ON NOkTH AMERICAN ZOOLOGY. 153 



forests of Canada, the Rocky Mountains, aiul the fur countries 

 up to the 57th parallel. 



The marmots are numerous in North America, particularly 

 those which enter the subgenus spermophilus. These animals 

 abound in the prairies, which are analogous to the Siberian steppes 

 near Lake Aral, that are also overrun by spermophiles ; but the 

 only species that can be considered as common to the New and 

 Old World is guttatus of North California and New Caledonia. 

 This little animal is certainly so similar to the " souslik" of the 

 Wolga, that the published figures or descriptions do not afford any 

 distinctive marks ; but no satisfactory comparison of specimens 

 has yet been made. It is probable that Lichtenstein alludes to 

 this species when he says, that there is a spermophile in Mexico 

 which cannot be distinguished from the Siberian citiUus : gut- 

 tatus was considered by Pallas to be merely a variety of cititlus.' 

 Sjj. Parri/ii is the most northern species, being an inhabitant 

 of the ai'ctic coasts and the Rocky Mountains down to the58th pa- 

 rallel. Spermophilus lateralis resides on the eastern declivity of 

 the Rocky Mountains, from the 57th parallel down to the sources 

 of the Arkansas. Beecheyi comes from Upper California, and 

 Douglasii, which nearly resembles it, and is perhaps only a 

 local variety, is from the adjoining district of the banks of the 

 Columbia. Franklinii, Richardsonii, and Hoodii abound on 

 the prairies of the Saskatchewan, the last ranging southwards 

 to Mexico*, and being perhaps the Mexican squirrel of Seba, 

 which is described as brown, with five or seven longitudinal 

 whitish stripes. The arvtomys griseus of Rafinesque, founded 

 on Lewis and Clark's description of a Missouri animal, does 

 not appear very different from sp. Richardsonii. Sp. spilosiis, 

 described by Mr. Bennett in the Zoological Proceedings, is from 

 California. Ludovicianus, the " prairie dog" of the Missouri, 

 has not been described as possessing cheek-pouches. Arctomys 

 empetra frequents the Avoods of Canada and the fur countries 

 up to the 60th parallel, while monax belongs to Maryland and 

 the more southern Atlantic states. A. brachyurus is known 

 only from Lewis and Clark's description of a Columbia river 

 animal. The alpine districts of New Caledonia are the abode 

 of a marmot named the "whistler", or perhaps more than one 

 species is included under this trivial appellation, for the accounts 

 given of it by the traders apply almost equally to the jrruinosus 

 of Pennant, the "tarpogan",or e«//g•a?^/5 of Eschscholtz, and the 

 ochanaganus described and figured by Mr. King in his recent 



• Mexican specimens exist in the Museum at Frankfort. Dr. Uuppel. 



