242 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1894. 



In 1848, J. E. Gray separated the bushy tailed from the round 

 tailed species, proposing the name Teoiioma for the former. In a 

 recent communication I adopted the name for a subgenus, and de- 

 fined the resulting two subgenera as follows: — 



Subgenus NEOTOMA Say and Ord, 1825. 



iXfoloma Say and Ord, .louru. Acad. Nat. Sci. I'liila., IV, pt. 2. 1825, 345, 316, 

 pi. XXI, XXII. Type Miisfloridana Ord, from eastern Florida. 



Tail commonly round, scant-haired and ta|)ering, but in one 

 species moderately bushy; hind feet small or moderate. 



Rostrum of moderate length, not more than one-third the length 

 of cranium; sagittal area usually rounded, the broadest })art always 

 considerably anterior to plane of interparietal, whence the sides curve 

 gradually backward to interparietal shield; spheno-palatine vacuities 

 always open. 



Subgenus TEONOMA Gray, 1843. 



Teoiioiiia Ciray. T>i,st Spef. ^lainin. IJritisli .Mu.scum, 1843, 117. Type. Xcotoma 

 cincrca druinmoiidi (Richardson), from the Rocky Mts. in lat. 57°X. 



Tail very large, bushy, and somewhat distichous, like a squirrel's; 

 hind feet very large. 



Rostrum much elongated, measuring more than one-third the total 

 length of cranium; posterior roots of zygomata widely s[)reading; 

 sagittal area long, narrow, and sharply angular, its broadest part 

 far back, ou or nearly on plane of anterior border of interparietal, 

 whence the sides bend abruptly back to interparietal shield; spheno- 

 palatine vacuities closed or open. 



In the same communication I proposed, for conveuieuce in arrang- 

 ing the species, to subdivide Neotoina [)roper into four minor groups, 

 "none of which is worthy of the distinction of subgeneric rank. 

 These groups may be desigiuited, from a typical species in each, as 

 follows: (lithe leucodon group; (2) the me.r/V'fn/f/ group ; (o)the 

 deaerfonuii group, and (4) the (irizoita group." 



In a recent paper on Cranial Varlatioiiii in ycotuina niicropas,^' 

 Dr. J. A. Allen criticises my use of the color of the teeth as a sub- 

 ordinate character, and goes on to state that the range of individual 

 variation in color in his series of X. niirropiis "covers the whole 

 range of variation for the genus." His subsequent remarks show 



15 Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., N. Y., VI, Aug. 3, 1S!»4. 213. 244. 



