852 MONOGRAPHS OF NORTH AMERICAN RODENTIA. 
1829, and neither of them have any serious complications of synonymy. The 
Spermophilus macrurus, described by Mr. Bennett in 1833, “from that part 
of California which adjoins Mexico”, is undoubtedly referable to var. beecheyi, 
if the locality is correctly given; the only question that can be raised is as to 
whether it should be referred to this form rather than to var. dowglassi. This, 
however, is a point of minor importance. The size, form, and coloration 
accord well with var. beecheyi; the only point of discrepancy is the “black 
head, on which a very few white hairs exist”. This indicates a slight ten- 
dency to melanism, such as quite a number of specimens present, in which 
the head is unusually blackish. Several specimens of this type of coloration 
are among those received from Southern California. I have hence not the 
slightest hesitation in referring S. macrurus to one of the Pacific-coast forms 
of grammurus, or, more definitely, to var. beechey?, with whose habitat the 
alleged locality accords. 
The Sciurus californicus of Lesson, described in 1847 as from California, 
seems also undoubtedly referable to var. beechey?, as already suggested by 
Professor Baird. It is, in fact, with one or two slight exceptions, an excellent 
and detailed description of this animal. The white bands on the sides are 
represented as extending rather farther back than usual, but not farther 
than frequently happens. The color of the tail is alone erroneously described, 
the description implying that there is but a single band of black instead of 
three.* 
*T here subjoin a transcript of Lesson’s entire notice of his Sciurus (Macroxus) californicus, kindly 
furnished by Dr. E. J. Nolan, secretary of the Academyof Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, from the copy 
of Lesson’s “ Description de Mammiféres et d’Oiseaux”, etc., contained in the library of the Academy. 
“ LEcuREUIL DE LA CALIFORNIE. 
“(Sciurus (Macroxus) Californicus, Lesson.) 
“La Californie nourrit plusieurs esptces d’écurevils fort voisines les unes des autres, et qui 
appartiennent au groupe des Guerlinguets ou des Tamias: ce sont les S. bottae, Less. (Cent. Zool. pl. 76) ; 
Macroxus nigrescens (Benn. Proc. 1833, p. 41); Macrorus aureogaster, F. Cuv. (Mamm. pl. — et Bonite, pl. 
10 et 11); S. nebouzii, Isid. Geoff. (Bonite, pl. 12), et Tamias hindei, Gray (Ann. t. x, p. 264). 
“Le petit mammifére qui fait objet de cette description est de la taille de V’écureuil d’Europe; 
ses formes sont ausi celles de notre écureuil, mais ses oreilles sont sans pinceaux de poils, et sa queue, 
garnie de poils serrés, mais peu longs, est aplatie. 
“‘Cet animal que nous nommons californien, parce qu'il vit dans cette partie de Amérique, a le 
museau assez atténué et légérement comprimé; ses dents incisives sont de V’orangé le plus vif; les youx 
sont encadrés d’un cercle blanchitre, tandis que les poils du dessus de la téte sont tiquetés de brun sur 
un fond vineux pale; les joues et le gosier sont gris-clair; les oreilles sont légérement obovales, couvertes 
de trés-petits poils, mais sans pinceaux; le pelage sur le corps est généralement gris vineux tiqueté de 
gris-clair et de noir; le fond de cette coloration est plus franchement gris sur la nuque et sur le cou, plus 
roussitre sur la croupe, et franchement rose vineux sur Jes membres antérieurs ou postérieurs; le gris 
tiqueté du dos est coupé par une étroite bande blanche, qui s’étend de chaque cdté depuis le haut de 
