226 



MAMMALS OF AMERICA 



some distance from the little settlement, it was 

 frequently broken into by tramps who sought a 

 shelter for the night. When I entered this house 

 I was astonished to see an immense Rat's nest on 

 the empty stove. On examining this nest, which 

 was about five feet in height, and occupied the 

 whole top of the stove (a large range') . I fovmd 

 the outside to be composed entirely of spikes, 

 all laid with symmetry, so as to present the points 

 of the nails outward. In the center of this mass 

 was the nest, composed of finely divided fibers 

 of the hemp packing. Interlaced with the spikes 

 we found the following : About three dozen 

 knives, forks, and spoons, all the butcher knives, 

 three in number, a large carving knife, fork, and 

 steel, several large plugs of tobacco; the outer 

 casing of a silver watch was disposed in one 

 part of the pile, the glass of the same watch in 

 another, and the works in still another ; an old 

 purse containing .some silver, matches, and 

 tobacco ; nearly all the small tools from the tool 

 closets, among them several large augers . . . 

 all of which must have been transported some 

 distance, as they were originally stored in dif- 

 ferent parts of the house. The articles of value 

 were, I think, stolen from the men who had 

 broken into the house for temporary lodging. 



I have preserved a sketch of this iron-clad nest, 

 which I think unique in natural history." 



.\nother characteristic of many of the species 

 is the propensity to store food, often conveyed 

 from a distance. Mr. H. P. Attwater, when 

 collecting the subspecies which bears his name, 

 tore down a number of its houses. " In one of 

 the underground passages at the nest were 

 stored away about three dozen bunches of wild 

 grapes ; also many acorns and black haws. In 

 another nest were about two dozen small mush- 

 rooms. All the heaps in the cedar brakes con- 

 tained large stores of cedar berries, most of 

 them with the outside pulp eaten off and the 

 seeds eaten out. \\'hat an immense amount of 

 work is necessary before enough can be ob- 

 tained for a meal, as probably a thousand would 

 be required." 



IMost of the species are nocturnal, but some, 

 as the Baird Rat, are both nocturnal and diurnal. 

 As soon as darkness falls. " if the cabin of the 

 woodsman is near its haunts, it will be overrun 

 with these animals, and they will be seen on 

 floors and shelves diligently seeking food. In 

 such places they become very bold, climbing 

 upon the bed, and racing over the body of its 

 sleeping occupant." 



BRUSHY-TAILED WOOD RAT 

 Neotoma cinerea (Ord) 



Other Names. — Brushy, or Bushy-Tailed Pack Rat. 

 Trade Rat. 



General Description. — Appearance very much hke 

 Eastern Wood Rat, but size larger and tail much 

 broader and bushier. Ears large ; body large : tail 

 broad, squirrel-like ; hind feet large ; whiskers prom- 

 inent ; hair rather long ; general color mi.xed yellowish- 

 brown and black, below white. 



Dental Formula. — Same as that of Eastern Wood 

 Rat. 



Pelage, — Adults: Se.xes identical. Seasonal varia- 

 tion occurring, but not especially noteworthy. Above, 

 mi.xed yellowish-brown and black with more buff and 

 less black on sides ; below, white, contrasting markedly 

 with color of sides ; hairs of underparts ashy at base 

 except on breast ; feet white ; ankles dusky ; tail rather 

 darker on upper side than the back, lacking the yellow 

 tints, below white except near base where it is brown : 

 hairs of tail a full inch in length. Young: .'\bove. 

 slate-gray thickly mixed with black; below, ashy-white; 

 tail with hairs shorter than in adults. 



Measurements. — Total length. 15 inches; tail verte- 

 brae, 7 inches; hind foot. 1.7 inches. 



Range, — Rocky Mountain region from southern 

 British Columbia southward into Arizona and westward 

 into central Nevada and California. 



Food. — Seed.s and green vegetation. 



Remarks. — This subgroup has not become so finely 

 split up as that of the Round-tailed Wood Rats and 

 there is but the one species, which has. however, eight 

 subspecies which differ chiefly in coloration and cranial 

 characters. 



RF.i.ATF.n Subspecies 



Brushy-tailed Wood Rat. — AVofo;)ia cincrrn cincreu 

 fOrd). Typical animal as described above. Rocky 

 Mountain region from southern British Columbia south 

 to northern -Arizona and westward to central Nevada 

 and the Sierra Nevada range in California. 



Western Brushy-tailed Wood Rat. — \cotoma ciit- 

 crca ofcidcnlalis (Ilaird). Tail long; ears large; 

 coloration dark. Pacific Coast region of Oregon and 

 Washington eastward to plains of central Idaho. 



Yellow Brushy-tailed Pack Rat. — Xcoloniq cincrca 

 orolcstcs (Merriani). .Size large; above buffy ochra- 

 ceous. Rocky Mountains. Colorado. Wyoming and New 

 Me.xico. 



Dakota Brushy-tailed Pack Rat. — Neotoma cincrca 

 nipicoln (.Mien). .Size small: atiuve creamy buff lined 

 with black ; underparts pure white to base of hairs. 

 Bad Lands, South Dakota through southeastern Wyo- 

 ming and western Nebraska to northeastern Colorado. 



