almost  exclusively  to  the  easier  and  more  profitable  task  of  catching 
martens,  and  as  scarcely  any  Indians  visited  the  locality,  the  beavers 
remained  undisturbed.  Mr.  Selous  on  his  return  in  1906  found  that 
trappers  had  visited  the  region,  for  the  beavers,  though  still  fairly 
common  on  the  upper  courses  of  the  river,  were  much  less  numerous 
than  previously.  One  trapper  informed  him  that  he  had  caught  43 
in  a  few  weeks,  and  that  a  party  of  Indians  from  the  Little  Salmon 
River  had  taken  many  more. 

Apparently  the  majority  of  these  beavers  lived  in  houses  on  the 
banks  of  the  main  channel  of  the  Macmillan,  but  numbers  also  inhab- 
ited small  tributaries  and  backwaters,  where  they  constructed  dams 
and  sometimes  built  large  dome-shaped  houses.  The  bank  houses 
were  of  a  simple  crescentic  or  roughly  semicircular  lean-to  st}de,  and 
consisted  of  a  network  of  sticks  of  various  sizes  and  lengths  and  a 

a  Specimens  from  the  Stikine  region  recorded  by  J.  A.  Allen  (Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat. 
Hist.,  XIX,  pp.  534-537,  1903)  as  Citellus  erythrogluteius  are  doubtless  referable  to  C. 
plesius.  Since  the  type  locality  of  Richardson's  eryihrogluteia  is  said  to  be  in  latitude 
57°  N.,  it  is  not  strange  that  Doctor  Allen  should  suppose  his  Stikine  specimens  to 
represent  that  animal.  However,  Doctor  Merriam  informs  me  that  the  latitudes  given 
by  Richardson  for  specimens  collected  by  Drummond  are  erroneous  and  that  the  head 
of  the  Elk  River,  the  type  locality  of  eryihrogluteia,  is  much  farther  south  than  latitude 
57°  N.  Specimens  of  true  erythrogluteius  from  very  near  the  type  locality  are  in  the 
Biological  Survey  collection  and  show  it  to  be  allied  to  C.  columbianus  rather  than  C. 
plesius,  a  fact  which  was  considered  when  C.  plesius  was  originally  described. 


1909.1 


MAMMALS MACMILLAN   KEGION.  79 


few  small  logs,  the  whole  chinked  with  earth  or  sometimes  almost 
completely  covered.  These  were  placed  against  the  bank,  which  thus 
forms  one  side  of  the  hollow  where  the  animals  live  and  to  which 
their  only  access  is  by  water.  During  September  the  beavers  were 
busily  engaged  laying  in  the  winter  supply  of  food,  and  their  miniature 
clearings,  where  from  two  to  a  dozen  trees  had  been  felled  on  the  bank 
near  their  houses,  frequently  drew  attention  to  the  houses  themselves; 
for  these,  until  closely  examined,  often  appeared  to  be  a  part  of  the 
bank.  The  trees  cut  were  from  4  to  16  inches  in  diameter  and  inva- 
riably were  aspens  or  balsam  poplars.  By  October  1,  when  ice  was 
beginning  to  form  along  the  edge  of  the  river,  a  large  supply  of  small 
poplar  branches  had  been  gathered  and  tightly  packed  in  great 
masses  under  the  water  about  the  bases  of  the  houses,  whence  they 
could  easily  be  drawn  into  the  houses  during  the  winter  and  eaten 
as  needed. 

Evotomys  dawsoni  Merriam.     Dawson  Red-backed  Mouse. 

A  few  red-backed  mice  were  taken  in  the  Russell  Mountains  and  a 
few  at  the  base  of  Plateau  Mountain,  but  it  was  evident  that  during 
the  season  of  1904  they  were  comparatively  uncommon  throughout 
the  region.  The  specimens  are  of  interest,  since  the  localities  are 
relatively  near  the  type  locality  (Finlayson  River)  of  the  species.  A 
locality  still  nearer  (Ross  Lake,  near  the  Pelly  River)  is  now  repre- 
sented by  specimens  in  the  Biological  Survey  collection,  presented  by 
C.  Sheldon.  They  do  not  differ  appreciably  from  specimens  from  the 
Lewes  River  region,  heretofore  assumed  to  be  typical  of  E.  dawsoni. 

Microtus  pennsylvanicus  drummondi   (Aud.  and  Bach.).     Drummond 

Vole. 

Numerous  runways  doubtless  made  by  voles  of  this  species  were 
seen  in  many  of  the  grassy  swamps  along  the  Macmillan,  but  very  few 
of  them  showed  indications  of  recent  use.  Evidently  the  mice  had 
moved  to  other  quarters,  or  possibly  they  had  been  visited  by  disease. 
Three  specimens  were  taken  in  the  Russell  Mountains  and  three  at 
the  base  of  Plateau  Mountain. 

Fiber  zibethicus  spatulatus  Osgood.     Northwest  Muskrat. 

Fairly  common.  A  few  live  in  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  others 
frequent  the  grass-bordered  ponds  so  numerous  in  the  level  parts  of 
the  valley. 

Synaptomys  borealis  dalli  Merriam.     Dall  Lemming  Mouse. 

Five  specimens  were  taken  in  a  sphagnum  swamp  near  the  mouth 
of  Russell  Creek.  These  appear  to  differ  from  typical  borealis  only  in 
slightly  lighter  color.  Immature  examples  of  the  two  forms  are 
scarcely  distinguishable. 


80  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

Lemmus  helvolus  yukonensis  Merriam.     Yukon  Lemming. 

A  single  lemming  was  caught  in  a  sphagnum  swamp  near  the 
mouth  of  Russell  Creek.  In  this  specimen  the  audital  bullae  are 
slightly  smaller  than  in  yukonensis,  the  color  is  a  shade  paler,  and 
the  sides  are  more  extensively  ochraceous.  The  variation  in  all  these 
respects  appears  to  be  toward  typical  helvolus,a  of  which  yukonensis 
therefore  may  be  considered  a  subspecies. 

Erethizon  epixanthum  myops  Merriam.     Porcupine. 

One  was  seen  on  Plateau  Mountain  by  Sheldon  and  Selous.  No 
others  were  noted,  although  doubtless  they  are  generally  distributed. 

Lepus  americanus  macfarlani  Merriam.     MacFarlane  Varying  Hare. 

Very  abundant  throughout  the  region,  particularly  on  the  wooded 
fiats  near  the  river.  It  was  not  uncommon  to  start  up  several  at 
once,  and  toward  evening  in  a  favorable  spot  one  might  see  a  half 
dozen  in  as  many  directions  quietly  sitting  or  moving  about  in  the 
brush.  Three  adult  males  taken  near  the  base  of  Lone  Mountain  Octo- 
ber 3  are  in  changing  pelage  and  show  considerable  white.  When 
killed  they  weighed,  respectively,  3  J  pounds,  3h  pounds,  and  3f  pounds. 
Others  were  taken  on  Russell  Creek  and  on  Plateau  Mountain.  The 
identification  of  these  was  made  by  E.  W.  Nelson. 

lynx  canadensis  Kerr.     Canada  Lynx. 

The  belief  that  the  abundance  of  lynxes  in  a  given  region  is  pro- 
portionate to  the  number  of  hares  was  borne  out  by  the  conditions 
in  the  Macmillan  region  in  1904.  Wherever  hares  were  common, 
lynxes  appeared  in  numbers.  Not  only  were  many  lynx  tracks 
observed,  but  the  animals  themselves  were  frequently  seen.  One 
seen  by  Rungius  was  just  in  the  act  of  pouncing  upon  a  hare. 
Descending  the  river  in  our  canoes  in  October  we  often  swung 
noiselessly  around  a  bend  and  saw  a  lynx  on  the  shore  a  few  hundred 
yards  ahead.  It  would  stand  eyeing  us  for  a  few  moments  and  then 
boimd  swiftly  into  the  woods,  its  hind  quarters  always  seeming 
ludicrously  high  and  disproportionate. 

Canis  albns  Sabine.     Northern  Wolf. 

