44 UNITED STATES AND MEXICAN BOUNDARY. 



*' This, or an allied species, builde globular beds of fine grass, lined with featbers and other soft roateilal, on the Opuntia and 

 other ch^pparel. The} are qnite nuiiienms in some eeoti* ns, and, seen at a distance, hanging on thorny branches, resemble old 

 bird nests, Tte eiitrhi;ce, u^UHI!y at iLe tide or bi itiui. is, to all hj ]nannce, fo entiie'y closed »b to siigye^t the question, by 



what built, and fi^r vhttt purpose is puch a C(nriivhnce? I never f^aw cne iu an LLfitishtd htaie, nor the nuimal at work — labor 

 U perhaps peifoiiiied after ni^ht."— (J. H. Clark.) 



51. HESPEROMYS EREMICUS, Baird (p. 479.)— desert Mouse. 



This strongly marTjed species "has hitherto only been found at Fort Yuma and its vicinity 

 1334. Colorado Bottom, Cal. A. Schott. 



52. NEOTOMA MEXICANA Baird (p. 490.)— Bush Eat. 



1033. San Pedro E., Sonora. Dr. Kennerly.— 1328. <? Colorado bottom, Cal. March 31; 

 1855. A. Schott. 



" The only specimen of this species observed by me was procured near the San Pedro rlrer on a blufi*, where it had built its 

 Dfst among the rocks. Evidences of its presence were perceived in great quanlities of excrement around the spot; and, after 

 removing a few stones, its neat was found, and the animal easily captured. The nest was composed of a compact bunch of 

 dry grass. 



" The food of this animal consists partly, perhaps, of the cactus and its fruit, which grew in abundance in this locality." 

 (Dr. Kennerly.) 



^^ Eaton of the jlexicans; Loironce, of (he Apaches; AmoJJj of the Tiimas, 



** This animal is mcst common in the lotti.m lands of the Lower Colorado, and most probably in corresponding localities on 



the Gila.- 



•* It builds its domicile between the forks of raezquite trees, the deflexed ramifications of which usually form a natural defence 

 agMinst larger intruders. The nest itself is made up of dry sticks, such as the ground underneath such trees is strewn with There 

 is no regiilaiity in the construction of this house, which resembles, on a smaller scale, those of the beavers. The only difference 

 5s, that the ra**! builds his house above freshet-mark. As a common inmate of those rat nests is also a Scekponis, perhaps, Sc. 

 coUaris, whi'h has its entomuphagous sports upon the rough bark of the mezquite tree. Thus the rat and the lizzard live 

 peaceably together. 



*'The principal f)od of this rat seems to be the pods of the mezquite and the screw bean, of which often large depositories can 

 be formd in their strongholds, 



"The animal seems to avoid carefully any contact with water, and therefire likes to build its nest above the reach of water. 

 Being obliged to live fi)r some mouths on deposited ft»od, it? habitation necessarily must remain perfectly dry. 



"For the Indians, Yumas and Cocopas, living in the Colorado bottom, this tree rat is of some importance. As they do not 

 hunt, they depend on the meat of this rat for that small portion of animal food they want. In spring, that is, in February and 

 March, the rat nests are carefully searched by the Indians. It was in this season that when, after some of us had refused the 



■ 



offer of an Indian to sell us some of this delicacy, he assured us in his peculiar Indian-Spanish, * mucho bueno por comer;' and 

 then went to my camp-fire, and, after killing one or two of his long-tailed piisoners, placed it, without any cleaning, into hot 

 a^he8. Affer a quarter of an hour the dish was ready, and required only a little salt to make it palatable to the native con- 

 sumer."— (A. Schott.) 



53. NEOTOMA MICROPUS, B a i r d (p. 492.)— Black Wood Rat. 



+ 



554. Charco Escondido. Mexico. 1853. Lt. D. N. Couch.— 561. Santa Rosalio. Mexico 



Lt 



54. SIGMODON BERLANDIERI, B air d (p. 504.)— Texas Cotton Rat. 



8. West of San Antonio. Skin. J. H. Clark.— 233. Eastern Texas. Skin. J. H. Clark 

 2682. Ringgold Barracks. A. Schott.— 1034. Los Nogales, Sonora. Dr. Kennerly. 



i 



.-I 



