SQUIRRELS OF MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA 75 



pelag^e thin; hair on dorsal surface coarse and stiff; under fur thin. 

 Teats: p. y a. f i- y- 



Color. — This subspecies has several color phases of which the two 

 most characteristic are described below. Blackish-backed phase : 

 Top and sides of head grizzled gray, paler than back ; back with 

 broad band (widening on lumbar region and narrowing thence to 

 tail) blackish, blackish brown, or dark yellowish brown, bordered by 

 band (half an inch to an inch wide) of whitish or gray, paler than 

 dorsal area and separating it from color of underparts ; lower flanks, 

 all of legs, feet, and underparts nearly uniform white, buffy, or 

 rufous ; cheeks, chin and sides of neck grizzled gray or grayish brown ; 

 ears grizzled gray or grayish brown, sometimes bordered with black; 

 ear patches white; tail above black, heavily washed with white, 

 below, a broad median area varying from dark rufous to rusty orange 

 or grayish white, bordered by a black line and edged with white. 



Grizzled-backed phase : Top and sides of head pale gray or 

 grayish brown, paler than back; rest of back grizzled grayish brown, 

 yellowish brown or blackish brown, darkest on upper half and paler 

 or grayer along sides and on legs; sides usually more or less strongly 

 mixed with color of underparts; fore feet like underparts or heavily 

 washed with same color ; hind feet similarly washed but more nearly 

 like outside of hind legs ; underparts rusty, bright ferruginous, or 

 buffy, sometimes with irregular white patches; ears like top of head; 

 ear patches large, white; sides of head and chin dull grayish or 

 grayish brown ; tail above at base like back, rest of upper surface 

 black, washed with white ; below with median band of rusty, rufous, 

 or yellowish brown bordered by black and edged with white. 



Hairs on middle of back of blackish backed specimens, brownish 

 black with scattered white tips ; hairs on flanks of these specimens 

 blackish broadly tipped with white or rufous. Hairs on specimens 

 with grizzled backs, black with median or subterminal ring of rusty 

 buffy, brownish yellow or grayish brown; on flanks similar but usually 

 paler and sometimes with whitish tips. 



Variatiotis. — This is an extraordinarily variable squirrel. The top 

 of head and upper part of flanks are usually paler than the median 

 dark dorsal area ; the underparts, lower flanks and outside of legs and 

 feet may be white, some shade of buff, or bright rufous ; or the back may 

 be grizzled brown, with the same color extending over flanks to outside 

 of legs and mixing with the color of the feet. In some cases where 

 the last described phase is most marked the head is but little paler 

 than back, especially in specimens from vicinity of San Jose and La 