One  seen  for  a  moment  on  the  bank  of  the  river  as  we  were 
descending,  in  October,  was  the  only  wolf  met  with  by  our  entire 
party,  and  tracks  were  very  scarce.  Two  skulls  were  obtained  by 
Sheldon  at  a  trapper's  camp  on  the  North  Fork.  On  his  second 
trip,  in  1905,  Mr.  Selous  saw  several,  and  killed  two  large  males  in 
the  mountains  above  the  forks  of  the  Macmillan.     One  of  these  was 

°  Two  specimens  in  the  Biological  Survey  collection  from  Glenora,  British  Columbia, 
have  been  used  to  represent  helvolus.  These,  although  taken  at  some  distance  from 
the  type  locality,  agree  fairly  well  with  the  type  specimen  examined  by  me  in  London 
in  October,  1906. 


1909.)  MAMMALS MACMILLAN   REGION.  81 

discovered  feeding  on  a  caribou  carcass  and  the  other  met  death 
at  only  20  yards'  distance  while  trotting  along  a  game  trail.  One 
was  quite  black  and  the  other  grizzled.  The  proportion  of  black  or 
nearly  black  wolves  among  those  killed  throughout  the  upper  Yukon 
basin  is  noteworthy.  A  large  number  of  black  wolf  skins  were 
seen  hanging  in  various  stores  in  Dawson  and  in  Selkirk  and  other 
small  places. 

Vulpes  fulvus  subsp.     Fox. 

Trappers  report  that  foxes  are  scarce  in  the  Macmillan  region. 
A  single  fox  track  was  seen  in  fresh  snow  on  top  of  one  of  the  high 
ridges  of  the  Russell  Mountains  September  6.  Later,  as  we  were 
descending  the  river,  a  cross  fox  was  seen  on  a  gravel  bank  of  the 
lower  Pelly  near  the  mouth  of  Mica  Creek. 

Urs'is  horribilis  Ord.     Grizzly  Bear. 

A  young  female  grizzly  bear  was  killed  by  Rungius,  September  12, 
while  it  was  feeding  on  the  carcass  of  a  caribou,  killed  a  few  days 
before,  in  a  small  hollow  near  the  top  of  a  high  treeless  ridge  in  the 
Russell  Mountains.  This  bear  was  probably  in  its  third  year  and 
measured  5  feet  8  inches  in  total  length.  Another  grizzly,  appar- 
ently much  larger,  was  seen  standing  near  the  bank  of  the  river  at 
Porphyry  Bluff  September  20.  Just  as  we  sighted  him  our  canoe 
ran  into  a  short  stretch  of  difficult  water,  and  the  swift  current 
whisked  us  out  of  range  before  we  could  get  ready  to  shoot.  Two 
days  later  I  saw  two  good-sized  grizzlies  on  the  open  gravel  beach 
opposite  our  camp  at  the  base  of  Plateau  Mountain,  but  having  no 
gun  at  the  moment  I  regretfully  watched  them  lope  away  into  the 
near-by  willow  thickets.  The  other  parties  saw  no  grizzlies,  but  it 
is  evident  they  were  fairly  common  in  the  region.  The  skull  of  a 
very  large  male  killed  the  previous  season  was  secured  from  John 
Barr,  the  trapper  located  near  the  mouth  of  Russell  Creek. 

Ursus  americanus  Pallas.     Black  Bear. 

On  our  way  up  the  Pelly  and  Macmillan  we  saw  no  bears,  as  the 
puffing  steamboat  gave  ample  warning  of  our  approach,  but  return- 
ing quietly  with  the  current  in  canoes,  each  party  encountered 
several,  mostly  black  bears.  Before  we  entered  the  Pelly,  however, 
a  small  coal-black  bearskin  was  brought  aboard  by  a  native,  who 
secured  it  near  the  Yukon  a  few  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  Pelly. 
A  dark  brown  'cinnamon'  bear  was  killed  in  the  Russell  Mountains 
by  Rungius  September  13.  The  day  before,  our  camp  man  had  gone 
to  the  carcass  of  a  freshly  killed  moose  to  bring  in  some  meat,  and 
found  it  partly  eaten  and  almost  entirely  buried  in  moss  and  refuse 
with  signs  of  bear  all  about;  in  fact  it  was  evident  his  coming  had 
startled  a  bear  away  from  it.  The  carcass  was  in  thick  woods  where 
89992— No.  30—09 6 


82  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

quiet  approach  was  very  difficult,  but  the  next  day  Rungius  made  a 
careful  stalk  and  found  the  bear  sleeping  by  his  cache,  although 
apparently  with  one  eye  open  and  dreaming  of  trouble,  for  at  the 
crack  of  a  twig  he  started  up,  to  be  met  with  a  bullet.  Several  days 
before,  a  bear,  possibly  the  same  one,  visited  our  main  camp  and 
carried  away  a  hind  quarter  of  caribou  meat  and  a  moose  scalp 
while  we  were  temporarily  camped  higher  up  in  the  mountains. 
On  some  of  the  flats  near  the  Macmillan  bears  were  evidently  quite 
common,  for  we  found  many  tracks  there  and  not  infrequently  con- 
siderable areas  that  had  been  thoroughly  explored  for  roots,  insects, 
and  berries.  A  small  black  bear,  scarcely  more  than  a  cub,  was  seen 
September  20  on  a  large  jam  of  logs  a  few  miles  below  Russell  Creek. 
On  sighting  us  he  disappeared  among  the  logs  and  managed  to  thread 
the  labyrinth  unseen  and  scamper  across  several  rods  of  open  flood 
plain  to  the  woods  in  the  few  seconds  that  we  spent  in  landing  the 
canoe.  A  good-sized  black  bear  was  seen  some  days  later  on  an  open 
hillside  near  the  mouth  of  the  Macmillan.  We  landed  two  of  the 
canoes  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  and  watched  while  Selous 
crossed  to  the  other  bank  and  started  to  stalk  the  bear.  It  could 
not  see  him  and  evidently  had  not  noticed  us  but,  although  the 
wind  appeared  to  be  favorable,  it  soon  threw  up  its  head  and  swung 
it  about,  sniffing  characteristically,  and  then  beat  a  hasty  retreat. 

Lutra  canadensis  (Schreber).     Otter. 

Trappers  report  that  otters  are  scarce  in  the  Macmillan  region. 
None  of  our  party  saw  any  signs  of  them. 

Lutreola  vison  energumenos  Bangs.     Northwest  Mink. 

Generally  distributed,  but  nowhere  especially  common.  Two 
individuals  were  seen  running  along  the  icy  bank  of  the  lower  Mac- 
millan October  4. 

Putorius  arcticus  Merriam.     Arctic  Weasel. 

An  adult  male  was  taken  in  a  cabin  near  the  mouth  of  Russell 
Creek.  It  poked  its  head  out  between  the  small  poles  of  the  floor 
and  quietly  surveyed  a  party  of  us  as  we  sat  in  the  candlelight  one 
evening  after  supper.  It  then  vanished  for  a  moment  and  reap- 
peared with  its  mate,  and  the  pair  ran  about  the  room  for  some 
minutes  as  unconcernedly  as  if  we  had  not  been  there.  Later  in  the 
night,  after  we  had  gone  to  bed,  it  stepped  into  a  trap  set  in  the 
corner  of  the  room  and  awoke  us  by  its  shrill  cries.  Trappers  report 
weasels  as  fairly  common,  but  they  seldom  make  special  effort  to 
catch  them,  as  other  furs  are  more  profitable.  They  encourage 
weasels  to  live  about  their  cabins,  making  pets  of  them  and  greatly 
valuing  their  services  in  keeping  the  premises  free  from  mice. 


