38 FIELD COLUMBIAN MUSEUM ZOOLOGY, VOL. III. 



Thirty-six specimens: 2, near Oak Lodge (type locality); 4, 

 Micco; 3, E. Penn opposite Micco; 13, Enterprise; 10, Crys- 

 tal River; 4, Tarpon Springs, Florida. 



This close ally of P. gossypinus was not uncommon in certain 

 localities, though no large series were taken. Mr. Surber, in his 

 notes, says: " The cotton mice secured at Enterprise were taken 

 in palmetto hummocks exclusively, two of the specimens having 

 been taken from an old Neotoma nest in a hollow log lying about 

 six feet above the ground. All the others were taken near rotten 

 logs, or at the base of a hollow tree. I got four specimens of 

 this mouse at Micco, taking them all among the scrub on the sand 

 ridge just west of the Indian River. Of the five specimens taken 

 on the East Peninsula, near Oak Lodge, four of them came from 

 the beach among the sea oats, while the other was taken on the 

 river side among the mangrove bushes." At Crystal River, on 

 the west side, he found "cotton mice fairly plentiful in one of 

 the large swamps, but swamps were scarce about Citronelle, the 

 country being high pine ridges, and not a single specimen was 

 secured. Cotton mice live in the swamps and canebrakes, and 

 it is a rare thing if one is found where the country is high 

 and dry." 



This form so closely resembles P. gossypinus that it is not 

 always easy to distinguish them from each other, and of the two 

 series before me there are a number of individuals in each so 

 nearly alike that, should they lose their labels, it would be im- 

 possible to rename them as they were, unless by a mere chance. 

 The characters that distinguish this form, as given by Bangs 

 (1. c.), are " colors paler and more yellowish, no decided darker 

 dorsal band; a black orbital ring; hind foot shorter." All of these 

 characters I find in the specimens of P. gossypinus, and characters 

 such as are given for the species and subspecies are also found in 

 examples from Gainesville. The average length of the hind foot 

 of the two forms is about the same, but in the majority of the 

 subspecies they measure 22 and 23 mm. In many, indeed I may 

 say in most, of the specimens there is a decided darker dorsal 

 band, and the general colors are no paler than in P. gossypinus, but 

 the orbital ring is generally darker, though some of the specific 

 forms have the ring equally dark. Altogether, while I am of the 

 impression that this form will eventually become a synonym of 

 P. gossypinus, I do not consider that my material is sufficient to 

 enable me to reach a final decision. It may pass as a sub- 

 species with the Scotch verdict "not proven." 



