54 Gary — New Reithrodontomys from Nebraska. 



Measurements. — Three adult specimens from type locality average: 

 total length, 125; tail vertebrae, 53.5; hind foot, 16.6. Type: Total 

 length, 124; tail vertebrae, 54; hind foot, 16.5. Skull of type: Basal 

 length, 15.7; occipito-nasal length, 19.7; nasals, 17.4; zygomatic breadth, 

 10.5; mastoid breadth, 9. 



Specimens examined. — Total number 18, from the following localities: 



Nebraska: Neligh 11, Kennedy 5, Cody 1. South Dakota: Belle 

 Fourche River (15 miles from mouth) 1. 



Distribution. — Sand hill region of central and western Xebraska, and 

 western South Dakota. Limits of range unknown. 



Habits. — This species, so far as at present known, occurs only in sand 

 hills, or on sandy land, where it appears to subsist to a large extent on 

 seeds of various grasses. Near Kennedy, in October, I secured several 

 specimens by overturning millet shocks in a sandy field. When un- 

 covered the little fellows would scurry to their nest for refuge. 



The nests were compact little balls of fine grass, and were either on or 

 jusl beneath the surface of the ground under the shock. A small open- 

 ing on one side led into a little cavity in the interior, in which was a 

 store of millet seeds. 



At both Kennedy and Neligh, in sand bur and weed patches in the 

 sand hills albescens and nebracensis were about equally abundant, but 

 traps set in meadows or marshy tracts secured only nebracensis. 



Remarks. — This handsome little species requires no close comparison 

 with any described Reithrodontomys. 



From nebracensis it differs in much smaller size and paler coloration, 

 entirely lacking the strong fulvous suffusion. The ears are relatively 

 much shorter, and the rusty hairs at their bases are scarcely noticeable, 

 or entirely wanting. The tail is much more sharply bicolor and the 

 black stripe is confined to the upper fourth. 



One October specimen from Kenned} 7 , and two November specimens 

 from Neligh, are pale ashy gray, with no trace of the buff. "Whether or 

 not this is the normal winter pelage is yet to be determined. 



A June specimen from Belle Fourche River, South Dakota, consid- 

 ered by Allen (Bull. Am. Mus. Nat, Hist., N. Y. VII, p. 123, 1895.) a 

 pale specimen of nebracensis, seems to be referable to albescens. 