1909.]  MAMMALS MACMILLAN   EEGION.  83 

The  above-mentioned  specimen  is  referred  to  P.  arcticus,  although 
not  quite  typical  of  that  species.  Its  skull  is  smaller  and  slightly 
narrower  interorbitally  than  in  typical  arcticus,  which  may  indicate 
gradation  toward  alascensis  or  richardsoni.a  The  rostrum  is  nearly 
as  broad  as  in  arcticus  and  not  so  narrow  as  in  richardsoni.  The  skin 
is  rather  pale  in  color  and  agrees  with  many  specimens  of  arcticus. 
The  amount  of  black  in  the  tail  is  about  the  same  as  in  alascensis, 
but  the  basal  part  of  the  under  side  of  the  tail  is  yellowish  white  as 
in  arcticus.  Specimens  from  Stuart  Lake,  British  Columbia,  seem 
to  be  intermediate  between  this  Macmillan  specimen  and  richardsoni, 
while  possible  intergradation  with  alascensis  is  shown  by  a  specimen 
from  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Selkirk,  Yukon.6  Therefore,  although  the 
evidence  is  not  yet  conclusive,  it  seems  highly  probable  that  future 
collections  from  northern  British  Columbia  will  demonstrate  close 
interrelation  of  arcticus,  alascensis,  and  richardsoni. 

Mustela  americana  actuosa  Osgood.     Marten.     - 

The  Macmillan  region  in  general  is  known  to  trappers  as  "good 
marten  country."  At  least  6  men  worked  there  in  the  season  of 
1904-5.  John  Barr,  whose  hospitality  we  enjoyed  for  a  few  days  at 
his  camp  near  the  mouth  of  Russell  Creek,  says  that  a  good  trapper 
may  get  as  many  as  300  marten  in  a  season.  It  is  necessary,  however, 
to  select  new  ground  each  season,  and  the  work  of  finding  a  favorable 
region,  cutting  trails,  building  cabins,  and  laying  in  supplies  occupies 
a  good  part  of  the  summer. 

We  noted  considerable  sign  of  martens  in  the  vicinity  of  Russell 
Creek,  and  two  of  the  animals  were  found  by  Rungius  feasting  upon 
the  carcass  of  a  moose  killed  by  him.  He  reports  that  they  were 
quite  fearless,  standing  upon  the  carcass  and  chattering  at  him  until 
he  went  away,  leaving  them  in  possession.  A  very  large  series  of 
skulls  was  obtained,  including  many  fine  adult  males,  which  agree  very 
closely  with  typical  examples  of  M.  a.  actuosa.  The  range  of  this 
subspecies  is  therefore  much  more  extensive  than  was  formerly 
known. 

Gulo  luscus  (Linn.).     Wolverine. 

A  wolverine  was  killed  by  Rungius  while  it  was  tearing  at  the 
carcass  of  a  caribou  on  an  open  slope  near  the  top  of  Plateau  Moun- 
tain. It  came  up  to  the  carcass  while  we  were  watching  from  above, 
evidently  having  been  there  before,  as  it  came  out  of  the  woods  on 
the  run  and  made  a  direct  line  for  the  carcass.     It   immediately 

a  The  name  microtis  has  been  proposed  (Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIX, 
p.  563,  1903)  for  a  weasel  from  Telegraph  Creek,  British  Columbia,  to  which  also  the 
Macmillan  specimen  may  be  allied. 

b  See  N.  Am.  Fauna  No.  19,  p.  43,  1901. 


84  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

began  to  tear  frantically  at  the  neck,  but  soon  attacked  the  paunch, 
all  its  actions  being  quick  and  nervous  as  if  it  were  in  a  sort  of  a 
frenzy.  It  was  not  possible  to  get  nearer  than  125  yards  without 
being  seen,  but  the  voracious  beast  was  struck  in  the  body  at  the 
first  shot.  Although  mortally  wounded,  it  began  to  work  its  way 
down  the  mountain,  falling  down  every  few  feet  and  turning  and 
snarling  most  viciously  several  times  as  Rungius  ran  in  to  finish  it. 
This  was  the  only  wolverine  seen  by  any  of  the  four  hunting  parties 
in  the  region,  and  but  few  tracks  were  reported. 

BIRDS  OF  THE  MACMILLAN  REGION. 

Larus  argentatus  Pontop.     Herring  Gull. 

Two  birds  in  gray  plumage  were  seen  on  the  lower  Pelly,  August 
25,  near  some  rocks  in  midstream  known  as  Gull  Rocks,  because  a 
few  of  these  birds  breed  there.  A  single  bird  was  seen  near  the 
canyon  of  the  Pelly,  flying  up  and  down  over  the  dreary  ice-laden 
river  October  7.  It  followed  our  canoes  for  a  time,  and  at  our  lunch 
camp  gave  such  evidence  of  hunger  that  the  cook  threw  it  a  bit  of 
frozen  moosemeat.  The  bird  devoured  an  incredible  quantity  of 
meat  which  was  thrown  to  it,  appearing  almost  famished.  One 
other  gull,  also  immature,  was  seen  on  the  Macmillan  near  Fish 
Lake  October  1. 

Mergus  serrator  (Linn.).     Red-breasted  Mergenser. 

Fairly  common  along  the  Pelly  and  Macmillan.  A  flock  of  about 
half  a  dozen  birds,  doubtless  a  family,  was  seen  near  the  mouth  of 
the  Pelly  August  25.  Others  were  noticed  from  time  to  time,  usually 
flying  up  or  down  the  river.  Sheldon  reports  them  common  on  the 
north  fork  of  the  Macmillan.  Once  as  we  were  coming  down  the  river 
near  the  base  of  Plateau  Mountain  a  small  flock  was  seen  swimming 
a  short  distance  ahead  of  us.  On  seeing  our  boat  approaching,  they 
swung  in  to  the  shore,  and  as  we  passed  we  could  see  them  swimming 
upstream  against  a  strong  current  with  all  but  their  heads  submerged. 
They  kept  within  a  few  inches  of  the  shore,  and  took  particular  pains 
to  go  inside  of  all  the  numerous  snags  and  drift  logs  that  might  pro- 
tect them  from  our  view. 

Anas  platyrhynchos  Linn.     Mallard. 

Mallards  were  seen  quite  often,  but  never  in  large  numbers.  The 
following  records  are  entered  in  the  notebook:  Lower  Pelly,  August 
25,  about  a  dozen;  near  Fish  Lake,  Macmillian  River,  August  29, 
one  killed  from  a  flock  of  five;  Macmillan  River,  August  30,  eight  or 
ten  birds  seen;  near  Porphyry  Bluff,  September  20,  several  seen; 
near  mouth  of  Moose  River,  October  1,  a  flock  of  eleven;  along  base 
of  Kalzas  Range,  October  4,  several  singles  and  pairs;  mouth  of 
Macmillan,  October  5,  one  pair. 


1909.]  BIRDS MACMILLAN   REGION.  85 

Mareca  americana  (Gmel.).     Widgeon. 

Several  small  flocks  fed  about  the  grassy  borders  of  a  large  pond 
near  the  mouth  of  Russell  Creek.  Three  birds  were  killed  here 
September  16  for  the  sake  of  varying  our  steady  diet  of  moosemeat. 

Nettion  carolinense  (Gmel.).     Green- winged  Teal. 

Only  occasionally  seen.  A  flock  of  9,  from  which  5  were  killed 
for  the  pot,  was  found  on  a  long  bare  gravel  bar  on  the  upper  Macmil- 
lan  near  Porplvyry  Bluff  September  20. 

Dafila  acuta  (Linn.).     Pintail. 

Seen  only  once,  on  October  5,  when  a  flock  of  four  flew  over  near 
the  mouth  of  the  Pelly. 

Marila  affinis  (Eyt.).     Lesser  Scaup. 

A  small  flock  of  about  a  dozen  scaups  was  seen  near  Lone  Moun- 
tain October  2.  One  was  killed  a  few  miles  farther  down  the  river 
October  4.  A  few  others,  probably  this  species,  were  seen  by  various 
members  of  our  party. 

Branta  canadensis  hutchinsi  (Rich.).     Hutchins  Goose. 

Rather  common  along  the  Macmillan,  but  not  seen  on  the  Pelly. 
The  first  observed  were  a  flock  of  about  20  on  a  gravel  bar  near  the 
mouth  of  Kalzas  River  August  27.  From  that  point  to  the  Forks 
several  flocks  were  seen  every  day  or  heard  cackling  as  they  arose 
in  alarm  at  the  sound  of  the  puffing  steamboat.  A  large  flock  of 
about  50,  flying  high  in  regular  formation,  was  seen  going  south- 
ward September  19  near  the  mouth  of  Russell  Creek. 

