ACODON. 275 



Color. Upper parts yellowish brown; under parts buffy brown. 



Measurements. Total length, 125; tail vertebrae, 50; hind foot, 

 17. Skull: occipito-nasal length, 22; Hensel, 17; zygomatic breadth, 

 11.5; mastoid breadth, 10; interorbital constriction, 4; length of 

 nasals, 8.3; palatal length, 8; length of upper tooth row, 4; length of 

 mandible, condyle to base of incisors, n. 



274. xerampelinus (Akodon), Bangs, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., xxxix, 



1902, p. 41. 

 BANGS' RED MOUSE. 



Type locality. Volcan de Chiriqui, Chiriqui, Panama. Altitude, 

 10,300 feet. 



Genl. Char. Similar to A. tcguina, but paler. 



Color. Above yellowish brown; beneath broccoli brown; hands, 

 feet, tail, and ears blackish. 



Measurements. Total length, 145; tail vertebrae, 65; hind foot, 

 17; ear, 14. Skull: basal length, 19.2; occipito-nasal length, 22.6; 

 zygomatic width, n.6; mastoid width, 10.8; interorbital width, 4.2; 

 length of nasals, 2.6; length of palate, to palatal notch, 9.6; upper 

 molar series, 4; length of single half mandible, 13. (Bangs, 1. c.) 



The Wood Rats are among the handsomest species of the Muridcs 

 in North America. They are large in size, with a velvety fur, in 

 some as soft as spun silk, with the upper parts mouse color, brown, 

 or even a reddish hue, and white under parts, hands, and feet. One 

 of the genera, NEOTOMA, presents the usual rat tail, scaly, long, and 

 naked; but another, TEONOMA (north of United States and Mexican 

 boundary), has a tail similar to a squirrel's, hairy, at times almost 

 bushy, and the members of this genus are very handsome animals 

 indeed. Being almost strictly nocturnal, the Wood Rat is not often 

 seen by day, but as soon as darkness falls, if the cabin of the woods- 

 man is near its haunts, it will be overrun with these animals, and 

 they will be seen on floors and shelves and other parts of the home 

 diligently seeking food. In such places they become very bold, 

 climbing upon the bed and racing over the body of its sleeping oc- 

 cupant. The naked-tailed species seems to have the majority of num- 

 bers, but in appearance are excelled by the bushy-tailed. The sub- 

 family has various genera, the members of which are more or less 

 closely allied to each other, but none equal in size and general ap- 

 pearance those of NEOTOMA and TEONOMA. 



