SCIURIDZ—SPERMOPHILUS FRANKLINI. 883 
lineatus. It is met with, however, in far less numbers than the latter, and 
has a greater preference for thickets, low bushes, and borders of timber. It 
does not appear to extend westward beyond the eastern edge of the great 
plains, and is hence confined to a rather narrow belt of country, extending 
from Northern Missouri northward to considerably beyond Great Slave Lake. 
Audubon and Bachman refer to a specimen obtained by Mr. Townsend, and 
give the species, on Mr. Townsend’s authority, as an inhabitant of Oregon. 
This is doubtless a mistake, S. franklini not having been met with by other 
observers much to the westward of the Missouri River. 
This species also occurs in New Jersey, where it is rapidly increasing 
in numbers. I learned of its introduction there through Mr. Samuel Jillson, 
who first wrote me about it some three or four years since. Writing him 
recently for further information respecting the date and manner of its intro- 
duction, as well as for information respecting its present numbers and the 
area of its range, he has kindly replied as follows, under date of ‘“ Tuck- 
erton, New Jersey, May 6, 1877” :—‘“‘ The date of its introduction is May, 
. 1867, when a single pair was brought here by Mr. Sylvester Mathis, from 
Illinois. This pair soon gnawed out of their cage and escaped. This was 
in the village of Tuckerton. They are now found in Manahawken, nine 
miles north of Tuckerton, and also four miles south of Tuckerton, and very 
likely farther. They are very common on all the farms about here, three 
miles from the village [of Tuckerton]. They seem to always keep in the 
fields, as I have never seen them in the woods. I find very little dirt at the 
mouth of their burrows, sometimes none. From one to two buckets of water 
poured into their holes will bring them out. We kill all we can on our farm. 
They destroy young chickens and turkeys, and the dogs dig large holes in 
our fields in trying to get at the Gophers. I once found one in a salt-hay 
stack, in spring, dead, coiled up in the smallest ball possible. I also found 
one dead in my barn-well. I think many of them winter in stacks and under 
outbuildings, for I could never drown out any late in the fall, in the flat fields. 
They are never seen here in winter, and no doubt are then dormant. Please 
excuse my not answering your inquiries sooner, for I wanted to find out the 
exact date of their introduction.” 
Tam also indebted to Dr. Coues for calling my attention to an article on 
this subject by Mr. N. H. Bishop, of Lake George, Warren County, New York, 
dated December, 1876, and published in the Forest and Stream newspaper in its 
issue of January 4, 1877. The facts presented by Mr. Bishop respecting their 
