Feb., 191 2. Mammals of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 237 



Synaptomys cooperi fatuus (Bangs). 



Bangs's Lemming Mouse. 



Synaptomys fatuus Bangs, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., X, 1896, p. 47. Miller, Proc. 

 Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., XXVIII, No. i, 1897, p. 11 (North Bay and Peninsular 

 Harbor, Ontario). 



Type locality — Lake Edward, Province of Quebec, Canada. 



Distribution — Eastern Canada, south to Maine, New Hampshire 

 and northern Wisconsin and probably northern Michigan and Minne- 

 sota; exact limits of range unknown. 



Description — Similar to S. cooperi, but averaging somewhat smaller and 

 darker, the skull smaller and the upper incisors shorter and narrower. 



Measurements — Total length, about 4.75 in. (120.5 mm.); tail 

 vertebrae, .69 in. (17.5 mm.); hind foot, .71 in. (18 mm.). 

 The following are the field measurements of six specimens collected 



by Mr. W. H. Osgood in northern Wisconsin: 



Total Leng1 



No. 18302, cT, Conover, Vilas Co 128 mm 



No. 18304, 9 , Conover, Vilas Co 122 



No. 18303, 9 , Conover, Vilas Co 121 



No. 18305, 9 , Lac Vieux Desert, Vilas Co. 117 



No. 16250, 9 , Sayner, Vilas Co " 103 



No. 16249, cf , Solon Springs, Douglas Co. 116 



So far as I am aware, Bangs's Lemming Mouse has not been pre- 

 viously recorded from Wisconsin. Specimens in this Museum from 

 northern Wisconsin approach much nearer to this form than to cooperi 

 and agree very well in size and cranial characters with those from the 

 type locality. Bangs's Lemming Mouse is, no doubt, not uncommon 

 in suitable localities throughout at least the northern portion of the 

 state. Its natural habitat is wet bogs and sphagnum swamps both 

 in open places and in woods. Mr. Osgood informs me that in the 

 localities he visited in Vilas County they were quite scarce and were 

 only found in small numbers in isolated colonies in cold sphagnum 

 swamps. Even where occasional specimens were caught, continued 

 trapping often failed to secure others. Mr. Gerrit S. Miller secured 

 specimens of this Mouse at Peninsular Harbor, Ontario, in the northern 

 shore of Lake Superior, where, he says, it frequently occurs at the bor- 

 ders of clearings especially near boggy places grown up to bushes. He 

 caught one under the foundation of a disused log cabin in low ground 

 near the woods and secured others in pitfalls dug at the edge of a garden. 

 He says, ''wherever the animal occurred it lived in cavities among roots 

 covered with moss and sphagnum. Even in places where it was most 

 abundant I could find no beaten runways. " (/. c, p. 12). 