Olor  columbianus  (Ord) .     Whistling  Swan. 

No  swans  were  seen,  but  the  soft  musical  call  notes  of  a  flock  flying 
in  the  distance  were  heard  as  we  sat  around  the  camp  fire  on  the 
lower  Pelly  on  the  evening  of  October  6. 

Grus  canadensis  (Linn.).     Little  Brown  Crane. 

A  flock  of  about  30  was  seen  by  Rungius  on  upper  Russell  Creek 
September  30.  Another  high-flying  flock  was  heard  near  the  base 
of  Plateau  Mountain  September  28.  A  few  days  later,  on  the  bank 
of  the  river  in  the  same  vicinity,  one  was  killed  by  F.  C.  Selous.  It 
was  standing  by  the  carcass  of  a  moose  that  was  under  surveillance 
in  the  hope  that  it  might  be  visited  by  a  bear.  Whether  the  bird 
also  had  designs  upon  the  carcass  or  not  was  not  demonstrated. 

Gallinago  delicata  (Ord).     Wilson  Snipe. 

A  solitary  snipe,  the  only  one  seen,  was  collected  on  the  muddy 
bank  of  a  small  slough  near  the  mouth  of  Russell  Creek  September  17. 


86  NORTH  AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

Heteractitis  incanus  (Gmel.) .     Wandering  Tatler. 

While  hunting  big  game  on  one  of  the  higher  peaks  of  the  Russell 
Mountains,  September  4,  a  strange  shore  bird  was  seen.  Another, 
apparently  of  the  same  species,  was  seen  by  Rungius,  also  on  a  high 
slope  far  above  timberline.  On  the  next  day  Rungius  directed  my 
attention  to  a  bird  near  camp  along  the  creek.  It  proved  to  be  a 
tatler,  an  immature  bird  with  down  still  attached  to  the  feathers  of 
the  neck.a  It  seemed  strangely  out  of  place,  busily  engaged  as  it 
was,  running  hither  and  thither  over  the  small  patches  of  gravel  and 
stones  along  the  rushing  mountain  stream. 

Actitis  macularia  (Linn.).     Spotted  Sandpiper. 

Scattering  individuals  were  seen  all  along  the  river  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Pelly  to  the  upper  Macmillan,  August  25  to  30.  A  single  much 
belated  bird  was  observed  near  the  mouth  of  Moose  River  October  1. 

?Dendragapus  obscurus  subsp.     Blue  Grouse. 

D.  A.  Cameron,  of  Dawson,  who  was  with  our  party  for  a  time, 
tells  me  that  he  killed  on  the  South  Fork  of  the  Macmillan  a  bird 
which  he  thought  was  a  blue  grouse.  It  was  shot  with  a  large-bore 
rifle  and  much  mutilated,  so  no  attempt  was  made  to  preserve  it. 
Mr.  Cameron  seemed  positive  that  it  was  not  the  spruce  grouse,  with 
which  he  is  very  familiar.  I  heard  of  the  occurrence  of  this  bird  in 
the  region  from  various  trappers  and  prospectors,  many  of  whom 
grew  up  in  the  blue-grouse  country  in  the  northwestern  United  States, 
and  knew  the  bird  well  before  they  went  north.  In  view  of  these 
reports,  I  feel  certain  that  it  will  sooner  or  later  be  collected  in  this 
region. 
Canachites  canadensis  osgoodi  Bishop.     Alaska  Spruce  Grouse. 

Apparently  quite  common  in  the  Macmillan  region,  although  but 
few  specimens  were  secured.  In  the  Russell  Mountains  one  or  two 
were  seen  now  and  then  in  the  few  patches  of  green  timber  that  had 
escaped  the  ravages  of  fire.  Near  the  mouth  of  Russell  Creek,  in 
heavy  spruce  timber,  it  was  very  common  about  the  middle  of  Sep- 
tember. Not  more  than  four  or  five  birds  were  seen  together,  how- 
ever. The  crops  of  all  those  killed  were  well  filled  with  high-bush 
cranberries  (Viburnum),  which  occur  in  abundance. 

Bonasa  umbellus  umbelloides  (Dougl.).     Gray  Ruffed  Grouse. 

A  pair  was  flushed  August  29  on  a  low  hillside  in  a  thin  growth  of 
poplars  near  Fish  Lake,  Macmillan  River.  They  flew  rapidly,  and 
apparently  were  as  much  alarmed  as  if  they  had  been  hunted  for 
years.     No  more  were  seen  until  September  19,  when  another  pair 

a  See  The  Auk,  XXIV,  p.  340,  1907. 


1909.] 


BIRDS MACMILLAN   REGION.  87 


was  flushed  and  one  was  killed  in  a  thick  growth  of  poplars  near  the 
mouth  of  Russell  Creek.  They  are  said  to  be  quite  common  in  certain 
localities  along  the  lower  Pelly. 

Lagopus  lagopus  (Linn.).     Willow  Ptarmigan. 

Seen  in  the  Russell  Mountains  in  very  small  numbers,  being  much 
less  common  than  the  rock  ptarmigan.  One  pair  was  observed  near 
the  head  of  Gorge  Creek  September  3,  and  a  flock  of  about  15  birds 
was  flushed  from  some  low  willows  near  the  head  of  a  branch  of  the 
South  Fork  of  the  Stewart  River  September  11.  No  others  were 
noted  with  certainty,  though  some  may  have  been  associated  with 
the  large  flocks  of  rock  ptarmigan  seen. 

lagopus  rupestris  (Gmel.).     Rock  Ptarmigan. 

Quite  common  and  gathered  in  large  flocks  in  the  Russell  Moun- 
tains in  September.  Flocks  of  50  to  100  birds  were  seen  frequently 
in  the  higher  parts  of  the  mountains.  Similar  large  flocks  were 
observed  on  Plateau  Mountain.  Sheldon  reported  them  abundant 
also  in  the  mountains  on  both  sides  of  the  North  Fork  of  the  Mac- 
millan.  Although  the  mountains  were  covered  with  fresh  snow, 
entirely  hiding  the  greater  part  of  the  vegetation,  the  ptarmigan  still 
frequented  to  some  extent  the  tops  of  the  peaks  and  ridges.  They 
were  feeding  mainly  on  willow  buds,  and  seemed  to  prefer  the 
plants  growing  at  the  highest  elevations,  although  plenty  of  similar 
food  was  available  lower  down.  The  birds  were  exceedingly  wild, 
the  wildest  of  their  kind  that  I  have  ever  seen.  Almost  invariably 
they  flew  at  300  to  500  yards  and  even  farther,  and  did  not  alight 
again  for  half  a  mile,  or  at  least  until  out  of  sight  behind  an  inter- 
vening hill.  The  snow  was  rather  earlier  than  usual,  and  many  of 
the  birds  had  only  begun  to  acquire  the  white  plumage;  so  they  were 
quite  conspicuous.  Whether  they  instinctively  perceived  the  lack 
of  protective  coloration  and  the  consequent  danger  to  themselves  can 
only  be  conjectured,  but  that  they  were  unusually  wild  is  beyond 
doubt. 

Pedicecetes  phasianellus  (Linn.).     Sharp-tailed  Grouse. 

Residents  of  Selkirk  and  the  lower  Pelly  region  aver  that  this  bird, 
which  they  call  the  pin-tailed  grouse  and  pin-tailed  chicken,  is  fre- 
quently killed  in  that  region.  In  June,  1903,  I  picked  up  a  wing  and 
a  few  characteristic  feathers  of  a  sharp-tailed  grouse  at  a  wood  chop- 
per's camp  on  Thirtymile  River.  The  character  of  the  country  is 
much  the  same  as  at  Selkirk,  and  it  is  not  very  far  distant;  so  the 
bird  doubtless  occurs  in  the  Pelly  region. 

Circus  hudsonius  (Linn.).     Marsh  Hawk. 

Several  were  seen  along  the  lower  Pelly  August  25  and  26.  Not 
noted  elsewhere. 


