146 Merriam — Four New Rodents from California. 



Characters. — Size large for a Ghilotus; ears small and nearly concealed 

 in the fnr; color of upperparts sepia or reddish sepia brown, very much 

 paler than oregoni; underparts dull buffy, the dark underfur showing 

 through; tail dark brownish, paler below; feet whitish. 



Cranial characters. — Skull similar to that of oregoni hut larger and 

 heavier, with longer rostrum, larger and less depressed nasals, much 

 larger anterior nares, and larger teeth. 



Measurements. — Type specimen: Total length, 172; tail vertebrae, 4!); 

 hind foot, 21. Cranial measurements: Basal length, 24.5; basilar length 

 of Hensel, 23.5; zygomatic breadth, 1(3; palatal length ( notch to incisors), 

 13. 



Thomomys mewa sp. now* 



Type from Raymond, Madera County, California. No. 133,183, U. S. 



National Museum, Biological Survey Collection, c? ad. Collected June 28, 

 1904, by N. Hollister. ( Jriginal No. 908. 



Characters. — Not closely related to any known species. Size rather 

 small; has two marked and widely different pelages; summer pelage red 

 above and below, varying from fulvous to almost ferruginous; winter 

 pelage dusky (much darker than typical bottx), overlaid by a light pep- 

 pery wash of russet brown ; underparts in winter dark plumbeous strongly 

 washed with buffy ochraceous. 



Cranial characters. — Skull peculiar; smaller than either bottse or pa s- 

 calis and slightly larger than navus — from which latter it differs in such 

 radical characters as not to require comparison {navus having the nasals 

 exceedingly small and short, the zygomata widely spreading posteriorly, 

 the upper incisors projecting strongly forward). Nasals rather long and 

 straight-sided as in pascalis (not narrowed posteriorly and expanded ante- 

 riorly as in botUe); zygomata rather squarely spreading, with strongly 

 marked and thickened anterior angle; bullae and premaxillse normal, as 

 in bottse; temporal impressions nearly parallel and 4-5 mm. apart in adult 

 males; interparietal suhquadrate, convex anteriorly. The type specimen 

 is in the molt and the new red pelage which covers all but the rump is 

 still short and paler than the full summer pelage. 



Measurements. — Total length, 225; tail vertebrae, 60; hind foot, 27. 



Range. — The Upper Sonoran or Digger Pine belt along the west flank 

 of the Sierra from northern Tuolumne County south to Kern Valley. 



Thomomys alpinus awahneet suhsp. now 



Type from Yosemite Valley, California. No. 133,076, U. S. National 

 Museum, Biological Survey Collection. 9 ad. Collected June 14, L904, 

 by N. Hollister. Original No. 870. 



Characters. — Size rather small; similar in general toalpinus hut smaller, 

 with decidedly smaller fore claws and skull. 



* Named from the Mewa Indians, within whose territory the type region lies. 

 t Named from Ahwahnee, the original Indian name of Yosemite Valley; used also 

 for the band or subtribe inhabiting the valley. 



