720 



MONOOUAIMI8 OF NOKTO AMERICAN RODBNTIA. 



(liHtiiiguiHhcd Ity its white or whitinli noso nnd curH. Of the dozen or more 

 spccinumH licfiirc iiic, cnch difTors widely from nny of the others. 



IIaiiitat. — South Atluntic and Gidf Stnteo, from Mnryhind to Loui8iana. 



Vor. LUD0VICIANU8. 



Wextern Fox Squirrel. 



Varietal ciiaks. — Smaller than the |ireccding, about equaling in size var. 

 cinereun; length of hody 12 to 13, ranging from 11 to 14 or more; tail-vcrtebne 

 9.75, ranging from 8.50 to 10.50; tail to end of Imira 12 50, ranging from 11 

 to 13 50. Color less variable than in vars. cinerrun and niger. Above, dusky- 

 gray, with a (strong rufous suiTusion ; ears, feet, and ventnd surface fulvous, 

 varying to bright ferrugineous. The whole under parts are occasionally black 

 or mixed black and rufous, the hairs being annulated with these colors. 

 Never api>arcntly wholly black, nor with the under surface pure white. 



This variety is much more constant in its coloration than either of the 

 two preceding, the principal variations being to dusky, annulated with rusty 

 l>eneath, or with the whole ventral surface black. The cars are generally 

 rufous, in strong contrast with the color of the dorsal surface ; the feet and 

 whole lower parts arc generally rufous, varying somewhat in intensity in dif- 

 ferent individuals from the same locality. The upper parts vary from a dusky 

 fcrrugineous-gray to a lighter gray, scarcely distinguishable from that of the 

 reddish-gray type of var. cinereus from Pennsylvania. There is, however, a 

 considerable amount of geographical variation in color, mainly through a 

 great increase in the intensity of the rufous coloring of the ventral surface 

 southward. 



The palest s|)ecimens are from the eastern edge of the Plains, — Fort 

 Randall, Dak. Ter. ; Kiowa Agency, Ind. Ter. ; Guadeloupe and Fort Chad- 

 bourne, Tex., — some of which are nearly white below and much lighter above 

 than examples from other localities. The most rufous come from the Missis- 

 sippi Valley, particularly from the southern portion. The specimens from Ohio 

 arc rather lighter than those from Illinois, while the series from Fort Des 

 Moines, Iowa, inclines strongly toward the more southern type of coloration. 



No. 7768, from the Republican Fork, is white below, with merely a faint 

 tinge of fulvous, which becomes somewhat stronger on the chin atid throat. 

 The up|ier parts are about as in specimens from the upper part of the Missis- 

 sippi Valley. No. 11348, from Fort Randall, is also nearly white over the 



