Sciurus variabilis from Santa Maria ;, Colombia. 185 



Sciurus variabilis saltuensis subsp. nov. 



Type from Pueblo Viejo, Colombia (altitude, 8000 ft). No. 8144, 9 old 

 adult, coll. of E. A. and O. Bangs. Collected March 26, 1898, by W. W. 

 Brown, Jr. 



Subspecific characters. Smaller than true S. variabilis; tail shorter; 

 colors duller, deeper and darker ; feet and hands much darker in color ; 

 no patch of clear rufous on shoulders and sides the hairs of this region, 

 and also those of feet, hands and lower sides, with a black median band 

 like the hairs of the rest of upper parts ; skull smaller, and more solid ; 

 audital bullse smaller, thicker and less inflated. 



Color. Upper parts, deep, tawny-rufous varied with black each hair 

 plumbeous at base, then rufous with a black median band; tail much 

 deeper in color than that of true *S'. variabilis, the hairs of its sides with a 

 more distinct black median band ; under parts clear white to base of 

 hairs. 



Cranial characters. Skull similar to that of true S. variabilis but de 

 cidedly smaller and rather more solid; audital bullse much smaller, 

 thicker and less inflated. 



Size of type skull (old adult 9 ) : Basal length, 46 ; occipito-nasal 

 length, 54.2; zygomatic width, 31.6; mastoid width, 24; interorbital 

 width, 18 ; length of nasals, 16.4; length of upper tooth row, 9; length 

 of mandible, 30. (For measurements see table, p. 186.) 



Remarks. Mr. Brown found this mountain representative of S. variabilis 

 very rare in the several places he visited in the higher Sierra and secured 

 but three individuals : one at Palomina, May 2, 1898 ; and two at Pueblo 

 Viejo, March 20 and 26, 1898. These three skins are indistinguishable in 

 color. 



