70 CALIFORNIA MAMMALS. 



though not really common anywhere. Some occur in the Mojave 

 Desert. They avoid the rocky hills, preferring the level land. 



The food is seeds the greater part of the year ; these are 

 stored to some extent. In the spring, during the few weeks when 

 green vegetation is obtainable, leaves and buds are eaten vorac- 

 iously, the usually slender squirrel distending its stomach until 

 it can hardly crawl away. 



The voice is a peculiar low hissing whistle, sounding more 

 like the note of some bird. This note is uttered at intervals 

 by the Squirrel when concealed in the mouth of its burrow, and 

 is Hkely to puzzle one to account for it when first heard. 



The breeding season is March and April. The number 

 of young in a litter is four to seven. I have seen several Round- 

 tailed Scjuirrels in low mesquit trees, where they were apparently 

 feeding on the leaves, but they seemed awkw^ard and slow climb- 

 ers. They are commonly shy and difficult to shoot. 



Citellus beldingi Merria^i. (For Lyman Belding.) 



BELDING GROUND-SQUIRREL. 



A broad indeterminate band of chestnut or umber from nose 

 to tail , more or less interrupted on the neck, varying in intensity 

 from dark chestnut to dull raw umber; sides brownish or yel- 

 lowish drab; below pale dull brownish or yellowish g'ray; tail 

 small and slender, its upper surface similar to the back, low-er 

 surface cinnamon rufous or hazel edged with grayish and tipped 

 with black. Young; dorsal stripe pale brown. 



Length about 260 mm. (10.25 inches); tail vertebrae 70 

 (2.75) ; hind foot 42 (1.65) ; ear from crown 8 (.30). 



Type locality, Donner, California. 



Belding Ground-Squirrels are common in the valleys of 

 the Sierra Nevada from the northwestern part of Inyo County 

 north to the Oregon line. In the western part of their range they 

 do not seem to pass much below 5,000 feet altitude. They 

 reach to 9,000 feet in places. In a few localities in Lassen and 



