MAMMALS OF THE MEXICAN BOUNDARY. •_ ,, . , ."> 



EUTAMIAS MERRIAMI (Allen). 

 MERRIAM CHIPMUNK. 



Tamias asiaticus merriami Allen, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., II. No. ."., 



Oct. 21, 1889, p. ITd: III. 1890, ]>. 84. 

 E[utamias]merriami, Merriam, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, XI. p. 101, 



July 1. 1897. 

 Eutamias merriami, Miller and Rehn, Proc. r><>sp Soc. Nat. Hist., XXX. 



No. 1. Dec. 27, 1901, p. II (Syst. Results Study X. Am. Mam. l<» close of 



1900). 

 [Tamias] merriami, Elliot, Field Col. Mus.. /mil. Ser., II. 1901, p. 71 



(Synop. Mam. X. Am.) : IV. 1904, p. 137 (Mam. .Mid. Am.). 



Type-locality. — San Bernardino Mountains, southern California. 

 (Type, No. 1157, American Museum of Natural History.) 



Geographical range. — Upper Sonoran and Transition zones of 

 mountains of southern California, and the adjacent portion of Tower 

 California. 



Description. , a — Size large; ears high and pointed; tail long ami 

 rather bushy. Pelage rather coarse. As usual, the winter pelage is 

 grayish, and the post-breeding pelage reddish. Spring specimens 

 are olive-gray above, with many yellowish hairs admixed; side- yel- 

 lowish fulvous. Five dark dorsal stripes are indicated, though the 

 central one. which is practically continuous from the head to the 

 root of the tail, is the only one that is sharply defined and black, the 

 two outer pairs becoming obsolete and brownish. Inner pair of Light 

 stripes pale gray, mixed with yellowish; outer pair light silvery 

 gray — almost white. Pelage of upper surface plumbeous-black at 

 base. Post-auricular patches small and whitish. Tail above black- 

 ish, with gray tips and yellowish subterminal bands to the hairs; 

 below, central area reddish chestnut, paler at the edges, and bordered 

 with a broad band of black, the latter fringed with grayish white. 

 Ventral surface white, showing grayish between the white tips of the 

 hairs. Feet and hands, rusty yellowish gray. Ears with outer sur- 

 face rusty brown anteriorly .and grayish posteriorly; inner surface 

 pale yellowish gray. 



The post-breeding pelage is shorter and coarser, and has the gray- 

 ish tints of the upper surface, except on rump and outer aspect of 

 thighs, replaced by tawny-olive, russet, and cinnamon. The dorsal 

 stripes are more clearly defined; the middle pair of lateral dark 

 stripes is quite a little black. The sides vary in color with the 

 individual from tawny-olive to cinnamon. As usual, the pelage nf 



" Based on specimens from on or near the Mexican Pine, collected by the Inter- 

 national Boundary Commission. 



