832 



MONOGRAPHS OF NORTH AMIJRIOAN RODBNTIA. 



1829, and ueither of them have any serious complicatious of synonymy. The 

 Spermophilus macrurus, described by Mr. Bennett in 1833, "from that part 

 of California which adjoins Mexico", is undoubtedly referable to var. beecheyi, 

 if the locality is correctly given ; the only question that can be raised is as to 

 whether it should be referred to this form rather than to var. douglassi. This, 

 however, is a point of minor importance. The size, form, and coloration 

 accord well with var. beecheyi; the only point of discrepancy is the "black 

 head, on which i very few white hairs exist". This indicates a slight ten- 

 dency to melanism, such as quite a number of specimens present, in which 

 tile head is unusually blackish. Several specimens of this type of coloration 

 are among those received from Southern California. I have hence not the 

 slightest hesitation in referring 8. macrurus to one of the Pacific-coast forms 

 of grammurus, or, more definitely, to var. beecheyi, with whose habitat the 

 alleged locality accords. 



The Sciurus ailifornicus of Lesson, described in 1847 as from California, 

 seems also undoubtedly referable to var. beecheyi, as already suggested by 

 Professor Baird. It is, in fact, with one or two slight exceptions, an excellent 

 and detailed description of this animal. The white bands on the sides are 

 represented as extending rather farther back than usual, but not farther 

 than frequently happens. The color of the tail is alone erroneously described, 

 the description implying that there is but a single band of black instead of 

 three.* 



* I here snbjoin a traneoript of Lemon's entire notice of hia Sciurat (Maerozut) californietu, kindly 

 fiirniabed by Dr. E. J. Nolan, seoretury of the Academyof Natarol Boience* of PbiladelpUia, from the oopy 

 of Leason's " Descriptiou de Manimif^rea et d'Oineanx ", etc., contained in the library of the Academy. 



" L'£cURKUIL DB LA CaUFORNIK. 



"(Sciurut (Maeroxut) Californiciu, Lesson.) 



"La Califoruie nonrrit plnsieurs espices d'^cnreuils fort voisines les nnee des antres, et qni 

 appartiennent an gronpe des Guorllnguets on dee Tamias : ce sont les 8. hoUae, Less. (Cent. Zool. pi. 76) ; 

 Macrox»» nigntcmt (Benn. Proc. 183.1, p. 41) ; ilfacrozvi anreogaaltr, F. Cut. (Hamm. pi. — et Bonite, pi. 

 lU et 11) ; S. nebouxii, Isid. Oeoff. (Bonite, pi. 13), et 7amui( kindei, Gray (Ann. t. z, p. Si64). 



" Le petit mammif%re qui fait I'ottjet de oette description est de la taille do I'fenreoil d'Eorope ; 

 ■es formes sont nnai colles de notre ^onreuil, mais see oreiUes sont sans pinoeaux de polls, et sa qnene, 

 garnie do polls serr^, mais pen longs, est aplatie. 



"Cet animal que nous nommuns oalifomien, parce qu'il vit dans oette partie de I'Ainiriqne, • la 

 museau ossez att6nu£ et Idgirement comprim^; see dents inctsives sont de I'orang^ le pins vif ; les yens 

 sont enoadr^ d'un cerole blancb&tre, taodis qne.les poils dn deasns de la tite sont tiqoet^s de bmn snr 

 un fond vineux p&le ; les jones et le goeicr sont gris-olair ; les oreilica sont Kgirement obovalea, oonvcrtes 

 de trte-petits polls, mais sans pinceaux ; le pelage sur lo corps est g^ntSralement gris vinenz tiqnetd de 

 gria-clair et do noir ; le fond de cette coloration est pins i. anohemeut gris snr la nuqne et lar U eon, pint 

 ronas&tre snr la oron|)e, ot franshement rose vinenx snr lea membres anterienrs on poat^rienrs; le gris 

 tiquettf da dos est couptf par uoe ^trolte bonde blanche, qni s'ttend de ehaqne o6t^ depais le bant do 