88  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

Accipiter  velox  (Wilson).     Sharp-shinned  Hawk. 

One  shot  on  upper  Russell  Creek  September  4  was  the  only  one  seen. 
Astur  atricapillus  (Wilson).     Goshawk. 

We  saw  hawks  of  several  species  in  considerable  numbers  between 
the  mouth  of  the  Pelly  and  the  mouth  of  the  Macmillan,  both  while 
ascending  the  river  about  September  1  and  while  descending  about 
October  1.  The  majority  of  those  that  could  be  identified  were  gos- 
hawks, most  of  them  in  immature  plumage.  They  were  seen  quite 
often  along  the  Macmillan — one  at  the  base  of  Plateau  Mountain 
September  28,  one  10  miles  below  Plateau  Mountain  September  29, 
one  near  the  mouth  of  Moose  River  October  1 ,  and  two  along  base  of 
Kalzas  Range  October  4. 

?Buteo  borealis  calurus  Cass.     Western  Redtail. 

Although  not  positively  identifiable  at  a  distance,  several  of  the 
hawks  seen  by  us  on  the  lower  Pelly  were  apparently  redtails. 

Archibuteo  lagopus  sanctijohannis  (Gmel.)     Rough-legged  Hawk. 

Several  were  seen  soaring  over  the  banks  of  the  lower  Pelly  August 
25.  They  doubtless  feed  largely  on  ground  squirrels,  which  are 
abundant  in  this  region.  One  was  seen  on  the  lower  Macmillan 
August  28  and  another  near  the  base  of  Plateau  Mountain  Sep- 
tember 29. 

Aquila  chrysaetos  (Linn.).     Golden  Eagle. 

Golden  eagles,  usually  single  birds,  were  seen  at  long  intervals. 
One  was  noted  at  the  mouth  of  the  Pelly  August  21,  one  in  the  Russell 
Mountains  September  3,  and  another  on  Plateau  Mountain  September 
23.  An  immature  bird  was  killed  on  the  South  Fork  of  the  Macmillan 
by  the  party  of  D.  A.  Cameron  and  L.  A.  Dugas. 

Falco  peregrinus  anatum  Bona  p.     Duck  Hawk. 

Four  duck  hawks,  perhaps  a  single  family,  were  observed  flying 
about  a  basaltic  cliff  on  the  Pelly  August  25.  Sheldon  reports  seeing 
one  pursue  a  scaup  duck  on  the  Macmillan  October  3. 

Falco  columbarius  Linn.     Pigeon  Hawk. 

Two  pigeon  hawks  seen  near  the  mouth  of  Moose  River  October  1 
were  the  only  ones  noticed  on  the  entire  trip. 

Falco  sparverius  Linn.     Sparrow  Hawk. 

Two  sparrow  hawks  were  seen  by  Sheldon  at  the  mouth  of  the  Pelly 
August  24. 

Pandion  haliaetus  carolinensis  (Gmel.).     Osprey. 

One  was  observed  flying  over  the  lower  Pelly  August  25.  Several 
other  large  hawks  seen  in  the  same  vicinity  appeared  to  be  this  species. 


1909.] 


BIRDS MACMILLAN    REGION.  89 


Bubo  virginianus  saturatus  Ridgway.     Dusky  Horned  Owl. 

Apparently  quite  common;  heard  hooting  near  various  camps  all 
along  the  river,  particularly  the  one  at  the  base  of  Plateau  Mountain. 
One  specimen  was  collected  near  this  camp  August  29. 

Ceryle  alcyon  (Linn.).     Belted  Kingfisher. 

On  the  entire  trip  five  kingfishers  were  seen,  as  follows:  One  near 
the  mouth  of  the  Macmillan  August  26,  seen  by  Sheldon;  one  near 
Lone  Mountain  August  28;  one  near  the  mouth  of  Russell  Creek 
August  31;  one  near  Porphyry  Bluff  September  20;  and  one  at  the 
base  of  Plateau  Mountain  September  22. 

Dryobates  villosus  leucomelas  (Bodd.).     Northern  Hairy  Woodpecker. 

One  seen  near  camp  at  the  base  of  Plateau  Mountain  was  the  only 
one  observed. 
Picoides  americanus  fasciatus  Baird.     Alaska  Three-toed  Woodpecker. 

As  usual,  woodpeckers  were  very  rarely  seen.  One  specimen  of 
this  species  was  taken  near  camp  at  the  base  of  Plateau  Mountain 
September  25. 

Colaptes  auratus  luteus  Bangs.     Nothern  Flicker. 

One  taken  on  upper  Russell  Creek  September  8  was  the  only  flicker 
seen. 
Otocoris  alpestris  arcticola  Oberh.     Alaska  Horned  Lark. 

In  the  Russell  Mountains  horned  larks  were  rather  scarce.  A  small 
flock,  from  which  three  specimens  were  collected,  was  seen  on  the 
summit  of  one  of  the  snow-covered  peaks  September  4.  A  high  wind 
was  blowing  at  the  time,  but  the  birds  evidenced  no  desire  to  keep  on 
the  lee  side  of  the  mountain. 

Perisoreus  canadensis  fumifrons  Ridgw.     Alaska  Jay. 

Common  about  all  our  camps  and  seen  quite  frequently  elsewhere. 
At  the  Russell  Mountain  camp  they  were  particularly  fond  of  pecking 
some  fresh  moose  and  caribou  skulls  for  bits  of  meat  and  fat.  Once, 
when  overtaken  by  darkness  at  a  distance  from  camp,  I  spent  the 
night  under  a  tree  in  the  heavy  forest  on  the  side  of  Plateau  Moun- 
tain. On  waking  about  daylight  I  saw  two  of  these  jays  over  my 
head  looking  at  me.  They  reconnoitered  for  a  time,  keeping  ab- 
solutely silent,  and  finally  came  within  12  inches  of  my  feet,  snatched 
some  bits  of  meat,  and  hurriedly  flew  away.  I  had  been  walking  for 
miles  in  this  forest  the  day  before  and  failed  to  see  a  jay,  but  on 
stopping  for  a  few  hours  I  was  found  by  them.  They  are  great 
nuisances  to  the  trappers  in  the  early  part  of  the  season,  as  they 
steal  the  bait  or  spring  the  traps  set  for  marten.  John  Barr,  who 
traps  on  the  upper  Macmillan,  told  me  that  for  the  first  two  or  three 
rounds  of  his  lines  he  catches  a  camp  robber  in  almost  every  trap. 


90  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

Corvus  corax  principalis  Ridgw.     Northern  Raven. 

Ravens  were  by  no  means  numerous.  A  dozen  or  more  held  high 
carnival  over  the  carcass  of  a  caribou  in  the  Russell  Mountains,  but 
before  the  animal  was  killed  scarcely  a  raven  had  been  seen.  The 
carcass  of  a  moose  exposed  on  a  gravel  beach  of  the  Macmillan  at  the 
base  of  Plateau  Mountain  was  not  discovered  by  ravens  during  the 
week  that  we  remained  in  the  vicinity.  Sheldon  reports  them 
abundant  on  the  North  Fork  of  the  Macmillan. 

Euphagus  carolinus  (Mull.).     Rusty  Blackbird. 

Not  at  all  common,  but  scattering  individuals  were  noted  at  various 
points.  About  half  a  dozen  were  seen  in  a  small  grassy  swamp  near 
the  mouth  of  Kalzas  River  August  27.  During  a  hard  snowstorm 
September  8, 1  was  surprised  to  flush  one  of  these  birds  from  a  swampy 
spot  near  the  head  of  Russell  Creek.  Another  was  seen  in  a  similar 
place  in  the  Russell  Mountains  September  13,  and  several  were  found 
about  some  extensive  grassy  swamps  near  the  mouth  of  Russell 
Creek  September  15. 

Pinicola  enucleator  alascensis  Ridgw.     Alaska  Pine  Grosbeak. 

A  pair  of  pine  grosbeaks  was  seen  during  a  snowstorm  near  the 
head  of  Russell  Creek  September  8. 

loxia  leucoptera  Gmel.     White-winged  Crossbill. 

