MAMMAL.S OF THE MEXICAN BOUNDARY. 



337 



season on the western part of the Colorado Desert, The same is true 

 of the other mammals living in those regions. 



TIahlts (Hid local dhtrihution. — In 1885, when marching with the 

 Third Cavahy toward Texas from Fort Verde, Arizona, I first met 

 with the Yuma ground-squirrel — then only known from the specimens 

 collected by Maj. (afterwards Maj. Gen.) George H. Thomas, near 

 Halls Station on New River, just within the northern limit of Mari- 

 copa Count}', Arizona. 1 saw them ever}' day of our march until we 

 arrived at Mountam Springs, a day's march east of Tucson. From 

 this point eastward to Deming, New Mexico, I mistook Cltellus xpllo- 

 wiiia iitao'osjrtlotus for this species, and embrace this occasion to 

 rectify my previous erroneous record of the existence of the Yuma 

 ground-squirrel in southeastern Arizona and at Deming, New Mexico. 

 On October 17, 1884, 1 saw some Yuma ground- 

 squirrels among the mesquites on the San 

 Carlos fiats at the Indian Agency on the Gila 

 River. 



Near the Mexican Boundary this species is 

 abundant from the Santa Cruz Valley, Arizona, 

 to the Coast Range Mountains of California. 

 From January 25 to February 8, 1891:, it only 

 appeared on the warmest days in places on both 

 sides of the Boundary where it is common. 

 Our first specimens were caught at Quitoba- 

 quita; they were not out of their burrows in the 

 region to the eastward, during the cold season 

 of our visit. It appeared to be scarce in Feb- 

 ruary on the plains immediately surrounding 

 the Gila Mountains, but was coumion at Adonde 



Siding on the Gila River, and less so at Gila city, on the Gila, 15 

 miles above Yuma, Arizona. It was abundant along the Gila from 

 Gila city to Yuma, and down the Colorado River to the Gulf of Cali- 

 fornia. It was common, though generally not abundant, along the 

 Salton and New rivers to the Boundary Line and thence west as far 

 as Coyote Wells. It was UK^st abundant at Indian Wells on the 

 New River. No other ground-squirrel was found on the open desert; 

 but Aiiim<>spei'ntoph!lu.s leuvnnis (Merriam) appeared as soon as the 

 Coast Range was reached. Dr. W J McGee has written that ground- 

 s(|uirrels are "common" in Seriland. western Sonora, Mexico, a 

 remark that may apply to this species." 



Fig. 55.^Citellus tereti- 

 caudus. quitdbaquita. 

 Arizona. (Cki. No. 

 r.S.N.M.) 



c- Spermophilua sonoriensis Ward, described (Am. Nat., XXV, Feb. 1891, p. 158) 

 from Hermosillo, State of Sonora, Mexico, is regarded by Merriam and Elliot as a 

 race of Citelln>i terelicuudns. 



30639— No. 56—07 m- 



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