59.9(72.2) 



Article XIII.— MAMMALS COLLECTED BY THE 'ALBATROSS' 



EXPEDITION IN LOWER CALIFORNIA IN 1911, WITH 



DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES. 1 



By Charles Haskins Townsend. 



|By permission of the U. S. Commissioner of Fisheries.] 



Plates VIII and IX. 



The mammals brought back by the ' Albatross ' Expedition number 

 259 specimens, representing 59 species, ten of which, from islands in the 

 Gulf of California, appear to be undescribed. 



Mammals, usually of the smaller kinds, were obtained at nearly all of 

 the twenty-seven localities visited by the ship. While a single night's 

 trapping often yielded numerous specimens, many were destroyed by 

 ants before the traps could be visited in the morning. Wood rats, pocket 

 mice and deer mice were especially numerous, and it was possible to obtain 

 them by setting traps almost anywhere in the bushes near the beaches. 



Deer and coyotes were obtained at two, hares at six, spermophiles at 

 three, and kangaroo rats at four localities. Specimens of lynx, fox, raccoon, 

 skunk, and gopher were secured only in the Sierra Laguna mountains by a 

 collector sent from the ship. The elephant seal was found only at Guada- 

 lupe Island. As the work of the cruise included deep sea investigations, 

 sometimes at considerable distances from land, all anchorages were of short 

 duration and at points rather widely separated. 



The greater part of the collection of mammals was prepared by Mr. H. E. 

 Anthony, now of the Museum staff. 



The islands visited include Guadalupe, the San Benitas, Cedros, 

 Magdalena, Margarita, and San Roque in the Pacific, and Ceralbo, Espiritu 

 Santo, San Jose, Santa Cruz, Santa Catalina, Carmen, Angel Guardia, 

 San Esteban, and Tiburon in the Gulf. In physical characteristics, the 

 islands bear close resemblance to the coastal regions of the Peninsula, having 

 the same desert-like appearance. Some of them are totally without fresh 

 water, and most of them are uninhabited. Small mammals were obtained 

 only at islands where the traps could be left out over night. 



The following notes relate to islands from which new species were pro- 

 cured. 



1 Scientific Results of the Expedition to the Gulf of California in Charge of C. H. 

 Townsend, by the U. S. Fisheries Steamship 'Albatross' in 1911. Commander G. H. 

 Burrage. U. S. N., Commanding. 



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