High  flying  flocks  of  crossbills  were  frequently  noted  along  the 
upper  Macmillan.  Two  specimens,  male  and  female,  were  taken 
near  the  mouth  of  Russell  Creek  September  15. 

Acanthis  linaria  (Linn.).     Redpoll. 

Seen  or  heard  in  large  flocks  all  along  the  Macmillan.  One  specimen 
was  collected  at  the  mouth  of  Russell  Creek  September  18. 

Calcarius  lapponicus  alascensis  Ridgw.     Alaska  Longspur. 

This  was  the  most  common  bird  in  the  Russell  Mountains  Septem- 
ber 4  to  14.  Large  flocks  frequented  the  tops  of  the  snow-covered 
mountains  and  also  the  timbered  slopes,  particularly  in  the  burnt 
districts.    Several  specimens  were  collected. 

Spizella  monticola  ocnracea  Brewst.     Western  Tree  Sparrow. 

Tree  sparrows  were  quite  abundant  on  upper  Russell  Creek,  being 
found  chiefly  in  thickets  of  low  willows.  They  were  found  also 
along  the  bank  of  the  Macmillan  in  considerable  numbers.  Several 
were  taken. 

Junco  hyemalis  (Linn.).     Junco. 

Fairly  common  and  generally  distributed  throughout  the  region. 
Several  were  taken  in  the  Russell  Mountains  and  at  the  base  of 
Plateau  Mountain  September  4  to  23. 


1909.]  BIRDS — MACMILLAN   REGION.  91 

Passerella  iliaca  (Merrem).     Fox  Sparrow. 

Only  two  fox  sparrows  were  noted.  One  was  collected  on  upper 
Russell  Creek  September  8,  and  the  other  was  seen  near  the  mouth  of 
the  creek  September  15. 

Riparia  riparia  (Linn.).     Bank  Swallow. 

The  clay  banks  of  the  lower  Pelly  and  Macmillan  are  punctured 
by  thousands  of  the  conspicuous  burrows  of  the  bank  swallow.  They 
are  perhaps  most  abundant  near  the  mouth  of  the  Macmillan,  and 
are  scattered  along  from  there  on  up  to  the  vicinity  of  the  mouth  of 
the  Moose  River,  above  which  none  were  seen.  The  birds  themselves 
had  gone  south,  and  therefore  we  saw  none. 

lanius  borealis  Vieill.     Northern  Shrike. 

Shrikes  were  often  seen  in  the  vicinity  of  timberline  in  the  Russell 
Mountains.  In  the  low  country  only  one  was  observed,  this  on  the 
Macmillan  between  Fish  Lake  and  the  base  of  Plateau  Mountain. 

Dendroica  striata  (Forst.).     Black-poll  Warbler. 

One  straggler  was  taken  in  the  Russell  Mountains  September  6. 
No  others  were  seen. 

Wilsonia  pusilla  pileolata  (Pall.) .     Pileolated  Warbler. 

Warblers  were  scarcely  to  be  expected  so  late  in  the  season,  but 
one  of  this  species  was  collected  near  the  mouth  of  Russell  Creek 
September  16. 

Anthus  rubescens  (Tunst.).     Pipit. 

A  few  were  seen  on  the  summits  of  the  Russell  Mountains  Sep- 
tember 3  and  4.  On  September  7,  after  a  heavy  fall  of  snow,  they 
appeared  in  numbers  along  upper  Russell  Creek,  frequenting  the  few 
short  stretches  of  gravel  along  the  bank  or  in  the  bed  of  the  creek. 
Later  a  single  bird  was  seen  along  the  Macmillan  near  the  mouth  of 
Moose  River. 

Cinclus  mexicanus  unicolor  Bonap.     Water  Ouzel. 

A  few  were  noted  along  Russell  Creek.  One  immature  bird  was 
collected  near  camp  on  the  upper  part  of  the  creek  September  5. 

Penthestes  hudsonicus  (Forst.).     Hudsonian  Chickadee. 

Small  flocks  were  occasionally  seen  throughout  the  region.  One 
was  taken  in  the  Russell  Mountains  September  6,  another  near  the 
base  of  Plateau  Mountain  September  23,  and  another  near  Lone 
Mountain  October  3. 

Myadestes  townsendi  (Aud.).     Townsend  Solitaire. 

Three  solitaires  were  seen  flying  erratically  about  low  rocky  bluffs 
near  the  head  of  Russell  Creek  September  8.  The  air  was  full  of 
flying  snow,  and  the  birds  appeared  bewildered,  but  would  not  permit 
me  to  approach  within  range. 


92  NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no.  30. 

Planesticus  migratorius  (Linn.).     Robin. 

In  the  burnt  timber  near  our  camp  on  upper  Russell  Creek,  robins 
were  abundant  September  3  to  10.  They  were  gathered  in  flocks  of 
10  to  15  birds,  which  trooped  about  through  the  burnt  woods.  When 
alarmed,  as  they  were  upon  the  slightest  provocation,  they  flew  in 
all  directions  in  wild  excitement  with  loud  outcries.  Along  the 
Macmillan  they  were  not  common,  the  only  ones  recorded  being  a 
flock  of  4  or  5  seen  near  the  base  of  Plateau  Mountain  September 
29.     Two  were  seen  by  Sheldon  on  the  lower  Pelly  October  6. 

Ixoreus  naevius  meruloides  (Swains.).     Northern  Varied  Thrush. 

Several  were  seen  near  upper  Russell  Creek,  chiefly  in  very  heavy 
timber,  September  5  and  6. 


INDEX. 


(New  species  in  toold-face  type;  synonyms  in  italics.) 


Abies  lasiocarpa,  71. 
Acanthislinaria,  40,  62,  90. 
Accipiter  velox,  37,  88. 
Actitis  macularia,  36,  59,  86. 
JEgialitissemipalmata,  36. 
Alaska,  East  Central,  7-44. 
Alces  gigas,  18-20,  51,  72-74. 
Alder,  9, 12,  48,  68,  70,  71. 
Alnus,  9,  48,  68,  70. 
sinuata,  12. 
Anas  platyrhynchos,  34,  84. 
Andromeda,  9. 
Anthus  rubeseens,  43,  64,  91. 
Aquila  chrysaetos,  38,  60,  88. 
Archibuteo  sanctijohannis,  38,  88. 
Arctostaphylos  uvaursi,  9,  48,  68,  70. 
Arctous,  48. 

alpina,  12. 
Arenaria  interpres,  33. 
Artemisia  frigida,  9,  68. 
Asio  fiammeus,  38. 
Aspen,  11,  48. 

Astur  atricapillus,  38,  60,  88. 
Azalea,  trailing,  12. 

Balsam  poplar,  48. 
Bear,  black,  29,56,  81-82. 
cinnamon,  29. 
grizzly,  29,  56-57,  81. 
Bearberry,  9, 12,  48,  68,  70. 
Beaver,  23,  78-79. 
Betula  alaskana,  8, 12,  48,  69,  71. 

glandulosa,  9,  12,  48,  68,  70. 
Birch,  dwarf,  9, 12,  48,  68,  70,  71. 

paper,  8, 12,  48,  69,  71. 
Bird  list,  East  Central  Alaska,  33-44. 
Macmillan  region,  84-92. 
Ogilvie  Range,  58-65. 
Blackbird,  rusty,  40,  90. 
Bombycilla  garrula,  33. 
Bonasa  umbelloides,  37,  86-87. 
Branta  hutchinsi,  34,  85. 

nigricans,  33. 
Bubo  saturatus,  89. 

virginianus,  39,  61. 
Buffalo  berry,  9,  12,  48,  68,  70,  71. 
Buteo  calurus,  88. 

Calcarius  alascensis,  40,  90. 
Canachites  osgoodi,  30-37,  59,  86. 
Canis  albus,  28,  56,  80-81. 
Caribou,  Barren  Ground,  49-51. 

Osborn,  72-76. 

Stone,  13-18. 
Cassiope  tetragona,  12,  49. 


