Vol. XII, pp. 183-186 . November 16, 1898 



PROCEEDINGS 





BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



OX SCIURUS VARIABILIS FROM THE SANTA MARTA 

 REGION OF COLOMBIA. 



BY OUTRAM BANGS. 



Among the mammals collected by Mr \Y. W. Brown. Jr., in 

 the Santa Marta region of Colombia is a fine series of twenty- 

 four squirrels. Twenty-one of these are from the lowlands in 

 the immediate neighborhood of Santa Marta, at an altitude of 

 from 590 to 600 feet, and are true Seiurus variabilis Geoffroy.* 

 The other three were taken in the high sierra — one at Palomina 

 (altitude, 5000 feet) and two at Pueblo Viejo (altitude, 8000 feet), 

 and belong to quite a different mountain race of that squirrel. 



The form from the high mountain forest of the Sierra Nevada 

 appears to be undescribed. Its differences from true S. variabilis 

 are very interesting and are exactly what would be expected from 

 the character of its surroundings. The smaller size, much duller, 

 deeper coloration and very much smaller audital bullse of the 

 new form all indicate an inhabitant of the dark, dense, saturated, 

 luxuriant mountain forest; while the large size, long tail, vivid 

 color and large audital bullae of true S. variabilis point rather to 

 an existence spent in the dry, open, brushy forest of the burning 

 lowlands. 



*Sciarus variabilis was described from specimens of uncertain locality, 

 though without doubt from Colombia, as Geoffroy tells us that the col- 

 lection of which these squirrels formed a part was made in North Amer- 

 ica, the West Indies, and Colombia. It therefore seems fair to regard 

 the specimens from the lowlands of the Colombian coast as strictly typical 

 Seiurus variabilis. 



40— Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XII, 1898 (183) 



