VOL. XVIII, pp. 27-34 FEBRUARY 2, 1905 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



TWELVE NEW WOOD RATS OF THE GENUS NEOTOMA. 

 BY E. A. GOLDMAN. 



The following descriptions are published in advance of a re 

 vision of the genus Neotoma now in course of preparation. For 

 the opportunity to study the unparalleled series of wood rats of 

 the Biological Survey I am indebted to Dr. C. Hart Merriam, 

 who had already done much work on the genus, and under 

 whose direction the collections have been brought together. My 

 thanks are also due to Dr. J. A. Allen of the American Museum 

 of Natural History and Mr. D. G. Elliot of the Field Colum 

 bian Museum, for the loan of types and topotypes, and to Mr. 

 F. W. True, Executive Curator, and Mr. Walter L. Hahn, Aid, 

 for the use of the National Museum Collection and other 

 courtesies. 



Neotoma palatina sp. nov. 



Tupe from Bolaiios, Jalisco, Mexico (altitude, 2800 feet). Adult male, No. 

 90,959, U. S. National Museum, Biological Survey Collection. September 

 12, 1897. E. W. Nelson and E. A. Goldman. Original number 7104. 



General characters. Size large ; ears small ; pelage short and coarse ; 

 skull heavy ; spheno-palatine vacuities closed; vomer peculiar. 



Color. Type (in worn pelage) : Upperparts pale cinnamon, suffused 

 with buffy along cheeks and sides, becoming much darker on dorsal region 

 from abundant admixture of black hairs ; underparts dull white, the basal 

 color plumbeous except on throat, breast, and inguinal region ; muzzle 

 brownish gray ; ears brownish ; feet white ; tail scantily haired, bicolor, 

 blackish above, soiled whitish below. 



6 PROC. BIOL. Soc. WASH., VOL. XVIII, 1905. (27) 