Castor  canadensis,  23,  78-79. 
Ceryle  alcyon,  39,  89. 
Chamaecistus  procumbens,  12. 
Charadrius  dominicus,  33. 
Charitonetta  albeola,  33. 
Chickadee,  Hudsofrian,  43,  64,  91. 
Chipmunk,  gray-headed,  77. 
Chrysanthemum  integrifoliurn,  49. 
Cinclus  unicolor,  64,  91. 
Circus  hudsonius,  37,  87. 
Citellus  columbianus,  78. 

erythrogluteia,  78. 

osgoodi,  22. 

plesius,  54-55,  77-78. 
Clangula  americana,  34. 
Colaptes  luteus,  39,  89. 
Colymbus  auritus,  33. 

holboelli,  33. 
Cornus  occidentalis,  68. 
Corvus  principalis,  40,  62,  89. 
Cranberry,  high-bush,  9,  12,  48,  68,  71. 

mountain,  12,  49. 
Crane,  little  brown,  34,  85. 
Creeks.    (See  Rivers.) 
Crossbill,  white-winged,  62,  90. 
Crowberry,  12,  49. 
Curlew,  Hudsonian,  36,  59. 
Currant,  red,  12. 

Dafila  acuta,  34,  85. 
Dawson,  45,  66,  67. 
Dendragapus  obscurus,  86. 
Dendroica  coronata,  42,  63. 

rubiginosa,  42,  63. 

striata,  42,  64,  91. 
Dogwood,  68. 
Dromedary  Mountain,  69. 
Dryas  drummondi,  49. 
Dryobates  leucomelas,  89. 
Duck,  harlequin,  58. 

Eagle  City,  9. 
Eagle,  golden,  38,  60,  88. 
East  Central  Alaska,  7-44. 
Empetrum  nigrum,  12,  49. 
Empidonax  alnorum,  39. 

hammondi,  33. 
Erethizon  myops,  26,  56,  80. 
Euphagus  carolinus,  40,  90. 
Eutamias  caniceps,  77. 
Evotomys  dawsoni,  23,  55,  79. 

Falco  anatum,  38, 61, 88. 

columbarius,  38,  61,  88. 

sparverius,  88. 
Fiber  spatulatus,  25-26,  56, 79. 


93 


94 


INDEX. 


Fir,  subalpine,  71. 
Flicker,  northern,  39,  89. 
Flycatcher,  alder,  39. 

olive-sided,  39. 
Flying  squirrel,  22,  54. 
Forks,  The,  69. 
Fox,  81. 

Alaska  red,  28. 

Gallinago  delicata,  34,  85. 
■  Gaviapacifica,33. 
Gentiana  propinqua,  49. 
Geum,  48. 

Glacier  Mountain,  9. 
Glenlyon  range,  69. 
Golden-eye,  34. 
Goose,  Hutchins,  34,  85. 
Goshawk,  38,  88.  % 

Grebe,  Holboell,  33. 
Grizzly  bear,  29,  56-57,  81. 
Grosbeak,  Alaska  pine,  90. 
Grouse,  blue,  86. 

grayrufled,  37,86-87. 

sharp-tailed,  37,  87. 

Alaska  spruce,  36-37,  59,  86. 
Grus  canadensis,  34,  s5. 
Gull,  herring,  33,  84. 
short-billed,  33. 
Gulo  luscus,  32,  57-58,  83-84. 

Hare,  varying,  28,  56,  80. 
Harelda  hyemalis,  33. 
Hawk,  duck,  38,  61,  88. 

goshawk,  38,  60. 

marsh,  37,  87. 

pigeon,  38,  61,  88. 

rough-legged,  38,  88. 

sharp-shinned,  37,  88. 

sparrow,  88. 

western  red  tail,  88. 
Heteractitis  incanus,  8G. 
Helodromas  cinnamomeus,  35-36,  58. 
Hirundo  erythrogastra,  42. 
Histrionicus  histrionicus,  33,  58. 
Hylocichla  aliciee,  43. 

swainsoni,  43-44,  65. 

Iridoprocne  bicolor,  63. 
Ixoreus  meruloides,  44,  65,  92. 

Jay,  Alaska,  40,  61-62,  89. 
Junco  hyemalis,  41,  63,  90. 

montanus,  41. 
Junco,  63,  90. 

Montana,  41. 

slate-colored,  41. 
Juniper,  dwarf,  8. 
Juniperus  nana,  8. 

Kahnia  glauca,  9. 
Kalzas  Range,  69. 
Kingfisher,  belted,  39,  89. 
Kinglet,  64. 

ruby-crowned,  43. 

Labrador  tea,  9, 12. 
Lagopus  lagopus,  37,  59,  87. 

peninsularis,  60. 

rupestris,  37,  60,  87. 
Lanius  borealis,  42,  63,  91. 


Lark,  Alaska  horned,  39-40,  61,  89. 
Larus  argentatus,  33,  84. 

brachyrhynchus,  33. 

Philadelphia,  33. 
Laurel,  dwarf,  9. 
Ledum,  9, 12,  48. 
Lemming,  Yukon,  26,  80. 

mouse,  26,  56,  79. 
Lemmus  yukonensis,  26,  80. 
Lepargyrea,  48,  70. 

canadensis,  9, 12,  68. 
Lepus  macfarlani,  28,  56,  80. 
Leucosticte  tephrocotis,  40,  62. 
Lobipes  lobatus,  33. 
Longspur,  Alaska,  40,  90. 
Loxia  leucoptera,  33,  62,  90. 
Lutra  canadensis,  29,  57,  82. 
Lutreola  energumenos,  82. 
ingens,  29. 
vison,  57. 
Lynx  canadensis,  28,  80. 

Macmillan  Range,  69. 
Mallard,  34,  84. 

Mammal  list,  east  central  Alaska,  13-44. 
Ogilvie  Range,  49-58. 
Macmillan  region,  72-84. 
Mareca  americana,  33,  85. 
Marila  affinis,  34,  85. 
Marmot,  hoary,  23,  55,  78. 
Marmota  caligata,  23,  55,  78. 
Marten,  31,  57,83. 
Melospiza  lincolni,  41. 
Merganser,  red-breasted,  33,84. 
Mergus  americanus,  33. 
serrator,  33,  84. 
Microtus  drummondi,  24-25,  55,  79. 

endoecus  (description),  23-24,  55. 
mordax,  25. 
xanthognathus,  25. 
Mink,  29,  57,  82. 
Moose,  Alaska,  18-20,  51,  72-74. 
Moose  Lake,  71. 
Mountains: 

Kalzas  Range,  69. 

Macmillan  Range,  69. 

Ogilvie  Range,  45-49. 

Plateau  Mountain,  67,  69,  71. 

Ptarmigan  Mountain,  69. 

Russell  Mountains,  67,  70-71. 

South  Fork  Mountains.  67. 
Mouse,  Arctic  white-footed,  77. 

Dawson  red-backed,  23,  55,  79. 
Muskrat,  northwest,  25-26,  56,  79. 
Mustela  actuosa,  31,  57,  83. 
Myadestes  townsendi,  43,  91 
Myiochanesrichardsoni,  33. 

Nettion  carolinense,  34,  85. 
Nucifraga  columbiana,  40. 
Numenius  hudsonicus,  33,  36,  59. 
Nutcracker,  Clark,  40. 
Nuttallornis  borealis,  39. 

Ochotonacollaris,  26-28,56. 
Ogilvie  Range,  45-^9. 
Oidemia  deglandi,  33. 

perspicillata,  33,  58. 


INDEX. 


95 


Olorcolumbianus,  85. 

Osprey,  88. 

Otocoris  arcticola,  39-40,  61,  89. 

Otter,  29,  57,  82. 

Ouzel,  water,  64,  91. 

Ovis  dalli,  20,  21,  51-54. 

fannini,  51. 

kenaiensis,  51. 

stonei,  77. 
Owl,  dusky  horned,  89. 

great  gray,  38. 

hawk,  39,  61. 

horned,  39,  61. 

short-eared,  38. 

