RODENTIA MURINAE NEOTOMA OCCIDENTALS. 



497 



however, not appreciably shorter, the second claw reaching to the middle of the third ; the 

 fifth a little beyond the base of the fourth ; palms naked, with large tubercles or pads. The 

 first toe short, its claw reaching to about the middle of the second, exclusive of its claw ; the 

 third longest ; the second and fourth equal and but little shorter ; the fifth claw reaching a 

 little beyond the base of the fourth. The sole is densely hairy from the heel to the first pad, 

 or for about one- third the length of the under part of the foot ; from this point it is naked, with 

 very lar*e pads. All the claws are concealed by long hairs springing from their bases. The 

 fur is rather harsh, not conspicuously softer than that of M. decumanus would be with longer 

 hairs. The tail is longer than the body, exclusive of the head ; thick, and densely clothed 

 throughout with long hairs, more than an inch long, with a coarse crumpled fur between their 

 bases ; it is cylindrical at the base, but towards the end is depressed and widens a little. 



The prevailing color of the upper parts is a very dark brown, nearly black, with a slight 

 lining of yellowish brown, much overlaid by the former color ; with this there is a mixture of 

 plumbeous, caused by the exposed bases of the hairs ; on the sides there is a tint of yellowish 

 brown mixed with the black hairs, but becoming purer and clearer towards the belly. The 

 outside of the limbs to the carpus and tarsus is much like the back ; the upper surface of the 

 feet and under parts generally are dirty bluish white, mostly plumbeous at base. Interspersed 

 everywhere over the back and upper part of the sides are black hairs, longer than the rest of 

 the fur. The tail is white beneath. Above, it is like the back towards the base, but towards 

 the tip it becomes of a more uniform brownish plumbeous. Viewed from above, the white of 

 the lower surface is not distinctly visible. The hairs above at their bases, with the coarse wool 

 intermixed, are grayish plumbeous. 



In a series of specimens collected both in winter and in summer there is no appreciable differ 

 ence in color, nor is there any closer resemblance to the true N. drummondii (N. cinerea) than is 

 described above. There is, however, an appreciable variation in the size of the ear. The tail, 

 appears to be less bushy in summer, and the soles less densely hairy. 



Measurements. 



63 L 



