314 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OP 



There are nearly ten more rows of scales in this species than in P. 

 1 a t i c e p s ; the latter has six preanal plates, of which the median pair is not 

 so disproportionately large ; also the frenals and nasofrenal are narrow and 

 erect. 



Description of a new Species of Rodent of the Genus SPERMOPHILUS, 



from Texas. 



BY J. H. SLACK, M. D. 



Spekmophilus Bcckleyi, n. s. Size ahout equal to that of the Sciurus cine- 

 reus. Neck, limhs, sides and posterior half of body, grizzled white and black, 

 the hairs being black at the base and annulated with broad bands of black and 

 yellowish white ; a broad black patch commencing at the tip of the nose, 

 covering the shoulders and terminating in a point at about the tenth dorsal 

 vertebra, tail about two-thirds the length of the body, covered with long an- 

 nulated hairs. Ears small. Soles naked. 



Measurements from the dried skin. Body, 13 inches ; tail to end of vertebra?, 

 7*5 ; to end of hairs, 11 ; hind feet, 2-3. Length of lower jaw, 1*5. 



Habitat. Pack-saddle Mountain, Llano Co., Texas. 



This curious Spermophile was presented to the Academy by Mr. S. R. Buck- 

 ley, of the Texas Geological Survey. It was captured alive by one of his 

 party, and kept by Mr. Buckley for some time as a pet. He describes it as very 

 gentle and docile. Its favorite food was acorns, green oak balls and milk ; of 

 the latter it appeared extremely fond. Its voice he describes as similar to the 

 chirping of a young robin. This species is quite abundant in the vicinity of 

 Pack-saddle Mountain. It is gregarious and resides in the holes and clefts of 

 the rocks. When alarmed it runs along the faces of the almost perpendicular 

 cliffs with great agility, its body, from the shortness of its limbs, appearing 

 to touch the ground. The specimen as presented is unfortunately in a very 

 bad condition, consisting of a flat furrier's skin apparently much distorted, 

 and the lower jaw. 



Descriptions of new Cretaceous Fossils collected by the North -Weitern 

 Boundary Commission, on Vancouver and Sucia Islands. 



BY F. B. MEEK. 



The fossils described in this paper are the new species contained in the 

 colleciions of theNorth-Western Boundary Survey. Full illustrations, and more 

 extended descriptions of these and other species formerly described by the 

 writer, from Vancouver Island, will appear in the Report of that Survey ; which 

 will also contain a report by Mr. George Gibbs, geologist of the expedition, on 

 the general geology of the country along ihe boundary line. 



In 1857 I announced the discovery of Cretaceous rocks on Vancouver Tsland, 

 in a paper published in the fourth volume of the Transactions of the Albany 

 Institute. The species described in that paper, as therein stated, were evidently 

 from two distinct rocks, one of which was unhesitatingly referred to the Cre- 

 taceous system ; while the other, owing to the fact that all the specimens 

 obtained from it belonged to new species, of genera common to the Cretaceous 

 and Jurassic, was regarded as doubtful, though probably also of cretaceous 

 age. 



A subsequent examination, however, of these last mentioned specimens, 

 (from Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island) led me to suspect from the affinities of 

 some of the species, that they might be Jurassic, which was stated in a letter to 

 Dr. Newberry, who mentioned it in his report on the Geology of Capt. William- 

 son's Pacific Rail Road Survey. 



[Oct. 



