44 



NELSON 



bulltE larger and slightly constricted just in front of middle. Five 

 adult skulls from Minatitlan average: basal length, 52.6; palatal 

 length, 27.1; interorbital breadth 1S.4; zygomatic breadth, 34.8; 

 length of upper molar series 11.4. 



General notes. — Although Wagler merely gave 'Mexico' as the 

 type locality for S. hypopyrrhus., his description applies so well to the 

 dark colored race of S. aiireogaster of southern Vera Cruz that it 

 seems advisable to adopt his name for this form. Specimens from 

 Minatitlan, Vera Cruz, are typical. 



An adult from Minatitlan (No. 780S2 9 ad., U. S. Nat. Mus.) 

 is even darker and more generally ferruginous than the Santo Domingo 

 specimen, and has a blackish area on fore shoulders and blackish rump 

 finely grizzled v\^ith dingy yellowish. After comparing this specimen 

 with the type of Macroxus maurus Gray, Mr. Thomas writes that it 

 is exactly like one of the two co-types. He also states that the British 

 Museum has a specimen from Teapa, Tabasco, similar to the type of 

 Macroxus morio Gray, but a little less melanistic, and that this speci- 

 men is the same as our No. 780S2 except for a little dash of melanism 

 across the shoulders, thus proving the identity of maurus and tnorio. 



The name hypopyrrhus Wagler has been used indiscriminately by 

 various authors for the rufous bellied squirrels of Mexico, Central 

 America and even northern South America. 



Habits. — The Fire-bellied Squirrels live in the humid tropical forest 

 where they range from sea level up to an altitude of about 4000 feet. 

 They levy a heavy toll upon cornfields planted in clearings in the 

 forest, and are also fond of cacao beans, gathering about the planta- 

 tions in large numbers, and are especially destructive in Tabasco and 

 eastern Chiapas. In order to gather a cacao crop the planters are 

 obliged to employ men with guns to patrol the plantations daily, but 

 in some districts, despite such efforts, the squirrels are a serious pest 

 and do great damage. 



Specimens examined. — Eighteen : from Minatitlan and Catemaco, 

 Vera Cruz ; mountains near Santo Domingo and Guichicovi, Oaxaca ; 

 Uspanapa River, Tabasco; Tumbala, Chiapas. 



SCIURUS AUREOGASTER FRUMENTOR Nelson. 



Perote Squirrel. 



Sciurus aiireogaster fnimentor Nelson, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, xii, pp. 

 154-155. June 3, 1898. 

 Type locality. — Las Vigas, Vera Cruz, Mexico. Type no. 54259 

 U. S. National Museum, Biological Survey Collection. 