Pandion  carolinensis,  88. 
Papaver  nudicaule,  49. 
Passerculus  alaudinus,  41. 
Passerella  iliaca,  41-42,  91. 
Pedioecetes  phasianellus,  33,  37,  87. 
Pelidnasakhalina,  58-59. 
Penthestes  hudsonicus,  43,  64,  91. 
Perisoreus  fumifrons,  40,  61-62,  89. 
Peromyscus  arcticus,  77. 
Petrochelidon  lunifrons,  42. 
Phoebe,  Say,  39,  61. 
Picea  canadensis,  8,  11,  48,  69,  70. 
mariana,  8,  9,  11,  48,  68,  69. 
Picoides  fasciatus,  39,  61,  89. 
Pika,  collared,  26-28,  56. 
Pine,  lodgepole,  68,  71. 
Pinicola  alascensis,  90. 
Pintail,  34,  85. 
Pin  us  murrayana,  68,  71. 
Pipit,  43,  64,  91. 
Pisobia  bairdi,  33. 

minutilla,  35. 
Planesticus  migratorius,  44,  65,  92. 
Plants,  Glacier  Mountain,  11-12. 

Ogilvie  Range,  48-49. 

Pelly  River,  68. 

Plateau  Mountain,  71. 

Russell  Mountains,  70-71. 

Yukon  River,  Eagle  to  Circle,  8-9 
Plateau  Mountain,  67,  69,  71. 
Plectrophenax  nivalis,  33,  63. 
Plover,  semipalmated,  36. 
Poplar,  8,  68,  69,  71. 

balsam,  11,  48. 
Populus  balsamifera,  8, 11,  48,  68,  71. 
tremuloides,  8,  11,  48,  68,  71. 
Polygonum  plumosum,  49. 
Porcupine,  26,  56,  80. 
Ptarmigan,  northern  white-tailed,  60. 
rock,  37,  60,  87. 
willow,  37,  59,  87. 
Ptarmigan  Mountain,  69. 
Putorius  arcticus,  29-31,  57,  82-83. 

Rangifer  arcticus,  49-51. 

osborni,  72-76. 

stonei,  13-18. 
Raspberry,  red,  12. 
Raven,  40,  62,  90. 
Redpoll,  40,  62,  90. 
Regulus,  64. 

calendula,  43. 
Rhodiola  alaskana,  49. 


Rhododendron  lapponicum,  49. 
Ribes  triste,  12. 
Riparia  riparia,  42,  91. 
Rivers: 

American  Creek,  9. 

Barr  Creek,  70. 

Bryant  Creek,  10. 

Charlie  River,  8. 

Clearwater  Creek,  67. 

Coal  Creek,  45. 

Colorado  Creek,  9. 

Comet  Creek,  10. 

Excelsior  Creek,  10. 

Fortymile  Creek,  10,  47. 

Husky  Dog  Creek,  67. 

Kalzas  River,  69. 

Kandik  River,  8. 

Lewes  River,  68. 

Macmillan  River,  67,  68,  69,  70. 

Macmillan  River,  North  Fork,  67,  70. 

Macmillan  River,  South  Fork,  67. 

Mission  Creek,  9, 10,  47. 

Mogul  Creek,  10. 

Moose  River,  69,  71. 

Nation  Creek,  8. 

Pelly  River,  67,  68,  69. 

Russell  Creek,  67,  69,  70,  71. 

Seventymile  Creek,  8, 10. 

Seward  Creek,  10. 

Sheep  Creek,  8,  47. 

Stewart  River,  66,  69. 

Stewart  River,  South  Fork,  70. 

Tahkondit  River,  8. 

Tatonduc  River,  8,47. 

Utah  Creek,  10. 

Wolf  Creek,  9. 

Yukon  River,  Eagle  to  Circle,  7-9. 

Yukon  River,  tributaries,  10. 
Robin,  44,  G5,  92. 
Robinson's  Camp,  45. 
Rosa  acicularis,  9, 12. 
Rose,  wild,  9,  12. 
Rubus  chamaemorus,  12. 

strigosus,  12. 
Russell  Mountains,  67,  70-71. 

Sagebrush,  Arctic,  9. 
dwarf,  68. 
Salix,  9,  11,48,68. 
arctica,  49. 
glauca,  48. 
phlebophylla,  11. 
reticulata,  11,  49. 
Salmon  berry,  12. 
Sandpiper,  least,  35. 

red-backed,  58-59. 
spotted,  36,  59,  86. 
western  solitary,  35-36,  58. 
Saxicola  oenanthe,  44,  65. 
Saxifraga  hieracifolia,  49. 
tricuspidata,  49. 
Sayornis  say  a,  39,  61. 
Scaup,  lesser,  34,  85. 
Sciuropterus  yukonensis,  22,  54. 
Sciurus  hudsonicus,  22,  54,  77. 
Scotiaptex  nebulosum,  38. 
Seiurus  notabilis,  43,  64. 
Selkirk,  67,  68. 


96 


INDEX. 


Sheep,  Dall,  20,  21,  51-54. 
Stone,  77. 
white,  51-54. 
Shrew,  Arctic,  32. 

mountain,  32. 
tundra,  32, 58. 
Shrike,  northern,  42,  63,  91. 
Sieversia  rossi,  49. 
Snipe,  34, 85. 
Snowflake,  63. 
Solitaire,  Townsend,  43, 91. 
Sorex  arcticus,  32. 
obscurus,  32. 
tundrensis,  32,  58. 
South  Fork  Mountains,  67. 
Sparrow,  fox,  41-42,91. 

golden-crowned,  41. 

intermediate,  41,63. 

Lincoln,  41. 

western  savanna,  41. 

western  tree,  41,  63,  90. 
Spatula  clypeata,  33. 
Spinus  pinus,  33. 
Spiraea  betulaefolia,  12. 
Spizella  ochracea,  41,  63,  90. 
Spruce,  black,  8, 11, 48, 68, 69. 

white,  8,9,11,48,69,70,71. 
Squatarola  squatarola,  33. 
Squirrel,  ground,  22, 54-55, 77-78. 

red,  22,54,77. 

flying,  22,  54. 
Surf  scoter,  58. 
Surniacaparoch,  39,  61. 
Swallow,  bank,  42,  91. 

barn,  42. 

cliff,  42. 

northern  violet-green,  42. 

tree,  63. 
Swan,  whistling,  85. 
Synaptomys  dalli,  26,  56,  79. 

Tachycineta  lepida,  42. 
Tatler,  wandering,  86. 
Teal,  green-winged,  34, 85. 


Thrush,  gray-cheeked,  43. 

olive-backed,  43-44,  65. 

varied,  44,  65,  92. 
Titlark  or  pipit,  43,  64,  91. 
Totanus  flavipes,  35. 
Tryngites  subruficollis,  33. 

Ursus  americanus,  29,  56,  81-82. 
phaeonyx,  29,  56-57. 
horribilis,  81. 

Vaccinium,  12,  48. 

vitis-idaea,  12,  49. 
Varying  hare,  MacFarlane,  28,  56,  80. 
Vermivora  celata,  42. 
Viburnum,  48. 

pauciflorum,  9, 12, 68. 
Vole,  Drummond,  24-25,  55,  79. 
interior,  23-24,  55. 
long-tailed,  25. 
yellow-nosed,  25. 
Vulpes  alascensis,  28. 
fulvus,  81. 

Warbler,  Alaska  yellow,  42,  63. 

blackpoU,  42,  64,  91. 

myrtle,  42,  63. 

orange-crowned,  42. 

pileolated,  43,  64,  91. 
Water-thrush,  Grinnell,  43,  64. 
Weasel,  Arctic,  29-31,  57,  82-83. 
Wheatear,  44,  65. 
White  Horse,  67. 
Widgeon,  85. 
Willow,  9,  11,  48,  49,  68,  70,  71. 

net-veined,  11. 
Wilsonia  pileolata,  43,  64,  91. 
Wolf,  northern,  28,  56,  80-81. 
Wolverine,  32,  57-58,  83-84. 
Woodpecker,  Alaska  three-toed,  39,  61,  89. 
northern  hairy,  89. 

Yellowlegs,  35. 

Zonotrichia  coronata,  41. 

gambeli,  41,  63. 


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