266 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Pnoc. 4iH See. 



cisions of the reviser have been accepted. This has been the 

 rule; but in a few instances, wliere the material at hand has 

 seemed adequate, and where a sufficient amount of study has 

 been accorded it to warrant, as it might seem, an independent 

 opinion, this has been offered. Thus certain current names will 

 be found synonymized, and other names not generally recog- 

 nized are given full standing. 



It is quite probable that to the present list a number of forms 

 are admitted, which subsequent collections and studies will 

 show to be untenable. This is particularly likely in the Heter- 

 omyidae. On the other hand, there doubtless remain many 

 species and subspecies yet to be discovered and named ; so that 

 in time the total number of mammals known to belong to 

 California is likely to remain undiminished. 



The point to be emphasized is that, both as regards the stand- 

 ing of the species of our region, and as regards their distribu- 

 tion, systematic mammalogy is in a formative stage. A very 

 great amount of field-work and critical study must be done to 

 bring mammalogy to the plane already reached in ornithology. 



The system of entry adopted in the following list is simple. 

 Of the higher groups only Orders and Families are given. The 

 scientific name here adopted for the species is given in bold- 

 face, followed by the authority. A vernacular name has been 

 selected — in many cases with difficulty, as is admitted. In 

 nearly every case the "original description" has been verified 

 from its original source. In the few instances where the cita- 

 tion is given within quotation marks, the citation is at second- 

 hand, that is, the original has not been seen by the writer. 



The type locality is usually just as given in connection with 

 the original description; sometimes it is modified somewhat 

 to make it more intelligible, for example, by giving the name of 

 the county or of the nearest large town ; and occasionally cor- 

 rections have been necessary. 



The "synonyms" are any other names — aside from those 

 appearing in the heading and in the citation following "orig- 

 inal description" — that have been applied to the species as 

 occurring zvithin the state of California. Where a name now 

 considered synonymous with the accepted one, was based upon 

 a specimen from California, the full citation and type locality 

 are given. 



