SQUIRRELS OF MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA 69 



the abundance of parasitic plants on the trees it was difficult to secure 

 specimens. Near Calel, and at Hacienda Chancol, they were less 

 common among other species of oaks in the more open forest at an 

 altitude of 9000 to 10,000 feet, but were very shy, and it required cau- 

 tious and long continued hunting to secure a few specimens. 



Specimens examined. — Twenty-two : from vicinity of Guatemala 

 City, Volcano Santa Maria, Calel, Hacienda Chancol, Guatemala; 

 and Pinabete, Chiapas. • ' 



SCIURUS GRISEOFLAVUS CHIAPENSIS subsp. nov. 

 Chiapas Squirrel. 



Type from San Cristobal, Chiapas, Mexico. No. 75957, ^ ad., 

 U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collection. Collected Sept. 22, 

 1895, by E. W. Nelson and E. A. Goldman. 



Distribution. — Pine and oak foresisof Transition and Boreal zones 

 in mountains of central Chiapas (alt. 7500—9500 feet). 



Characters. — Similar to true S. griseojlavus but differing in the 

 decidedly grayer upperparts ; paler, often nearly white, feet, and usu- 

 ally more vivid ferruginous underparts. Pelage full and rather soft ; 

 under fur long and dense; tail broad and full. Teats: p. i a. f i. 1. 



Color. — Winter pelage : Upperparts, including outside of legs, top 

 of nose, and base of tail, dark grizzled gray (rather darker on top of 

 head), interspersed with many scattered hairs having median rings of 

 reddish buffy ; ears dingy whitish gray with small whitish basal 

 patches ; feet grayish white, the toes often nearly white ; narrow ring 

 around eyes pale fulvous, confluent with a darker area of fulvous 

 brown extending back along sides of head to base of ears ; sides of 

 nose, lower cheeks, chin and throat, pale grayish ; underj^arts usually 

 rusty rufous, brighter than in Xxwo. griseojiavtis ; tail at base all around 

 like back ; above, black heavily washed with white ; below, usually 

 with broad median area of yellowish, yellowish brown or rusty rufous, 

 black border and well marked white edge. Hairs on back black, 

 tipped rather broadly with white and often with broad median rings of 

 reddish buff (most numerous and conspicuous along flanks). 



Variation. — The series at hand shows but little variation in the 

 upperparts. In some specimens the crown is darker, and the brown area 

 behind the eyes more distinctly marked ; the feet vary from grizzled 

 gray to almost white. The greatest variation is in the underparts and 

 tail. Eight of the twelve specimens are bright ferruginous below, 

 one is dull buffy yellow, one dark grizzled gray heavily washed with 



