870 



MONOdllAPIIS OF NORTH AMERICAN RODENTIA. 



and on Seba's u Sciurus, rarissimus, ex Nova Hispauid, ta-niis albis n * together 

 with references to Brisson, Pennant, and other early authors, whose accounts 

 arc based wholly on Fernandez and Seba. Erxleben's Sciurus mexicanits has, by 

 several writers, been considered as identical with the Citillus mexicanus of Lich- 

 tenstein; but Fischer, as early as 1829, and hence before Lichtenstein described 

 his Citillus mexicanus, suggested that Erxleben's Sciurus mexicanus might be 

 referable to the Sciurus (Tamias) striatus of authors. While Fernandez's 

 "Tlamototli", and also Seba's animal, judging by both his figure and descrip- 

 tion (disregarding altogether its impossible tail), may be referable to Spermo- 

 pkilus mexicanus, the introduction of this species into the annals of natural 

 history cannot with certainty be carried back beyond Lichtenstein's detailed 

 description and excellent figure. It has since been well figured by Audubon 

 and Bachman, while Baird's further account of it leaves little now to be added, 

 especially since no specimens additional to those used by Professor Baird are 

 at present accessible. The only synonym that appears to have thus far arisen 

 is the spilosoma of Audubon and Bachman, who erroneously referred the 

 young of S. mexicanus to that species, and finally thoroughly confounded the 

 two species. 



It is chiefly a Mexican animal, but is quite abundant on the Texan side 

 of the Rio Grande ; it has not, however, been reported from further north- 

 ward. Nearly all the specimens in the collection of the National Museum 

 are from the vicinity of the Rio Grande. It probably ranges far southward 

 over the plains of Eastern Mexico, Audubon and Bachman stating that they 

 had been informed of its occurrence as far southward as the province of 

 Vera Cruz. 



Table CXV. — Mtasurements of lieu skulls of SPERMOPUILUS mexicanus. 



' Thesaurus, vol. i, p. 7(5, pi. xlvii, fig. 2, 1734. 



