SCIURIDJ!— SPERMOPHILUS TRroECEMLINEAT0S. 



875 



the eastern edge of the plains are intermediate in color and size between the 

 two varieties ; those from Eastern Kansas and Eastern Nebraska, from as 

 far west as Topeka and Fort Riley, are still referable to the eastern rather 

 than the western race, but those from Western Nebraska, Western Kansas, 

 and Colorado are distinctly referable to var. pallidus. In Fort Riley and 

 Topeka specimens, the dark ground-color is more rufous, especially on the 

 sides, and the light markings are of a clearer grayish-white. 



Synonymy and nomenclature. — The present species was first described 

 by Dr. Mitchill in June, 1821, as Sciurus trideceirUineatus, from specimens 

 collected during the summer of 1820, on the Upper Mississippi, by Proibssor 

 Douglass of the United States Military Academy. It was redescribed by 

 Sabine,* iEibout eight months later, under the name of Arctomys lioodi, from 

 specimens collected near Carlton House in May, 1820. While tridecemli- 

 neatus has been almost universally adopted by American writers as the name 

 of this species of Spermophile, Sabine's later name of hoodi has been as 

 uniformly adopted by English and European writers. The species has 

 thus far escaped other synonyms. It has, however, been burdened with a great 

 number of vernacular names, scarcely two authors having adopted the same 

 vernacular appellation. In 1874, I briefly characterized the pale desert race 

 as var. pallidus. 



Nutlall was probably the first naturalist who observed this animal, who, 

 some years prior to its discovery at other localities, met with it at the Mandan 

 village on the Upper Missouri, and, according to Say,t sent specimens of it 

 to "several of his scientific friends in London" as early as 1814. It appears, 

 however, to have been first described, as above stated, by Dr. Mitchill in 1821. 

 Dr. Hoy and Mr. Kennicott have made interesting contributions to its biog- 

 raphy, the former noting especially its carnivorous. Weasel -like propensities. 



Geographical distribution. — The most northerly point at which this 

 species has been observed seems to be tlie vicinity of Carlton House on the 

 Saskatchewan, where Richardson states he found it quite common. It is 

 abundant at the Red River Settlements and in the neighborhood of Pembina, 

 and is doubtless common at all favorable localities between these points and 

 the Saskatchewan River. In the United States, it has been met with at fre- 



* Dr. Hablne'a pnper waa read before the Royal Society of London "Jan. \\ IH33", and was not 

 pnbliBbud till Bomc niontlis later. Dr. Mitchill's deBoription Bppoarc<l in Juno, 1821. 



t Long*!! Expedition to tbo Rooky Mountains, vol. ii, p. 174 (apparently quoted by Harlau witbout 

 credit to tbo original authority). 



