RODENTIA SCIURINAE TAM1AS TOWNSENDH. 301 



to the fifth. The whole under surface of the metatarsus is hairy, the sole naked from the 

 tubercles. The tail is comparatively long, but shorter than the body. 



The sides of the head exhibit the light stripes of the other species. The ears are dusky brown 

 or nearly black, except for the posterior fourth which is hoary, of a color similar to a patch just 

 behind the ears. The general color of the upper parts is of a dark reddish brown mixed with 

 a few black hairs. These hairs are dark lead color, except at the tips, which are plain reddish 

 brown, without annulation, as far as can be detected. Down the back, from occiput to tail, is a 

 well defined stripe of black, on each side of which are two others of less extent. The ground 

 color between these stripes is not appreciably lighter. Beneath, the animal is dull ashy or 

 brownish white, the line of separation between the colors of the under parts and the sides not 

 being distinct. The tail beneath is rather light chestnut, margined all round with grayish 

 white, and with a broad subterminal black border. Examined closely, each hair is black at the 

 base, then chestnut, black, and grayish white. On the upper part and sides of the tail the 

 basal black increases in extent. 



A specimen from Shoalwater Bay (2469) is smaller, and differs in the brighter reddish of the 

 back and sides. There is a faint lightening of the interval between the two outer stripes. 

 The colors beneath are clearer and the contiguous tints better defined. 



In the variation from the type of coloration, as described for T. townsendii by Bachman, 

 observable in certain specimens from Washington Territory, especially Nos. 211 and 212, I 

 characterized these as distinct under the name of Tamias cooperi. l A much larger series of 



1 The following is the description, as prepared two years ago, with the specimens then before me : 



TAMIAS COOPERI. SP. CH. Tail vertebras little more than half the length of body. Ears large. A light stripe along the 

 side of head, bifurcating at the eye. Anterior portion of body above and sides grizzled gray and brownish, or brownish ash, 

 somewhat like the sides of Nus decumanus ; on the middle of side a slight dash of rusty. Three distinct dorsal glossy dark 

 brown stripes, with two others less marked. The intervals between these light grayish, especially the exterior ones. 

 Beneath grayish white, distinct from the color of the sides. Hairs of the tail dark at the roots, then rusty, ihen black and 

 tipped with grayish. Size rather larger than Tamias striatus. 



Body stout ; head rather short ; ears large ; whiskers black, longer than the head. Tail short, scarcely three-fourths the 

 length of the body. Feet rather large ; thumb nidimentary ; two middle fingers of equal length ; inner a little longer than 

 the outer, its claw extending to the base of that of the longest ; soles naked. On the hind feet, the first digit or toe is 

 small, only half the length of the longest, or fourth ; the third and second are successively very little shorter than the 

 fourth ; the claw of the fifth, or exterior, reaches the base of the claw of the latter. The soles appear naked. All the 

 claws are well developed, brown at the base, with light grayish tip. 



A broad band of pale yellowish extends from the nose to the eye, where it bifurcates, the branches passing above and 

 below the eye, (where the color becomes lighter,) and extending to the ear. Edge of eyelids black ; a dark brown band from 

 the eye to the ear separating the above mentioned light stripes. Above and below the light stripes is a border of dark 

 brown and reddish brown mixed. 



The ears are thinly coated with reddish and brown hairs on their concavity ; externally they are dark brown ; the extreme 

 margin and about one-fourth posteriorly light gray ; below the ear a small patch of hoary ; less than in T. quadrivtitatus. 



The sides and anterior portion of the back are grizzled brownish aeh mixed with light ferruginous, especially on the 

 middle of the body ; the exterior surfaces of the limbs are similar. A dark brown, nearly black, dorsal stripe begins on the 

 top of the head, and extends to the base of the tail ; on each side of this is a similar stripe, beginning above the shoulders 

 and extending nearly as far ; these stripes are separated by the equal intervals of dull grayish ash, and similar but clearer 

 stripes of the sanit; ash are seen on the outside of the last mentioned dark stripes. There is no well defined stripe of darker 

 exterior to these, although the upper edge of the grayish on the sides is dusky, making fainter lines parallel to the others. 

 The dorsal stripe is nearly four lines wide in the middle of the back. The under parts are grayish white, the line of demar 

 cation from the color of the sides being strongly marked. 



The hairs of the tail are dusky at base, then light ferruginous, then black, then tipped with gray. Owing to the predom 

 inance of black and the gray tips, very little reddish is exhibited above ; beneath, however, it is more distinct. 



This species is readily distinguished from the Tamias striatus, by the entire absence of the bright ferruginous of this 



