SECRETARY'S REPORT. 155 



certain, does not occur with the former, as I have shot numbers in sum- 

 mer and winter, and could see no difference, except, perhaps, that the 

 brown was a trijle lighter in wintei". A number of specimens before me 

 m the summer and winter pelage furnish the following 



Description. — Head rather broader than the P. pusilliis ; ears broad 

 and rounded ; neck short, and body more robust than the P. pusiUus ; 

 limbs short ; feet rather wide, densely clothed with hairs, which almost 

 conceal the naked pads beneath the soles and toes ; tail long, its tip and 

 one-third its length, black ; fur of the upper part of the head, neck, body 

 and sides, outside the legs to the toes, and two-thirds the length of the 

 tail from the root, in summer, brown, a shade darker than the P. pusilliis ; 

 edge of the upper lip, and beneath the chin, throat and body, and lower 

 part of the sides, and between the anterior limbs to the wrist, and be- 

 tween the posterior limbs to the ankle, white, with a yellowish tint. In 

 winter the whole fur, with the exception of the tip of the tail, is pure 

 white, with sometimes a yellowish tint. Length of head varying from 

 1§ inches to 1^ inches; greatest width of head, 1 inch to 1^ inches; 

 length of body from nose to root of tail, 7 J to 8^ inches ; length of tail, 

 not including the hairs at the tip, 2| to 3 inches ; including the hairs, 

 3§ to 4^ inches; length of hind foot. If inches. 



P. Eichardsonii, (Richardson.) [PI. I., figs. 3, 5 and 7.] 

 This species occurs in this State, how frequently I am unable to say ; 

 but should pronounce it rare. I have not been able to collect more than 

 two specimens, (in summer dress) ; but this may be owing, not so much 

 to their scarcity as to my not finding their most favorable localities. 

 There seems to be great confusion in regard to the identity of this 

 species. Richardson first described it (I believe) with the above name. 

 Audubon claimed it as his discovery, and named it P. agilis. The con- 

 fusion which exists regarding this species, is unfortunately not confined 

 to it, but seems to extend to the others. 



I do not intend to add to it by any conjectures or suggestions, but give 

 a description of two specimens before me, which were killed in this 

 State, and which are probably of this species. 



Description. — Head long and slender ; ears rather long, wide, and 

 slightly pointed ; neck and body slender ; limbs rather longer than the 

 preceding, and the feet smaller ; tail very long, the tip and nearly half 

 its length black; color of the fur (in summer) on the upper part of the 

 head, neck and body, outside of the legs and the tail to the black tip, 

 reddish-brown ; beneath the chin, throat, and between the anterior legs, 

 to a little below the elbow, and between the posterior legs, to just above 

 the knee, yellowish-white. In winter the whole fur is white, with the 

 exception of the tip of the tail, which is black. Length of head, 1 1 to 



