SCIURIDiE— TAMIAS 8TRIATUS, 



785 



than those from more northern sections, and average a little smaller. The 

 difference, however, in either respect, is not very great. 



This species is easily distinguished from its congeners by its coloration, 

 as well as by other characters. Its nearest ally is the T. asiaticus; from the 

 others {T. Jiarrisi and T. lateralis), it is too distinct to require a comparison 

 with them. The northern and eastern varieties of T. asiatictis (vars. borealis, 

 pallidus, and quadrivUtatris) differ from T. striatus in their considerably 

 smaller size, in having the tail relatively longer (with the hairs as long as the 

 head and body, instead of one-fourth shorter), and in having the markings on 

 the sides of the head much stronger, and the black stripe of the dorsal sur- 

 face broader (nearly or quite equalling the interspaces, instead of very much 

 narrower), and continued much further, both anteriorly and posteriorly, the 

 three middle ones reaching the base of the tail instead of terminating con- 

 siderably in front of it. The inner light stripes are also not only much nar- 

 rower but much lighter-colored than in T. striatus. The Columbia River 

 variety of T. asiaticus (var. toumsendi) is about equal in size to T. striatus, 

 but differs from it in proportions in the same way as do the other varieties 

 of T. asiaticus. The coloration, however, is still more widely different 

 through the much browner coloration of var. tovmsendi. T. striatus differs 

 from all tiie other members of the genus in possessing only one upper pre- 

 molar instead of two, and in its more elongated and narrower muzzle. 



Synontmy and nomenclatore. — This species was first described and 

 figured by Catesby (though previously mentioned by Sagard-Th^odat and 

 other early writers*), in 1743,t under the name Sciurus striatus. This 



* TheHe early acconuta are of eapucial interest from their giving the origin of the name Suiaie, so 

 generally applied to this and the following species by the French settlers of Canada and their descend- 

 ants, even o the present time. In describing the Squirrels of Canada, 8agard-Tb<Sodat says : — " La se- 

 ooDde espece qu'Us appclent Ohihoin, & nous Suisse, & cause de leur begamre, sent ceux qui sent rayez & 

 banez uDiversoUeaient par tout le corps, d'uue raye blanche, puis d'une ronsse, grize & noiraste, qui les 

 rendent tres-beanz &, ogrcables, mais qui mordent comnio perdus, s'ils ne sont apprivoisez, on que I'on 

 tie s'en donne de garde." — (Iluioin du Canada, tome v, p. 746.) Denya, in his " Oescrintion do I'Amdrlqiro 

 Beptentrionale" (tume ii, pp. 331), published iu IfTi, says of the some species: — " . . . . il y en a uno 

 eapeee un pne plus petite qui se nouiuio Suiue parce qn'ils scut tons rayez de la teste & la quenii par nyes 

 blanobe, roosae & noire toutes d'une mosme larguer d'onviron la nioititf d'nn travers de doigt." 



La Hontan also says :— " Les l^curcuiis Sulsscs, sont de petits animaux commc de petits rats. Ou 

 lea appellent Suiitet parce qu'ils ont sur le corps un poll ray6 de noir & de blauo, qui reesemble i\ un pour- 

 point de Suisse, & que ces ni6ines rayes faisant nn rond sur chaqne cnisse ont beanconp de rai>ort & la 

 calote d'un Suisse."— (AToue. Fay. dam l'Am&. tome il, p. 43.) Charlevoix, writing somewhat later, says, 

 in his account of the Squirrels of Canada :— " On en distingue de trois espeoee ; les rouges, qni ne diffe- 

 rent point des nAtres ; les Suiases, qui sont nu pen plus petits, & qn'on a ainsi nommtfs. parce quo lenr poll 

 est rayi on longueur de rouge, do blanc &. de noir, & pen prte comme lea Suissea do la Oarde dn Pape." — 

 {Jomm. BUL d'lta Toy. de VAwUr. Sept. p. lOH.) 



tThe description and figure given by Heba, in 1734, of his "Sclunu, Oetului, ex Aavd HhpatM" 

 (Tfaeaan. i, 76, pi. xlvii, fig. 3), is doubtless to be referred to one of the species of Tamiai, bat whether to 

 &0M 



