VOL. XII, PP. 189-1^6 DECEMBER 30, 1898 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THK 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



NEW SIGMODON FROM THE SANTA MARTA 

 REGION OF COLOMBIA. 



BY OUTRAM BANGS. 



The collection of mammals made by W. W. Brown, Jr., in the 

 Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta contains but three examples of 

 Sigmodon. Two of these are adult males and practically alike: 

 one taken at Pueblo Viejo, at an altitude of 8000 feet, on March 

 23, 1898; the other at Palomina, 5000 feet, June 21, 1898. The 

 third specimen is an adult female from Pueblo Viejo. It is so 

 much smaller than the two males and differs so much otherwise, 

 that without more material I hesitate to refer it to the same 

 species. I have therefore left it out of consideration and based 

 my description wholly upon the two males. 



The new form is closely related to both S. borucae Allen, from 

 Costa Rica, and S. bogotensis Allen from Bogota, differing from 

 the former principally in harsher pelage and much more hairy 

 tail, and from the latter in much paler coloration. It may be 

 known as 



Sigmodon sanctaemartae sp. nov. 



Type from Pueblo Viejo,* Colombia. No. 8105, <^ adult, coll. of E. A. 

 and 0. Bangs. Collected Mar. 23, 1898, by W. W. Brown, Jr. Altitude, 

 8000 feet. 



General characters. Pelage long, full, hispid; tail very hairy; color above, 

 dull tawny-ochraceous, lined with blackish ; ear rather large, sparsely 



* There are at least three towns in Colombia called Pueblo Viejo. The 

 one at which Mr. Brown collected is in the center of the Sierra Nevada, 

 not far from the source of Rio Ancho. 



42 BIOL. Soc. WASH., VOL. XII, 1898 (189) 



