216 Field Columbian Museum — Zoology, Vol. III. 



2 Rosarito Divide, 5 Rosarito, 1 Agua Escondido, 4 San Quentin, 

 San Pedro Martir Mountains; 2 Palomar, 3 Hanson Lagoon, 1 Agua 

 Escondido, Hanson Laguna Mountains. 



This series, including various ages and colors of pelage, I refer 

 to N. i/itermedia. The color varies greatly among individuals, even 

 of the same locality, from the pale brownish gray and black of the 

 typical style, to a reddish hue, these last being old individuals. 

 Reddish specimens were obtained at different localities such as Valle- 

 citos, St. Eulalia, Rosarito, and Rosarito Divide, but the great ma- 

 jority of the examples are pale brownish gray, some indeed a light 

 buff. The color of the under parts varies greatly even among speci- 

 mens from the same locality, exhibiting the white chin and breast 

 with remainder buff, or grayish buff, to nearly all buff or all grayish 

 white with the plumbeous under fur showing through. This differ- 

 ence of color in probably most cases is due to age, but individuals 

 of apparently the same age are not alike in color though inhabiting 

 the same locality. And yet it may not be supposed that more than 

 one species is represented in the series for it is not possible to indi- 

 cate any line of separation among them either in color or cranial 

 characters. Even in the old adult reddish specimens, one from Ro- 

 sarito is typical in color on the under parts, with white chin and 

 breast, rest bright buff; while another from Rosarito Divide, at no 

 great distance away, is white beneath with only a faint tinge of buff on 

 abdominal region. Another from Vallecitos is tinged with buff on a 

 central line from breast to anal region the rest being grayish white; 

 and one from St. Eulalia has a pale buff line in the center of under 

 parts, the rest being plumbeous tinged with buff. Here therefore 

 are four specimens from near-by localities, the color of their upper 

 parts closely resembling each other, but beneath entirely different. 

 They were taken from July to October, the two in August most 

 nearly resembling each other in color of under parts, and the July 

 and October specimens being nearer alike. It would seem therefore 

 that little or no reliance can be placed upon the color of the under 

 parts as a character for even a racial separation, in this series at all 

 events whatever it may be in other forms, and notwithstanding the 

 differences observable, to refer them all to one race seems the only 

 way to treat them. The ears are generally longer than typical 

 intermedia, ranging from 28-34, and hind foot from 30-36, but the total 

 length and that of the tail will average as in intermedia. San Matias 

 Spring is evidently the eastern limit of this species, for a few miles 

 away on the edge of the desert the next race is found. 



The specimens from Parral are assigned to intermedia, with great 



