314 



U. 8. P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS ZOOLOGY GENERAL REPORT. 



fifth, which extend to the base of those adjacent to them. The soles are densely furred to the 

 base of the toes. The tail vertebra? are rather more than half the length of the body, the hairs 

 flattened out, so that the outlines are nearly parallel. 



The upper parts generally are of a finely grizzled yellowish gray, brown and black, the color 

 purer on the anterior portion of the back ; under parts, including the tail, sides of the head, 

 ring around the eye, and a distinct stripe on each side from the shoulders to the hips very pale 

 brownish white ; near the outside of the shoulder, arms, and legs of a pale chestnut, this color 

 tinging the grizzled sides below the light stripe ; the hairs on the'thighs with paler tips and 

 and some long black hairs interspersed. The tail is very pale brownish white externally, then 

 black, then while as before, and finally black on the central line ; each lateral hair, therefore, 

 having the base and sub-terminal bar black, the margin and sub-basal bar white. All the 

 lateral hairs have a very narrow tip of black, scarcely appreciable. The whole under surface 

 shows a uniform whitish, the concealed bases only being dusky, the basal third above is like 

 the back. The hairs on the upper part of the body are dark plumbeous at the extreme base, 

 then silky white for the greater part of their length, then brown passing into black, and finally 

 tipped with the whitish as described ; interspersed are many hairs entirely black. Under the 

 light lateral stripes, the hairs are without the dusky at the terminal portion, or only lead color 

 and whitish. The hairs on the under parts are all plumbeous at base. 



A second specimen, in alcohol, of this rare spermophile was received from J. G. Bell, Esq., 

 who was unable to give its locality with precision, but supposed it to be from Wisconsin, as it 

 came in company with a skin of S. franJdini,, labelled as from that State. 



This species is readily distinguishable from Spermophilus lateralis by the much smaller and 

 lower ears, smaller size, entire absence of a dusky margin to the light lateral stripe, &c. 



Harris' spermophile was first described by Audubon and Bachman from a specimen presented 

 to them by J. R. Townsend, without any indication of locality. This was first accurately 

 ascertained by Dr. Heermann. 



List of specimens. 



SPERMOPHILUS FRANKLINI. 



Grey Gopher. 



Jlrctomys franklini, SABINE, in Linn. Trans. XIII, 1822, 587; pi. xxvii. IB. in Narr. Franklin's Journey, 667. 



HARLAN, F. Am. 1825, 167. 



FISCHER, Synopsis, 1829, 343. 



GODMAN, Am. N. H. II, 109. 

 Jlrclomys (Spermophilus) franklini, RICH. F. B. Am. I, 1829, 168; pi. xii. 



