176 FIELD COLUMBIAN MUSEUM ZOOLOGY, VOL. XI. 



zone, the climate very cold for the latitude, due to the heavy winds 

 and fogs constantly occurring." The next collecting place was Peta- 

 luma, a. short distance north of Point Reyes, and the type locality of 

 Rkilhrodontomys longicauda and Neoto ma fuscipes, where but a brief stay 

 was made, and then Mr. Heller proceeded to Mendocino, the type 

 locality of Tamias t. ochrogenys and Peromyscus o. rubidus, where he 

 remained ten days and procured a number of desirable specimens. 

 Mendocino he states "is on the sea coast at the mouth of Big River, a 

 stream about seventy-five yards wide where it enters the sea, and is 

 subject to the influence of the tide four miles above its mouth. The 

 town is on a low plateau that slopes gradually to the ocean, the coast 

 slope being chiefly open and grassy, except where cut into small 

 caftons by streams which are heavily forested on their banks. Four 

 or five miles back from the coast the hills grow higher, forming moun- 

 tains of several thousand feet elevation. The plateau, cafions, and 

 mountains are heavily forested with Sequoia, Pseudotsuga, Abies, etc. 

 Near the coast Pinus muricata is the most abundant tree, but it does 

 not extend inlarfd very far. The whole region is Transition except 

 perhaps the higher mountains, where the Canadian may be found." 

 Of the mammals of this locality not procured may be mentioned 

 Spermophilus v. beecheyi, which was said to be "common a few miles 

 inland in grain fields, and also to the southward about Point Arena." 

 It was said to have only appeared in the region since the establish- 

 ment of grain fields. Another species, the sea otter, Latax lutris, 

 formerly occurred in the Bay of Mendocino, but has not appeared in 

 late years. A trapper reported having seen six about ten years ago. 

 Ten days were passed in this locality, and then Mr. Heller went 

 to Eureka, type locality of Thomomys laticeps, at which place and its 

 vicinity he remained three weeks; and one week was passed at Scotia 

 in the redwood belt on Eel River south of Eureka. At Table Bluff at 

 the southern end of Table Bay small mammals were abundant, and a 

 considerable number representing various species was taken. Of this 

 country Mr. Heller says, that "except about the mouths of rivers and 

 at Humboldt Bay, it consists of high hills and mountains covered by 

 heavy forests of Sequoia, Pseudotsuga, Abies, Picea^ etc. About Hum- 

 boldt Bay the land is low and rolling, and the uncultivated portions 

 are covered by a thick growth of ferns (Pteris) and shrubs, chiefly 

 Pubus and Gaultheria. Most of the region appears to be in the lower 

 part of the Canadian zone, especially that portion bordering the coast 

 where Picea sitkensis is found. Indeed, for ten or twelve miles where 

 the heavy fogs do not penetrate it is much warmer and the vegetation 

 is chiefly Transition in character." 



